How To Dry Clothes Indoors Without A Dryer

Drying your clothes indoors? Here’s how to do it properly.

Drying clothes indoors if you don’t have a dryer might seem like an impossible task, but actually, there are loads of ways you can dry your clothes quickly.

Of course, having a dryer has its benefits, but if you don’t have one it can help to keep your energy bills down during the cost of living crisis or cut costs for students who have to use a communal laundry room.

If you’re unsure how to dry your clothes quickly and efficiently, here’s everything you need to know about the do’s and don’ts of drying clothes indoors.

Best ways for drying clothes indoors fast without a dryer

Wring washing out with the high spin setting

No dryer? No problem. Your washing machine will have a setting that can easily help you out.

Once your regular clothes cycle has finished, put your washing on for an extra spin cycle afterwards. This helps to remove any excess water and effectively wring out your clothes so they won’t be soaking wet when you take them out of the washing machine.

This means that when you do hang up your clothes to dry them, they won’t be dripping wet and they’ll dry quicker, especially if you combine this with some of the additional tips below!

Make the most of a sunny winter day

While it might seem like a given to hang your clothes outside to dry in summer, many people shy away from the idea in winter.

Of course, the weather is a huge factor. And there will definitely be some days where this isn’t feasible, but on sunnier (and windier) days there’s no reason why you can’t hang your clothes outside to dry.

Just make sure to double-check the weather forecast first in case of any rain or severe wind and don’t forget that you’ve hung your washing out. You don’t want to have to chuck your laundry back in the wash because of a storm!

Keep windows open a tiny bit

Drying clothes indoors can cause damp and mould, which is something you need to be wary of.

Find a space you’re happy to hang your laundry up and open the window just a tiny bit as this will help the evaporation from the damp clothes to escape. In fact, many homes experience condensation and steamy windows in winter due to warmth inside the home, so, it’s best practice to keep your windows open a little bit in winter to stop mould forming anyway.

Hang clothes on the curtain rail

If you need your clothes to dry quickly, the curtain rail is a great hack to try.

Not only will this lead to less creasing but the sunlight from outdoors can help to speed up the drying time, especially if you’ve opened the window slightly. This is a great way to speed things up, but don’t rely on it if you need something dry urgently, as it could still take a few hours to be fully dry.

If your radiator is by the window, then hanging the clothes off the curtain rail while the heating is on may help your clothes to dry faster. The heat will rise from the radiator and dry your clothes, along with the sun (if there is any).

Invest in a dehumidifier

A dehumidifier is a great way to stop mould from forming in your home and keep condensation and steamy windows away. It’s also super helpful for doing laundry as it will help to remove moisture from the air meaning your clothes will dry much faster.

You can also use your extractor fan in your bathroom and keep the door closed while your clothes are drying in there. Dehumidifiers are cheap on places like Amazon and are also energy efficient to run, so they can be super helpful to have in your home.

Try the drying rack hack

If you’re in a rush and your radiators are on, there’s a hack you can try to speed up drying your clothes indoors.

Simply place a dry bedsheet down the back of your radiator then place the other end over the top of your drying rack. This will stop warm air from escaping and effectively dry your clothes faster.

This TikTok by cleanwithjen shows how it’s done.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7153573647137901830?lang=en-US&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.studentbeans.com%2Fblog%2Fuk%2Fhow-to-dry-clothes-indoors-without-a-dryer%2F&embedFrom=oembed

Use radiator airers

You should never hang your wet clothes directly onto radiators to try and dry them.

However, you can buy radiator airers for cheap on Amazon which hang off your radiators to help you dry your clothes using the heat from the radiators.

This is a good option if you find using a regular drying rack isn’t fast enough or if you need to wear something that you’ve just washed pretty soon after you’ve taken it out of the washing machine.

Here are a few of our favourite radiator airers:

Set Of 2 Radiator Airer 4 Tier — Amazon, £7.95

TradeXone 7 Bar Radiator Airer — Amazon, £11.99

Rainberg 5 Bar Radiator Clothes Airer Rack pack of 3 — Amazon, £12.99

How long do clothes take to dry?

Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to this as this depends entirely on the material of what you’ve washed and how you’re drying your clothes.

Clothes such as jumpers, jeans and hoodies tend to retain a lot more water than lighter materials such as bedsheets or underwear, so these will take longer to dry regardless of your method.

If you’re drying clothes indoors and hanging your washing out to dry overnight, you’ll normally find that the clothes are mainly dry, but this can take longer in winter if you’re drying somewhere without natural sunlight or when drying heavier clothes that retain more water.

In general, it’s a good rule to not wash and dry anything that you’re going to need to wear within the same day or evening, to allow enough time for it to dry fully.

Can I dry my washing outside in winter?

Yes! There’s no reason why you can’t dry your washing outside in winter, as this is one of the most effective ways to dry clothes and prevents the possibility of any mould build-up.

However, this is weather dependent and even if there is the odd sunny day, it will still be cold outside meaning that it will take longer for your clothes to dry. So, while you can dry your clothes outside in winter, it may not be the best everyday option.

Is drying clothes in a bedroom bad?

It can be bad to dry clothes inside as this can lead to mould forming, which isn’t something you want in your bedroom due to the health complications that can arise.

However, if you open a window or use a dehumidifier there’s no reason why you can’t dry your clothes in your bedroom.

Can you dry clothes with a hair dryer?

A good old-fashioned hack many people may resort to if they desperately need something to dry is using a hairdryer. The simple answer is, yes you can dry clothes with a hair dryer but it’s not necessarily practical or something you should rely on.

If you really need a clean shirt for an interview and you need it to be dry asap as it’s not fully dried yet, then a few blasts with the hairdryer can speed things up, especially as it’s a light material. However, drying larger or heavier items such as jeans or trying to dry your entire laundry basket with a hairdryer isn’t really going to get you anywhere.

For more laundry tips, check out the best heated clothing airers and drying racks for 2023.