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DivvySUCKS t1_iui5mut wrote

Does the fan need to be running or is the act of pointing at it enough?

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universalcode t1_iuijo7z wrote

I tried both and it made no difference. It still took my dryer 35 minutes to get my clothes completely dry.

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Intertubes_Unclogger OP t1_iuic2lp wrote

Hmm, good question, will test next time! If you don't want to use electricity, you could try furiously waving your turned-off fan by your clothes for a few hours, though.

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theaeao t1_iuit56v wrote

Does it have to be furious waving? Could I jubilantly wave it?

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yoosernamesarehard t1_iuhsehz wrote

Is this really a life pro tip? Like people really don’t know this?

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themistergraves t1_iuhvgr0 wrote

A coworker that is new to countries that don't have dryers recently told me his clothes were starting to smell moldy. I asked if he was leaving them outside to dry in the rain and humidity. He said yeah. I had to advise him to buy an indoor rack and a fan.

So, yes. Some people don't know this.

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yoosernamesarehard t1_iuhx20h wrote

Nah that doesn’t check out. People from really poor countries who line-dry their clothes know not to leave clothes out in the rain. How does anyone think wet clothes will dry by becoming more wet? My grandparents were literally dirt poor in that they lived in shacks that had dirt floors. So no dryers because they weren’t even invented and even if they were, no way in hell could they afford them. But they knew not to keep their clothes out in the rain.

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themistergraves t1_iuhxl6z wrote

You misread my comment. My coworker moved here from a place where everyone dries their clothes with a dryer. They had never hung clothes to dry before, so they were apparently unaware that just leaving the clothes hanging outside, under a roof on a balcony, when the weather is wet and cool, causes clothes to remain damp and become moldy.

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kay_peele t1_iuiqjec wrote

if it's under the roof, it should be fine if you actually leave it out until it dries no? It would just take longer. Was he bringing them in wet?

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Wjyosn t1_iuissbe wrote

Not really. The humidity from the rain causes them to sit moist long enough for mold to grow, even if they're not getting rained on. And that's the original point of the lpt; if you use a fan, you can still effectively hang dry while it's rainy and humid. If you don't, then they will dry too slowly and accumulate mold.

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kay_peele t1_iuivuvf wrote

I see, I grew up in a poor country without a "dryer" culture and we just left the clothes under a roof to dry even during monsoon. That explains the weird smell they sometimes had after being washed lol.

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Bladestorm04 t1_iujpzjh wrote

Yeah I never knew this. I guess it takes time for mould to develop and where I loved if it was rainy for a few hours, the heat would dry it out quickly enough not to notice

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Lr217 t1_iuiw25d wrote

I mean I’ve just never thought of it. I let things dry out of the dryer pretty rarely, so it just never occurred to me to speed up the process.

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Coopersteam t1_iuj768t wrote

I'd usually have the heating on at this time of year, but fuck that shit!

Bought a dehumidifier off amazon - waste of money. Just running a fan now, but it wasn't immediately obvious to me having never been in a house colder than 19°C as an adult.

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wiffleplop t1_iuhmmau wrote

It really does. Source: been doing it for years. It doesn’t do much for the humidity in the house though.

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FromLondonToLA t1_iuhyocx wrote

Fan + dehumidifier will solve that

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wiffleplop t1_iuhyrnd wrote

Yeah, got those, but they’re not cheap to operate anymore :(

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FromLondonToLA t1_iuhz4bb wrote

I've found that with a drier house, I don't need to put on the heating so much. It feels warmer at a lower temperature (I.e. 19°C at 50% feels like 20°C at 65% humidity).

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SulphaTerra t1_iuihf7l wrote

Well, it makes sense, since by using the fan you're just letting the humidity move from the clothes to the air inside your house faster than it would have without the fan. The total amount of water in the house increases (because you let the damp clothes in, regardless of the usage of the fan), so unless you remove some using a dehumidifier, it will still be high (at least, higher than before the you removed the clothes from the laundry machine).

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wiffleplop t1_iuip45u wrote

We have a positive pressure fan running in the attic full time in the winter, which is supposed to push the moist air out through small gaps etc. it does help a lot, as we used to get mould growing beforehand. We’re in the UK, which isn’t renowned for its dry winters.

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TribblePimp t1_iujqjm7 wrote

Oooh, would that work in a bathroom?With a non-problematic power source, obvs.

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wiffleplop t1_iujszyd wrote

It’s in our landing area (the top of the stairs if that makes more sense). It has a 12” hole, and in the loft/attic is a big fan with filters and a hose that makes it look like an elephant’s head. There’s a remote in our bedroom, and it creates a positive pressure in the whole house, so would certainly help your humidity issues. The brand we bought is Nuaire Drimaster, and it honestly works. We’ve had it for several years and swear by it.

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AronosPrime t1_iuipstj wrote

I use a dehumidifier and it works wonders.

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photonnymous t1_iui5ihw wrote

This goes with sports equipment as well. If you leave hockey, lacrosse, football, etc equipment out to "dry", add a small fan and everything will be much dryer and ready to go the next morning. I do this on my balcony, or in my bathroom (with an exterior window, to avoid the smells circulating thru the house

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CronozDK t1_iuiumve wrote

I don't know anyone who are fans of drying clothes, regular or otherwise (super-fans?). And even if I did, I'm sure they would object to me pointing them at it...?!?

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redyellowblue5031 t1_iujeocf wrote

I combine this with a dehumidifier to speed dry wetsuits. Works wonders.

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shineyink t1_iujmwbp wrote

Do an extra spin cycle before taking your clothes out

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keepthetips t1_iuhkrqf wrote

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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TheN1ght0w1 t1_iuifu01 wrote

Look up dryer balloons. They are pretty cheap and they do the job extremely well!

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Billy1121 t1_iuie9y1 wrote

Any suggestions for a quality sturdy drying rack tho

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SomebodyElseAsWell t1_iuiis2r wrote

I have an Ikea Mulig rack. Holds a lot of clothes. I also have one of those collapsible wooden ones, like this. A little wobbly but it doesn't fall over.

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GriIIed t1_iuiolen wrote

I mean, you’re just making a dryer without the heat. Yes air movement helps dry clothes out.

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penmail t1_iuj4g1q wrote

want to upgrade that to a dehumidifier

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kittenfordinner t1_iuj9dlx wrote

Let, drying clothes inside, in wet weather, can increase the moisture inside your house, which can lead to mold and respiratory problems

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triste421 t1_iujals9 wrote

Does this work if I point the fan at the dryer?

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jj20202 t1_iujdysb wrote

The best way is take the defuser off your home ventilation system outlet so the warm roof air is blowing directly onto your airing frame.

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a_fine_rhyme t1_iujw5h1 wrote

A fan generated breeze dries clothes with ease.

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JustKimNotKimberly t1_iuk4rq4 wrote

First, make sure the fan blades and surrounding area is clean.

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