The first of the 3 key things mentioned in the introductory tips: The Sun – probably the single biggest contributor to drying efficiency.
Here a few simple things to keep in mind to leverage its full beneficial effects (and avoid its detrimental ones):
For the Sun to do the job you want it to, you’ve got to think; “How can I get the most out of those transformative beams?”
- For a start – get your wash out on the line as early as possible! It irks me how often I’ve seen the best drying hours of the day lost through procrastination…
- OK, then arrange clothes so that as much surface area as possible is exposed to the sunlight. Eg: don’t throw a towel over the line so that half of it is in its own shadow, hang it by as little as possible – the more of any item the sun strikes the faster it dries.
- If the Sun is low in the sky, like in Winter, place larger items like sheets behind smaller items like socks. If left behind in the shadow of larger items, socks could still be damp long after a sheet is dry. Don’t worry about the shadow of the small items on large – the Sun’s moving and so will the shadow.
- Every consideration you can make to increasing access the Sun’s rays will yield dividends. For instance, the hardest part of most trousers to dry is the change pocket – it’s the thickest part of the construction – quickly ease apart the sides of this little pocket and position in the direct sunlight. The few seconds this takes can save you hours of drying time.
- Hang shirts by the collar (not upside down! More on this later…) and peg the sleeves up by the cuffs as well. It all helps…
And a step to avoid bad solar effects:
Dark clothes, especially red and black, absorb more ultraviolet from the Sun than lighter clothes so are much more prone to fading. The life of a garment will be greatly extended if it is turned inside out before hanging up.
Footnote: Because dark clothes absorb more solar radiation they dry faster than light, reflective colours. If space is limited, give the lighter clothes the ‘best’, sunniest spots.
Coming up next: The second major influence on your clothes drying effectiveness – Wind.
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