When I went away for college, my mom sent me off with a clunky drying rack that I did not think I would use. It took time to appreciate. But now, I can safely say it is the piece of my home I can’t live without. As a small-apartment dweller in NYC, I make do with my compact drying rack that occupies the cozy corner of my living room. If you ask what’s the best way to dry clothes indoors, I will say (hands down) air-drying is the way to go!
In a prior post, I had written about all the eco-friendly benefits of air-drying our clothes. As an add-on, this post is dedicated to how to get the best use out of your drying rack. Finding the right one that fits your living situation is important, and here is the one that works well for me. I’ve used it for 3-years, and it is still holding up!
FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A CLOTHES DRYING RACK
My drying rack is one of my most used household purchases because it is super functional, with all of the features below.
- Collapsible / compact
- Lots of rungs to hang clothes from
- High drop-height (for longer pieces of clothing)
- Mesh shelf (super helpful for pieces you need to dry flat like sweaters or swimsuits)
- Shoe Rack (little grey tabs at the bottom – helpful for drying flats and sneakers)
The one I own happens to have all of these features, and after reading through the positive reviews, I agree that it is one of the best drying racks I’ve owned. It also requires minimal assembly. You can purchase it HERE.
TIPS FOR AIR-DRYING YOUR CLOTHES INDOORS
- Place it near a well-ventilated area (e.g. near a window). Extremely important for preserving indoor air quality, and also ensuring your clothes dry quicker.
- Know which pieces are better to hang, or lay flat. Thin, woven materials are great to hang. However, heavy sweaters and knits should lay flat so they do not lose form. Luckily, this clothes rack has a mesh shelf.
- Neatly fold your clothes to prevent wrinkles. Remember, air-drying takes more time than a normal dryer, which leave more time for creases to set if you do not lay your clothes smoothly to dry.
- Keep clothes as separated as possible. Distance will help clothes to dry faster. (This is also a reason I don’t love vertically-configured drying racks, which cause pieces to touch)
CLOTHES DRYING RACKS I RECOMMEND
The first product is the one I own, and the other ones are recommendations I offer based on my tips above.
Happy Earth Month, friends! I wanted to celebrate with a sweet and simple post, sharing some eco-friendly tips I live with regularly. As a huge fan of air-drying, here are my tips for the best way to dry clothes indoors. If you are looking for amazing cleaning and laundry tips, one website I consult often is The Spruce. Happy cleaning, and let me know if you already own a drying rack or stick to a traditional dryer!
