Among the many things we look forward to during summer is hanging clothes out in the sun. But why do clothes dry faster in summer than in winter? I mean, during the winter months, it is almost impossible to dry clothes outside. And while drying them indoors is not an entirely bad option, this usually forces us to keep the windows open, which becomes quite uncomfortable as the open windows only work to let in cold air into the room.
On the contrary, summers are just the perfect weather to dry clothes. When you hang clothes on the clothing line outside on a sunny day, it takes a few hours, even minutes at times, to dry them. And the best part about drying clothes during hot summer days is that they remain fresh for as long as possible and do not wear out or become subject to shrinkage.
But what really makes the difference between drying clothes in the summer and drying them in the winter? Read on to find out!
Why Do Clothes Dry Faster in Summer Than in Winter?
During the summer months, there is more heat and less moisture in the environment. The high temperatures lead to a higher rate of evaporation, so that moisture evaporates from the clothes more quickly during the hot summers than in the winter months characterized by low temperatures. Also, there is less moisture and humidity in the air during summer. And as a general rule, the more humidity and moisture there is in the air, the slower the rate of evaporation. Therefore, the less humid conditions during summer translates to a higher rate of evaporation, which means that clothes dry much faster than in winter.
The other major aspect that contributes to the clothes drying faster in summer than in winter is heat. Basically, warm air holds more moisture than cold air. It is due to this reason that most summer mornings are characterized by high humidity while the afternoons have low humidity. However, during the winter, most areas have cold, even freezing temperatures with no heat. This means that the air reaches saturation easily, and therefore holds very little moisture. In turn, evaporation is slowed down, causing the clothes to take much longer to dry.
Tips to Dry Clothes Quickly in the Winter
Drying clothes in the summer is not really a hustle; all you need to do is just hang the clothes outside on the clothing line for a few hours, then collect them back for ironing and storing. However, when it comes to drying clothes in the winter or during the cold, rainy season, things tend to get more complicated, since they take much longer to dry. And even when the clothes are hung indoors, the excess moisture usually leads to the development of musty odors, such as mildew.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to dry your clothes quickly in winter. Consider these seven clever tricks that can help you speed the drying process of clothes during the cold months:
Hang the clothes immediately after washing – Leaving the clothes in the laundry basket or washing machine could cause them to develop mold or smell mildew, forcing you to re-wash them.
Avoid overfilling your washing machine – Putting a heavy load of laundry in your washer and laundry will cause the clothes to be more damp at the end of each wash cycle. And it goes without saying that damper clothes take a longer time to dry.
Pass clothes through an extra spin in the dryer – The extra spin cycle helps to remove excess water and moisture from the clothes, speeding up the drying process.
Arrange clothes in the clothing line in such a way that it speeds the drying process – Place the short pieces and heavy clothes in the front row on the edges and the soft fabrics or long clothes in the back row. Such an arrangement ensures that each individual piece of cloth get the maximum sunlight and that no cloth delays the drying process of another.
Spread clothes evenly- Placing too many clothes on one surface, only works to delay their drying process. To speed up drying, spread the clothes evenly, such that they leave a distance of about 1 inch apart. Also, turn them over every few hours to ensure that they dry evenly.
Use fabric softener on your laundry – Not only do fabric softeners speed up the drying process of clothes, but they also prevent the building of moisture and musty odors.
Do not dry laundry on a radiator – Drying clothes on a radiator leads to an increase in the moisture levels, in turn contributing to the growth of mold and mildew. Besides, using a radiator to dry clothes is not an energy-efficient option as it leads to increased energy bills.
Conclusion
Clothes dry faster in summer than in winter due to the high temperatures and low humidity conditions that characterize the summer weather. However, this is not to say that you can’t dry your clothes effectively on the cold winter months. The seven clever tricks on why do clothes dry faster in summer than in winter can help you speed up the drying process, such that you will never have to worry about damp clothes during the snowy seasons!
