Exact Answer: 2-3 Hours
Every time anyone washes their clothes, the bigger challenge appears, drying out the clothes. The process of drying the clothes needs time and cannot be done merely in seconds or a few minutes. And one cannot wear wet clothes, not for long at least.
Clothes get wet due to several reasons. When we wash the clothes they become wet, when the clothes come in contact with rain or any other liquid, they become wet. One may wonder how much time it will take to dry the water out of the clothes, so the clothes can either be worn or kept in the closet.
How Long Does It Take To Dry Clothes?
The time required to dry out clothes depends on what way one is choosing to dry the clothes. There are several ways to dry out the clothes. Some people prefer to dry out clothes in the air, while some prefer to use machines to dry the clothes. People in rural areas use the former method, i.e., air drying the clothes. Rural people have access to a lot of sunlight and air. They live in very open areas and hence, they use the natural and more traditional way of drying the clothes. On the other hand, people who live in urban areas mostly live in the midst of several other buildings. They do not have access to a lot of sunlight and air. So, they prefer to use machines to dry the clothes.
The natural way of drying clothes may take 2 to 3 hours in drying clothes completely. Although one must make sure that they don’t pile up the clothes by putting them on each other. One must make sure that each cloth gets proper air and sunlight so that the clothes can dry out with ease. Otherwise, it may take longer or it may even lead to smelling of clothes. On the other hand, the dryer machines may take 30-50 minutes to completely dry out the clothes. Here one can put a pile of clothes in the machine but has to make sure that they are not over-utilizing the machine dryer as it may lead to malfunctioning of the machine.
| Method | Time |
| Air Drying | 2-3 Hours |
| Machine Drying | 30-70 minutes |
Why Does It Take That Long To Dry The Clothes?
Wet clothes are nothing but more amount of water vapours inside the clothes. The process of drying out the clothes basically includes the evaporation of water vapours. The process of evaporation is basically water vapours leaving their previous surface. The water vapours leave the previous surface and mix into the air as tiny particles. When we air dry the clothes, the temperature and air are not in our hands. It completely depends on nature. That is why it takes a longer time to dry clothes in the process of air drying. Other than that, the water vapours that are already present in the air also prevent clothes from drying out quickly in the process of air drying.
On the other hand, when one goes with the machine drying, the temperature is basically in one’s own hands. One can set the temperature, air and speed of the dryer machine as per their convenience. Also, no external water vapours are interrupting the process of drying the clothes.
The process of drying clothes through a dryer machine is much faster than air drying. Although, the process of air drying is more natural and requires no cost at all. While in machine drying, there is the cost of the machine itself as well as the cost of electricity as well. Other than that, the machine may require repair cost and needs to be replaced after a time, while there is no such cost in air drying the clothes as the air and sunlight are completely natural and free. Also, in machine drying, there is a risk of clothes getting torn off while there is no such risk in air-drying the clothes. Whereas, there is a risk of clothes getting wet or lost due to bad weather. Furthermore, it can be said that with new technology, new methods of cloth drying are coming forth as cheaper and faster options.
Conclusion
Once clothes become wet, it is necessary to dry them. There are several ways to dry wet clothes. The most popular of them are air-drying and using a dryer machine. Although it depends on how many clothes are being dried out. If we compare the two, the dryer machine does the job much faster. The machine dryer does the job in 30-70 minutes while air drying can take up to 3 hours. Although, machine drying can be costly whereas air drying is practically free. While in one there is a risk of clothes getting torn off in machines due to malfunctioning, there is a risk of clothes getting wet again due to bad weather in the other.
Reference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359431104000936
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I never thought about the science of water evaporation impacting clothes drying. Fascinating!
Definitely! It’s interesting to understand the process behind drying clothes.
I prefer air drying, it’s more eco-friendly and cost-effective in the long run.
I found the comparison between air drying and machine drying very helpful, thanks for this informative piece.
I’m impressed by the level of detail in this article.
This post cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about clothes drying.
I disagree with the conclusion about new methods of cloth drying. Traditional air drying is hard to beat.
I see your point, Gary96. There’s something timeless about air drying clothes.
I think new methods are worth considering, they could save time and effort.
The explanation about water evaporation and the impact on drying time was eye-opening! Thanks for sharing this information.
This article really made me think twice before using a dryer, I might consider air drying from now on.
Agreed, Nikki01. The scientific perspective was very insightful.
I’m curious to know more about the costs associated with machine drying. Are there any studies on this?
Excellent analysis of the pros and cons of air drying and machine drying.
I appreciate the balanced view presented in this article.
The cost comparison is very useful for those trying to decide between air drying and machine drying.
I never knew there were so many factors to consider when drying clothes. Thanks for this enlightening read.
You’re welcome, Linda Matthews. The depth of information in this post is certainly impressive.
Absolutely, Linda Matthews. This article has broadened my understanding of cloth drying methods.
Great article, very well researched and presented!
Very informative article! I didn’t realize there were so many factors that affected how long it takes to dry clothes.
I agree, I learned a lot from this post.
I appreciate the detailed comparison between air drying and machine drying.