Clothes Drying Hacks During Rainy Season With 5 Tips
1. Add baking soda to your cycle for a natural deodorizer
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your load if you have a top loader, and 1/4 cup if you have a front loader. Alternatively, you can soak your clothes first in a baking soda solution as a pre-wash before putting them in the washing machine, if they really smell.
2. Plan ahead to ensure sufficient drying rack space
Rainy days limit the amount of space we can use to line-dry our clothes, so plan for smaller loads to ensure the drying rack doesn’t get overcrowded. It’s more efficient — and kinder to the environment — to have to do more frequent small loads than to have to wash the same load multiple times to get rid of the musty smell.
3. Ensure your clothes are properly separated in the dryer
Static cling is the number one reason for inefficient dryer use — it causes clothes to cling together, so the hot air doesn’t reach those areas.
Get rid of this by adding a dryer sheet to your load, and making sure that you don’t dry overly large items together with your clothes, like sheets or duvet covers for example (those tend to wrap around your clothes, resulting in a nice damp bundle).
4. Maximize the airflow in the drying area
Make sure the service yard and other areas you’re using to dry your clothes are properly vented, and switch on the fan if necessary. Dehumidifiers are also a great way to suck moisture from the air — leave rock salt in bowls around the drying area for a natural dehumidifier method, or baking soda.
5. Clean your washing machine and dryer
You can do this by adding two cups of white vinegar to the dispenser and running the machine through a full cycle on the hottest possible temperature. Afterward, wipe the inside clean with a dry cloth.