Drying laundry in winter can be a tedious chore, with cold weather often forcing damp garments to be brought indoors, where they linger for days. However, laundry experts have shared a simple method to speed up the process, requiring nothing more than an extra towel.
The trick involves running clothes through another spin cycle with a dry towel added. The high-speed spin creates centrifugal force, removing excess water, while the dry towel acts as a sponge, absorbing further moisture. This combination significantly reduces drying time, with experts claiming a reduction of up to 50 percent.
The technique also works in a tumble dryer, where a dry towel helps soak up additional moisture, lowering humidity inside the drum and allowing clothes to dry faster. For best results, choose the appropriate spin speed: 600-800 RPM for delicates, 900-1000 RPM for everyday items, and over 1000 RPM for towels and jeans.
Ron Shimek, president of Mr. Appliance, explained the science to Family Handyman: “The same reason we use towels to dry our hair or clean up messes: They’re absorbent. A dry towel in the dryer acts as a kind of sponge, pulling excess moisture away from the wet clothes.”
This easy hack ensures that laundry dries more quickly during the colder months, eliminating the need for damp clothes draped around the home.
