One of the items I was MOST excited for when registering was a drying rack for my clothes. I am serious. I spent my twenties with hangars dripping in my bathroom and delicates laying over surfaces. I have always believed in air drying my clothes that fit perfect. It can be a $12 cotton graphic tee, but if it fits just right, hits at the right place, doesn’t hug anywhere it shouldn’t, then I will hang dry that $12 graphic tee. One of my philosophies in life: Hang it all out to dry.
My husband and I got a brand new dryer a year ago and I am in love with this thing. It fluffs, it dries, it sanitizes, it removes the piles of dog hair off of everything I own … the only thing it doesn’t do is fold the clothes itself. However, there is still 1/3 of my closet I will not place in a dryer. Below I’ll share my top items to keep away from the dryer.
The never items:
Swimsuits and workout gear: Most people know about these two. The heat will eventually wear out the elastic in the items and they’ll lose all shape.
Lacy delicates: To spend the money on a good pair, you want it to last. And the lace, if repeatedly sentenced to tumbling with buttons and zippers from clothes in the dryer, will tear. You’ll lose the elasticity in these as well. I am obsessed with Hanky Panky. I buy it on sale or at Nordstrom Rack whenever possible, but when my delicates cost $20/piece, you best believe I won’t replace them for about a decade, so I take immaculate care of them.
Jeans: This one always seems to surprise people. But this is another item we spend a significant amount of change on. I used to be a loyal Old Navy denim girl. Diva fit (of course). Until I discovered James Jeans. And then I could never go back. But at the cost, I need to be passing these down to my as-yet-still-unborn daughter. But in all seriousness, you should never put your denim in the dryer. It’s an illusion that they’re “tighter” when they come out. Because that tightness wears off faster and faster with each dry cycle. That’s because you are slowly wearing out the elasticity in your jeans and they will eventually lose that amazing shape and sag. If you want, you can throw them on a heatless, fluff cycle after you’ve air dried them.
The sometimes items:
Cotton tees: As I previously mentioned, when thin cotton items fit perfectly, I don’t want them to shift a single mm in any direction. In a pinch, I’ll put on low heat or delicate cycle, but for the most part, I lay all cotton tees and tanks over an arm of the drying rack. They take no time at all and will last a ridiculous amount longer. Notice heat over time increases those tiny holes that eventually appear in the thinnest most comfortable tees, no matter how much you paid for them.
My husbands button-ups: These are mainly cotton and would be just fine, but in order to keep them looking fresh and new for as long as possible, hang them dry. I place them on a hangar, button the top neck and a few going down the body, straighten the wrinkles in the arms and hang them on the edge of my drying rack. They still need a steam before wear, but it will double the closet-life compared to drying them repeatedly.
Bras: I throw these in half of the time. It depends if I’m in a “get it done” mood or an “I want to care for everything” mood. But it is better on them to allow them to air dry. The hooks don’t get caught on things and the straps don’t twist into knots. So better for them and easier on you.
Now onto the racks themselves. There are some fancy-schmancy racks out there, but if I’m spending over $100 on something to hang my clothes on, I’m going to need it to do a lot more than air-dry everything.
This is the one I have. $19.99 from Bed Bath & Beyond. Folds up and hides in the corner well when not in use. Handles a lot of clothes. I hang delicates and hangars of the hub’s button-ups on the corners and I have a commonly-found 20% off coupon from the mail.
Crate and Barrel sells basically the same thing for $29.95. So pick whichever store you have a Gift Card, a credit or a coupon.
This one on Overstock for $25.99 is fantastic and if I were ever buying a new one, this would be it. So many places to hang clothes and they’re all separate enough to dry quickly.
Clothes are a representation of who we are, or at the very least what we show to the world. So we want them to look good and we want them to last a while. Hanging clothes takes a minute longer than throwing them in the dryer, but will preserve your favorite pieces for almost twice as long. So hang it all out to dry. Happy #FrugalFriday.
Cheers,
Jana
