A homeowner has been applauded for revealing a laundry tip that some claim has transformed their daily routine so dramatically that it has ‘changed their life’.
Posting on the widely-followed subreddit ‘r/Laundry’ on the social media platform, a user named Wonderful_Attorney19 amazed hundreds with their technique for speeding up the process of drying wet clothes in the tumble dryer.
They explained: “Apparently if you throw a clean, dry tea towel in with your wet laundry in the dryer, it cuts the drying time down a lot. Tried it today and my clothes were done noticeably quicker. Does anyone else do this or have other little laundry tricks?”
Cutting down the duration you operate a tumble dryer can substantially reduce your energy bills, especially if you’re on a time-of-use tariff.
Tumble dryers are acknowledged as power-guzzling appliances, and running them for shorter periods, particularly during off-peak times, can lead to considerable savings, reports Lancs Live.
The comments section quickly flooded with suggestions and techniques from fellow users, alongside grateful messages from those discovering this for the first time.
One person said: “OMG. You have just changed my life. My mother needs up to 21 changes in a day. The dryer takes one to three days to dry a single load. There’s no space left for air drying, and anyway if I air dry towels they are like sandpaper on her fragile skin. The pile of wet laundry waiting to be dried was higher than my head. Since reading this tip, I actually reached the bottom of it. Thank you!”
A second person said: “Been doing it for years. An old cotton bathmat resides permanently in my dryer, getting thinner and thinner.” A third said: “Wool balls for the dryer work the same way.” Another said: “Awesome! I’m going to try it!” One more wrote: “Yep, it works very well, my mum told me to do it about 30 years ago.”
One person asked: “Why does this work?” Someone replied: “Tea towels dry really quickly so by putting a dry one in the machine it sucks the moisture out of the wet clothes and as it dries faster than other items it will literally keep pulling moisture out of the rest of the load.”
Does popping a tea towel in the tumble dryer speed up the process?
Slipping a dry tea towel (or any dry towel) into the tumble dryer can hasten the drying process for your garments. The towel soaks up moisture from the damp clothing, increasing the evaporation surface area and boosting air circulation within the dryer. This could lead to shorter drying times and potentially lower energy consumption.
The dry towel acts like a sponge, soaking up the excess moisture from the wet clothes. By absorbing moisture, the towel creates more space in the dryer for hot air to circulate freely, which aids in drying the clothes more evenly and effectively.
The combination of moisture absorption and enhanced airflow contributes to a quicker drying experience. Ensure to remove the towel after 15-20 minutes. If left in for the entire cycle, it could become saturated and hinder the drying process.
Avoid cramming the dryer. As In The Wash points out, an overloaded dryer restricts airflow, rendering the drying process less efficient. A fluffy, dry towel is typically more effective at soaking up moisture than a thin or damp one.
