In winter, clothes dry faster if you spin them well, ventilate and choose the right drying method for each material. Knitwear you dry flat on a towel, blouses and shirts on a hanger, trousers upside down by the hem or over a rack. Do not put clothes directly on the radiator: that can cause shrinkage, distortion and a hard fabric. With a few fixed habits you avoid long drying times and musty smells. Below you will read how to go about it for each material.
Why drying takes so long in winter
In winter, laundry often dries more slowly indoors because the humidity rises and there is less air flow. The more humid the room, the slower the drying. If clothes stay damp for too long, a musty smell can develop. Three things are important: little residual water, enough ventilation and space between the garments.
The basics: five habits that always help
- Spin at the right speed. The more water is out of the fabric after washing, the faster it dries. Do follow the label: knitwear and fine fabrics do not tolerate a high spin speed.
- Hang up straight away. Do not leave the laundry in the machine. That causes creases and a musty smell.
- Make space. Do not hang garments against each other. Air needs to be able to pass between them.
- Ventilate. Open a window slightly or dry in a room with a ventilation grille. A bathroom with extraction works well.
- Choose your moment. Wash in the morning, so that the laundry can dry during the day and you do not sit with damp clothes in a closed bedroom at night.
Knitwear: always flat
Wet knitwear is heavy and can stretch on a hanger. So always lay knitwear flat.
- After washing, roll the garment in a dry towel and press gently to remove excess water. Do not wring.
- Lay it flat on a dry towel or a drying rack for sweaters, and gently pull it into shape.
- Turn it over after a few hours, so that the underside dries too.
This applies to all knits: an open-knit polo in wool and cashmere in cream, a ribbed knitted cardigan in white made of viscose and polyamide and a lyocell polo with quarter zip in light melange grey. With wool and cashmere, drying flat is extra important, because the fibre easily loses its shape when wet.
Blouses and shirts: on a hanger
Woven fabrics such as cotton and polyester can usually be dried on a hanger. That also helps to limit creases.
- After washing, shake the shirt out well and straighten the collar, cuffs and seams.
- Hang it on a wide hanger and do up the top button so that it does not slip sideways.
- Iron a cotton shirt with an Italian collar in white preferably while it is still slightly damp: then the creases come out much more easily.
Trousers: upside down or over the rack
Hang trousers upside down by the hem with a trouser hanger with clips, or fold them over a rack along the crease. High-waist pleated trousers in black keep their shape this way and the pleats stay in place. Avoid pegs on the waist: they leave marks.
Overview per material
| Material | How to dry | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Wool and cashmere | Flat on a towel | Do not wring, not on the radiator |
| Viscose knitwear | Flat | Fragile when wet, gently pull into shape |
| Lyocell | Flat or on a wide hanger | Dries relatively quickly |
| Cotton | On a hanger | Iron slightly damp |
| Polyester and blends | On a hanger | Dries quickly, often no ironing needed |
What you had better not do
- Lay it on the radiator. Direct heat can make wool shrink, make fabrics hard and set stains. A rack at some distance from the radiator is fine, though.
- Cram everything onto one rack. Two full racks with space dry faster than one overfull rack.
- Hang knitwear on pegs. That causes stretched spots and marks.
- Put wet clothes in the wardrobe. Even slightly damp clothes can start to smell musty in a closed wardrobe.
Aids that make the difference
A flat drying rack, wide hangers and a trouser hanger with clips make drying indoors easier. If you have little space, a pull-out rack that you fold away after use is a good solution.
Preventing creases after drying
Anyone without a dryer often irons more. That is not necessary. Hang shirts and blouses up straight after washing and pull them straight, then you often only need to go over the collar and cuffs. Take clothes off the rack as soon as they are dry: hanging for too long in a warm room makes some fabrics stiff. Fold knitwear only when it is completely dry and store it flat in the wardrobe.
Wash less, dry less
Washing less often naturally also means less laundry to dry indoors. Much clothing does not need to go in the wash after every wear. Knitwear in wool or lyocell stays fresh for longer naturally and you can often wear it a few times. Hang it to air overnight after wearing and wash it only when really necessary.
You will find more information per material on our pages about lyocell, viscose and cotton, and in the care instructions.
Shop the look
Augusta: open-knit polo in wool and cashmere, cream
Eleanor: ribbed knitted cardigan, white
Edmund: lyocell polo with quarter zip, light melange grey
Hamilton: shirt with Italian collar, white
Arabelli: high-waist pleated trousers, black
Frequently asked questions
Can you dry clothes on the radiator?
Preferably not. Direct heat can make wool shrink, make fabrics hard and set stains. Place a drying rack at some distance from the radiator, then you benefit from the warmth without damage.
How do you prevent a musty smell when drying indoors?
Hang the laundry up straight after washing, leave space between the pieces and make sure there is ventilation. Spinning at the right speed shortens the drying time.
Why should you dry a sweater flat?
Wet knits are heavy. On a hanger or peg, the weight stretches the sweater at the shoulders and in length. Lying flat, it keeps its shape.
