We're always looking for new methods to help us get on top of our laundry. So when we heard that weather experts had come up with a perfect formula for drying clothes, we were intrigued.
When it comes to how to wash clothes properly, we're pretty confident that we know what we're doing. But we wish air drying was a speedier process. Our homes look like the local laundrette a lot of the time, our clothes everywhere and our best dehumidifier whirring as we wait for washing to finally dry.
Anyway, Jim N R Dale, the founder of the British Weather Services says that clothes hung out to dry will be ready in just one hour if the perfect formula is followed.
Jim partnered with Laundry care Specialists Vileda to pinpoint which exact weather elements are required for the perfect dry. He concluded that the formula below will result in the best possible quality of drying for fresh, clean laundry.
The perfect formula for drying your washing
1 hour or more of sun + Less than 70% relative humidity + Temperature of 21°C or more + 8-12mph of sustained wind = Perfect Drying Results in 1 hour
‘In order to achieve premium drying results for your washing in just one hour, hang your laundry outside when the temperature is 21°C or more,’ Jim N R Dale says. ‘Make sure there is one hour or more of direct sun exposure or solar radiation; and combine this with relative humidity (less than 70%) and sufficient wind (8-12mph sustained).’
So we need a sunny, not-too-humid day, with a good level of wind. Jim says that in the UK we tend to have between 40-70 days of these ‘perfect drying’ conditions. That equates to 11/19% of the time, which suggests we'd be wise to hang our clothes outside more often.
Well-known TV Weather Presenter, Laura Tobin, has also commented on the magic formula. 'The sunshine increases the direct energy absorbed by your washing and a low moisture content in the surroundings means the air can absorb more water. An influx of fresh air to increase agitation creates molecular energy which allows the moisture from the washing to be released.'
Smart drying rack ideas can make a huge difference when drying washing, but when it eventually stop raining, we'll be hanging our clothes out in the garden and making the most of the fresh air.
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