4 Tips to Dry Clothes Quickly

An iron, hair dryer and even a large towel can be your allies in order to dry clothes quickly. Here, we'll show you how to use them.
4 Tips to Dry Clothes Quickly

Last update: 27 May, 2022

Household chores take time. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of the family, washing, and drying clothes aren’t easy tasks. Therefore, some tips to dry clothes quickly will make daily life more bearable.

When it comes to drying clothes, using a tumble dryer might be a good option. However, many say that it damages clothes, and others don’t have one. Whatever the case, these four tricks to dry clothes quickly will be very helpful.

1. Use a hairdryer

If you don’t have a lot of time, this trick can get you out of a lot of trouble. If you’re going to use one, take these steps into account:

  1. Wring as much of your garment as possible and hang it on a hanger.
  2. Turn on the hairdryer and set the temperature depending on the material. If it’s wool or waterproof fabric, cold is the best. For other types, you can use heat.
  3. Make sure not to put the dryer on the garment itself. This can burn or discolor it, so do it at a safe distance.
  4. While drying with one hand, move the garment with the other to speed up drying. Remember that pockets and waistbands on pants are the most difficult to dry, so you should spend more time on these areas.

2. The best ally: the outside air

For years, it’s been a practice that’s still useful today. Take this information into account to dry your clothes outdoors:

  1. Wring the clothes before hanging them out. The more water the garment has, the longer it will take to dry.
  2. Try to hang to garments away from each other, so the air can flow through each of them. Also, they won’t start to smell bad.
  3. If it’s a sunny day, take advantage of it. However, avoid hanging dark clothes in the sun, since they can fade. Although some suggest that hanging them inside out is a good idea.
  4. If it’s a rainy or snowy day, hanging them indoors is the best option. To do this, look for the hottest place, get a folding clothesline, and make sure the clothes are separated from each other.
  5. Another trick is to lay the garments out in one area. Don’t do it on wood, since it’ll get wet and damage both the surface and the fabric.
Clothes drying outside.

3. Use an iron to dry clothes quickly

You may have tried this trick already, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it. Follow these steps:

  1. Wring out the water from the clothes.
  2. Then, put a towel under the garment. This will trap steam and moisture, and your clothes will dry faster.
  3. Don’t have the iron at a high temperature, since it can burn your garment, which you obviously don’t want.
  4. Remember that the pockets and the waistband of the pants take longer to dry, so you should focus on them.
  5. Also, keep in mind that ironing the garment faster than usual, when your clothes are wet, increases the risk of leaving marks.

4. Use a large towel

Do you want to remove excess water? Have you tried using a towel? Here, we’ll show you how to do it by following these instructions:

  1. Lay out a large towel on a flat surface and lay the garment on top.
  2. Make sure the clothes are within the area of the towel.
  3. Once you do this, roll from one end to the other.
  4. Then, wring the towel out as much as you can, unroll it and remove the garment that you had inside.
  5. Air the garment out. Because of the towel, it will take less time to dry in the open air.
A stack of towels.

Dry clothes quickly when you don’t have much time

When you don’t have a tumble dryer, drying clothes can be a stress factor if you need them to be ready as soon as possible. To do this, there are several tricks that you can use.

Using an iron or hairdryer is a good option. Just remember that to avoid burning it, the iron shouldn’t be extremely hot. Additionally, depending on the material, you should use a special temperature. Finally, make sure to keep the hairdryer a good distance away.

As we’ve said, drying in the open air is a traditional practice that people still do as it’s so effective. Make sure you hang your clothes far apart from each other so that the air can do its job and they don’t start to smell bad.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Ramos Velásquez, Carlos Felipe. Desarrollo textil para el secado rápido de ropa. BS thesis. Bogotá-Uniandes, 2004.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.