An Argument for Air Drying

Life is good. Conveniences abound. But one of those conveniences we don’t always need is: a dryer. Whether you are blessed with living in a warm, dry area or a cool, damp one, there are options to say goodbye to bulky, loud, energy-consuming dryers. Air drying your clothes has a number of advantages. We’ll outline the pros and cons below, including several timed experiments done in different weather conditions. If you’re thinking this is only for people with a big patio space and backyard, you’re mistaken! There are plenty of options for drying your clothes indoors, on your patio or in a confined space. Take a look at these options for reducing your impact and ditching the dryer.

Air Drying Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Clothes smell better
  • Fabric is less worn
  • Save electricity
  • No need for a bulky dryer (more room in your house)
  • Save a little bit of money
  • Spend a few relaxing moments outdoors
  • No added chemicals

Cons

  • Time it takes to hang up clothes
  • May need to buy a lint roller

Cost Breakdown

Cost of supplies to air-dry clothes:

Cost of supplies to use an electric or gas dryer

  • 6.5cu ft Electric Dryer: $299.99
  • 6.5 cu ft Gas Dryer: $399.99
  • 7.5 cu ft Electric Dryer: $549.99
  • 7.5 cu ft Gas Dryer: $649.99

Operating cost for Electric Dryer:

  • Average electric dryer is 3.3 Kilowatt Hours (KWH)
  • Average cost per KWH: about $.12
  • Average cost to dry 1 load for 1 hour: $.40
  • Average cost to dry 3 loads per week: $1.20
  • Average cost to dry 3 loads per week for 1 year: $62.40

Operating cost for Gas Dryer:

Operating cost for Air Drying

$0

Air Drying Experiments

Experiment 1

Time to hang up 1 full wash: 12 min

Time of day: 2pm, Starting air temp: 63˚, Humidity: 28%

Conditions: Sunny, Wind: light breeze

Finishing air temp: 72˚, Humidity: 20%

Conditions: Sunny, Wind: light breeze

Total dry time (including hang up time): 1 hr 15 min

Experiment 2

Time to hang up 1 full wash: 5 min

Time of day: 8:45am, Starting air temp: 51˚, Humidity: 38%

Conditions: Mostly Cloudy, Wind: 8 MPH

Finishing air temp: 58˚, Humidity: 52%

Conditions: Mostly Cloudy, Wind: 9 MPH

Total dry time (including hang up time): 2 hrs

Experiment 3

Time to hang up 1 full wash: 8 min

Time of day: 2:45pm, Starting air temp: 88˚, Humidity: 10%

Conditions: Sunny, Wind: 5 MPH

Finishing air temp: 89˚, Humidity: 13%

Conditions: Sunny, Wind: 3 MPH

Total dry time (including hang up time): 1 hr

Some other great air drying products