Humidity is an important weather factor, but how do you dry laundry when the humidity is high? Below you will find some useful information and methods that you can use to protect your clothes!
If you want to prevent mold formation or other problems after washing, you should dry your laundry properly in high humidity. However, this matter can often be challenging under such conditions, so there are a few factors to consider. It usually doesn't help if, for example, you simply let your laundry dry on a drying rack overnight. Luckily, there are certain hacks and smart steps you can take to speed up the drying process and prevent smelly or moldy clothes.
Consider damp weather or surroundings and dry laundry when the humidity is high
The values of the relativeMoisture from within– and outside air are related to the rate of water evaporation. In fact, you can dry your laundry at 80% humidity using your indoor spaces for this purpose. This would be helpful if the humidity outside is higher than in your home. Otherwise it could take more time even though you dry your laundry in the sun. Therefore, it is important to better understand air drying by familiarizing yourself with some scientific facts about the process.
- When drying clothes and generally when liquids evaporate, two processes occur simultaneously - evaporation and condensation.
- The evaporation rate and the amount of liquid that changes from liquid to gaseous state in a unit of time depends only on the temperature.
- When temperatures are high, more water molecules pass through the air per unit of time.
- The speed of the reverse process of condensation is proportional to the concentration of water molecules in the air.
- The higher the humidity, the more water molecules condense in the air or on clothing.
- Warm air typically retains more moisture than cool air, so as the air warms, its relative humidity drops.
- When the air can no longer absorb moisture and condenses until it reaches equilibrium, it is called a saturation point.
All of these can help you if you need to dry your laundry in high humidity. In addition, humidity above 70% is considered high. When these values are reached, you can use the drying method that is appropriate for the situation. Here are some helpful suggestions for you to consider.
What is the best way to dry laundry in the sun when the humidity is high?
If you have yourDry laundry outdoorsand use a clothesline for this, the weather plays a crucial role. As a rule, exposure to sunlight and warm air help speed up the process. However, if the weather is humid, this can slow down drying and cause certain problems. However, you can counteract the effects of a humid climate on your clothing by trying some of the following methods.
- Auswringenthe laundry after the spin cycle: Although modern washing machines do not leave soaking wet clothes, it would be advisable to wring them out when you have to dry laundry in high humidity. Do this before hanging your clothes to air dry.
- Another option is to cover the clothing with oneabsorbent clothRoll up to remove moisture. You can also do this on the floor with your feet.
- You can have one tooCleaning bucket with mop pressUse to wring out clothes more quickly. This inexpensively replaces the electric tumble dryer and saves electricity.
- When hanging laundry on the clothesline, it is also important to have enoughDistancebetween the individual pieces. This ensures better air circulation.
- Letno folded clothingon the clothesline so that they dry properly when the air outside is humid. The location also plays an important role.
- If you try to dry your laundry in high humidity, you should also use the different onesConsider wind conditions. Windy days speed up the process.
What can you do to dry laundry indoors when the humidity is high?
On warm summer days you may be able to simply leave your clothes to dry outside, but this is not the case when it rains. It would therefore make sense to take a few steps to make it possible to dry laundry indoors when the humidity is high. The logical action would be to use effective means to evaporate the excess moisture more quickly. The following options are available to you.
- Open windowand let air in - If you use a drying rack for your clothes, you should position it next to open windows when possible. In this way, the outside air or the draft helps to accelerate the drying process. Normally indoor humidity is no more than 60%.
- The air with oneFan or air conditioningCirculate – Using a fan or air conditioner may not reduce humidity, but it will promote better air circulation. However, these options come with additional electricity costs.
- If you dry your laundry indoors in winter when the humidity is high - use itHeat from your radiatorsand wash your clothes primarily when you use themHeating living spacesmust.
- However, a more effective solution would be to put oneDehumidifierto invest - Such devices help to remove moisture from the air and prevent the formation of mold and amusty laundry. In this case, however, you should keep doors and windows closed so that you do not overload the dehumidifier. This is also recommended in cold weather, as moisture usually condenses on cold surfaces when there is poor air circulation.
Further tips and tricks for faster drying at high humidity
If your clothes aren't drying due to extreme humidity, some alternative measures might also help. Always keep in mind that the more water molecules there are in the air, the less moisture you can remove from your laundry. Air drying outdoors at over 80% humidity takes a long time, but it is still possible. Devices such as dehumidifiers are not efficient outside, so the drying process mainly depends on weather factors. However, controlling humidity indoors is easier, although you can also use the following methods to be strategic.
- Place slow-drying items like jeans on radiators to speed up the process. Of course, depending on the device, you should also take the risk of fire into account.
- Alternatively, you can also use a hairdryer or iron to speed up the drying process. This would be useful in urgent situations and especially with underwear or socks. For this purpose, you can hang the item you need and treat it with a hairdryer or use your iron. However, place a cloth on the ironing board to protect damp clothing and better absorb additional moisture. Nowadays, handheld devices such as steam dryers are also available for faster drying.
- If you have children and do laundry often, you might also consider purchasing a dryer, with the choice between electric and gas. The latter cost more, but are more energy efficient in the long run, and their loading volume should be twice as large as that of your washing machine.
Now you can see that you can dry laundry in high humidity by using simple strategies. It's best to try to do all of the steps above to help moisture evaporate from your clothes more quickly. With simple means and clever tricks, this shouldn't be too difficult for you to achieve. Just make sure your laundry doesn't stay damp for more than 24 hours, otherwise musty smells and possibly mold can develop.
