What is air dry in washing machine

Once the wash cycle is done in a washing machine, the next step is the drying process. There have been different ways to dry clothes over the many years. Line drying or air drying under the sunlight to remove all the moisture quickly the natural way, tumble dryer in a washing machine which can also dry your clothes quickly, air dry, clothes dryer which can turn your damp clothes into dry ones just like they have been sun-dried, etc.

The advancements in technology now give us washing machines with air-dry options and clothes dryers that make drying clothes easy. A dry laundry is as important as clean laundry. To keep the laundry load neat and preserve the life of the fabric we have air drying in washing machines to make the drying cycle simple. This will come in handy especially during the rainy season or when the weather in the environment is not dry, but just wet and damp which can hinder the drying process (more so if you prefer drying clothes immediately).

In this article let us learn more about what air drying in a washing machine is and how it services the needs of people for faster drying and the method that will help to keep clothes free from bacteria and moisture.

What is the use of air dry in washing machine?

best IFB washing machine in india

Air drying is an effective method of drying clothes. Drying your clothes by line dry, tumble dryer, clothes dryers, etc., are other ways of drying clothes that ensure your garments are not as wet immediately after they come out of the washer. However, it is also important that the drying process does not cause wear and tear to the garments.

Air drying is an effective method to dry your clothes with speed. While the drying happens quickly, you can also be assured of drying your clothes safely. You will save money and electricity, and also the quality of your clothes; be it delicates synthetic fabrics.

This type of dryer is perfect during time constraints to assist garments to dry faster yet also the best to preserve the quality of the clothes because of one reason; heat. The air dryer avoids the use of high heat.

In a typical dryer or tumble dryer and other methods of drying your clothes; your laundry is exposed to high heat. While some types of clothing come with a fair warning on the care label that you must avoid a certain wash cycle, the clothes dryer, or tumble dryer, or even line drying; other types of synthetic fabrics are fine to be exposed to all types of washing and faster drying. It is essential to pay close attention to the label on what it says about the care for the clothing.

Air drying is a method of drying clothes in washing machines where the drying process happens with utmost care for the clothing. It removes the excess water from the clothing, rather than simply subjecting it to heat. As the laundry load moves over from the wash cycle to the drying, they are ensured not to be put through any wear and tear.

Air drying avoids any tough action unlike tumbling or direct impact of the sun. It is good for the environment, fabrics help to save money and energy. Customers are confident that garments are fresh and free from damp odor of any sort once they are out of the washer. Line drying also keeps away wrinkles from the clothes as best possible, which could be one of the great tips to avoid ironing (especially if the fabrics mention keeping the iron away).

How to use air dry in washing machine?

The modern-day washing machine home appliance has been carefully designed to incorporate the action and functioning of dryers into it. The air-dry feature is indeed a boon in a washer that helps to dry clothes quickly.

If your washing machine has an air dryer you can use the function by simply turning On the setting. When you turn on this air-dry function, small vents will open during the spin cycle of the machine. These vents will draw warm air from the surroundings and circulate it over the wet clothing in the washer or drum.

Unlike a dryer or tumble dryer that exposes the wet clothes to heat, this option will circulate warm air to help and absorb all the moisture from the clothes. This way, you can simply opt to hang the clothes under sunlight or let them dry in the air (if sun exposure is restricted to the fabrics). At the end of the air-drying cycle, you will find drying your clothes easy.

With the removal of moisture without any heat subjection, your clothing is prevented from wrinkles, wear, and tear, they dry faster, and the clothing or load of laundry is assured to have preserved quality. The fibers of the clothing will even be able to retain their original color with this gentle means of drying.

Fabric is also safe from the action or damage of bacteria and other microbes. This is because you are able to remove moisture from the fibers of the fabrics with the best possible effort. All types of garments, towels, shirts and other fabric will benefit from the action of the air dryer. One of the tips to remember when you buy a washing machine is to look for one with an air dryer!

Can washing machine dry clothes completely?

Customers must remember that washing machines are capable of removing the dampness from the fabric immediately but cannot make them completely dry. There will still be some wetness left on the clothes that have to be dried either under the sun or by just hanging on a line to air dry.

As one of the tips to extend the longevity of garments and their fabric, it is also recommended to remove the clothes from the washer or dryer as soon as the cycle is done to protect them from bacteria and mold. The wetness left in the garments can be dried under the sunlight. Drying clothes in the washing machine is simple. If the clothes dryer is on the same tub, the spin cycle will initiate drying clothes.

