Whether it’s aging skin or freshly washed clothes, wrinkles are a common frustration. But while there’s no stopping the inexorable march of time, there are ways to prevent wrinkles in the laundry room. Even better, there’s one easy method that not only cuts down on unsightly creases but also cuts back on energy costs. Here’s…
The Fluff and Hang Method
Dryer cycles average 30 to 45 minutes, but this hack slashes that time to just 15 minutes. This is where the energy savings come in, as you end up using the dryer for at least 50% less time. Of course, 15 minutes isn’t long enough to fully dry your clothing, let alone prevent wrinkles from forming. That brings us to step two of this helpful hack: hanging the clothes to dry afterward and using gravity to your benefit. Here’s a step-by-step explainer of how it works.
Start by putting the wet clothing into the dryer for about 15 minutes on whatever heat setting you typically use. This is essential for fluffing and heating your clothing, which helps relax the fibers and reduce wrinkles off the bat. As soon as the 15 minutes are up, immediately remove the warm, damp garments from the dryer, and transfer them to hangers to finish air-drying. During this stage, gravity will gently tug at the fibers, pulling them downward to reduce wrinkles even further.
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Keep in mind that it’s important to immediately transfer your clothing to hangers while it’s slightly wet and warm, as the fibers are still malleable then. If you let the clothes cool down in the dryer, using gravity to pull out the wrinkles won’t be as effective. Once the clothing has air-dried, you should notice significantly fewer wrinkles.
Besides reducing wrinkles and lowering energy costs, this method helps extend the life of your clothing. Tumbling around in a hot dryer can wear down fibers and cause colors to fade over time. By reducing the time spent in the dryer and finishing with air-drying, you’re ensuring that your favorite outfits will last longer before showing any wear.
