How to dry your laundry
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How to dry your laundry

On laundry day, the wash is only the beginning. How you dry your clothes can affect how they look and how long they last. Intense heat and intense spins in the tumble dryer cycle can agitate some delicate fabric fibres and lead to shrinking, fading and weakening leaving your clothes more prone to damage.

At Kair, we’re big advocates of air drying your laundry. Fresh air is not only good for the mind, it’s also good for your clothes. Air drying not only helps to lock in that just washed feeling for longer, but also helps your clothes maintain their form and fit so your most precious pieces stay in pristine condition. It’s also kinder to the planet - what's not to love?

We’ve gathered some of our handy drying tips below so you can get the best results every time.

Male T-shirts hanging on a string washing line with wooden pegs. White tshirt, green and yellow

Image by Arket

If you’re hanging pieces on an outdoor clothesline to dry, the general rule of thumb is to hang tops from the bottom and bottoms from the top. This will help to speed up the drying process, and you won’t be left with awkward crease marks on the shoulders of your t-shirts either.

After washing denim, turn these pieces the correct way round and re-shape while still damp before hanging to dry. Don’t forget to make sure the pockets aren’t bunched up inside. To stop that crunchy denim feeling, bring the items in while still a little damp and iron straight away.

Lingerie can either be hung outside to dry on a line or on a hanger in a cool, dry place indoors. Remember to take special care to avoid snagging on any delicate lace pieces.

A little more care should be taken with your silks. It’s best to dry these flat so they retain their shape however, you can hang dry too: just remember to use a padded hanger to avoid any damage to the delicate fibres.

Three thread washing lines with wooden pegs and neutral linen hanging

Image source unknown

You may be used to putting your activewear in the tumble dryer but, this is a big no-no: the heat can degrade the elastane in performance fabrics, causing them to lose stretch and shape - so always air-dry activewear. These stretchy, technical fabrics can easily be hung up to dry, and won’t suffer crease marks.

We recommend drying knitwear on a clean, dry towel over a flat surface. Reshape the items and lay flat, turning halfway through to ensure the air gets to both sides. Never hang knitwear pieces by the shoulders: it will place a lot of weight on the fabric and may cause stretching and puckering.

Now you're well on your way to being a drying pro, we've one final tip to elevate you into the drying expert category. When line drying, always leave plenty of space between items to give them room to breathe and dry thoroughly. Use as many clothes pegs as you need for each piece to provide support, and to avoid sagging or loss of shape.  And there we have it! There’s no stopping you now when it comes to your drying routine.

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