The faster the speed of the tub, the better the clothes will dry. A complete and clean laundry includes drying clothes as well. However, the machine cannot be relied on to dry clothes completely. The heat sent into the tub will make drying clothes possible, and it dries them partially but not completely.

Does air dry use heat?

During an air dry cycle, the small vents that open up will draw in room temperature air and toss the clothing around. The garments are not subjected to any addition of heat but are just tossed about in warm air.

Drying clothes in this gentle way is therefore recommended for all laundry. An air dryer is also designed to extract lint, dust, pet dander, and other dirt from the garments and trap them in the lint filter of the machine.

Air dry is extremely gentle on clothes and prevents all kinds of damage and shrinking that happens from other forms of drying clothes. Tumbling can lead to shrinking and wrinkles in the clothes, it alters the design of the fabric, direct sunlight for long hours can cause fading of the fabric.

Is it better to air dry or machine dry?

care for white clothes

Air drying and machine drying have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let us take a look at the advantages and disadvantages when you air dry clothes.

Advantages Of Air Drying:

  • When you simply air-dry clothes by hanging the garments from a line after their wash, this is better for the surroundings and environment.
  • Drying your clothes by air drying does not require any electricity, power, or energy. Hence you save energy and cost.

Disdvantages Of Air Drying:

  • Drying your clothes under the sun is not possible during all weather conditions. When the sun is not out on a windy weather day, you cannot hang your clothing out.
  • When you hang clothing on lines, you allow the fabric to stretch from the weight of the wet water content in its fibers. Although shirts are going to do ok when they hang from hangers, and maybe even skip going under the iron, when you hang them on a line; other heavy fabrics like wool and towels will stretch and lose the design of their fibers.
  • When you hang clothes under the sun for long hours you are also paving way for them to lose their color and fade. Customers are advised to pay close attention to the care label on the garments.
  • You must have the space that gives access to sunlight if you are depending on it.
  • It is important to be aware that you cannot rush on air drying when it is the final resort.

Advantages Of Machine Drying:

  • Drying clothes in a clothes dryer by tumbling or spinning gives faster drying.
  • Towels, shirts, bedspreads; almost all garments can be dried in the machine effectively.

Disadvantages Of Machine Drying:

  • Putting the load through a lot of heat and tumbling action can lead to shrinking of the fibers and even cause wrinkles.
  • Not all fabrics can be dried in a tumble dryer or clothes dryers; the care label will help you identify this information.
  • The machine will not completely dry laundry load, a small amount of dampness is going to be left.
  • If you let clothes sit in the washer or tub for long hours, forgetting to remove them soon after the wash; the fabric is going to be damaged and even become a hub for bacteria to grow.
  • Ironing is going to be necessary after the wash and drying in the clothes dryer.
  • The function calls for more energy and power expenditure; like any other home appliance that uses temperature influence (refrigerator, air conditioner, etc.).

1. How to only dry clothes in automatic washing machine?

You can turn ON the washer, turn on the clothes dryer button and set the desired time and level, and then turn ON the clothes dryer to only run the dryer.

2. Is spinning same as drying?

A girl using top load washing machine

In a spin cycle or spin dryer, the washer is spun at high speeds to remove the excess water from the clothes.
In a tumble dryer, slower rotations along with heating are used to dry clothes.

3. Which process is used to dry clothes in a washing machine?

Drying your clothes in a washing machine is made possible by applying the process of centrifugation. It is nothing but spinning the clothes rapidly at high speeds until the water is removed and moved out of the tub.

Clothes dryer, air dryer, and spin cycle; each of these methods help in drying clothes in the machine.

4. How do you dry clothes in 5 minutes?

Spin cycle, clothes dryer, air dryer; you can set each of these cycles on the machine to 5 minutes to dry the clothes. However, if the clothes still have some small amount of dampness left in them you can dry them under the fan or sun.

Wrapping Up

That’s a wrap on the article. We hope you understand how important an air dryer is in a washing machine and why we suggest you buy a machine that offers the service. Share with us which is your preferred methods of drying clothes are and how it works best for you.

About the Author

Neha Pik

Neha Tiwari, Member at Homezilla.in

Neha is the one who is aware of current trends and best practices in our desi community. She also helps and educates people looking for a solution to their problems via online. Her work has been published on countless blogs and notable magazines.