Dry sustainably - for a longer life of your clothes
Sustainable clothing care is about both how we extend the life of our clothes and how energy efficient the clothing care process itself is. There are several ways to freshen, wash, and dry clothes. We conducted a small survey, asking sixty people of different ages about their dressing habits. More than half said they prefer to hang dry their washed clothes, while a fifth preferred to tumble dry, and about a sixth said they use a drying cabinet. Many of those who hang-dried, both in the drying cabinet and in the home, felt that it was the least abrasive on clothes and required less ironing compared to the tumble dryer, while some of those who tumble dried claimed that they didn’t experience any wear and tear.
In the survey, we also chose to ask the respondents what they thought about the fluff that needs to be emptied from the tumble dryer. Basically everyone answered that they thought it was fibres from their clothes and dust. The fact of the matter is that the mechanical processing of the tumble dryer causes fibres to come loose from the garments when your clothes rub together. It’s these fibres, mixed with dust, that we then have to empty out of the tumble dryer’s filter. Even the heat in the tumbler wears and the shape and size of a garment can change.
In the survey, many people answered that it’s energy-saving to hang dry and skip the tumble dryer. This is understood to be an important factor. However, regular hang drying in the home can cause moisture, which in the long run can also lead to mould. If you’d like to both avoid unnecessary moisture in the home and still hang dry your clothes, a drying cabinet could be the solution. It’s also possible to dry your laundry without turning on the drying cabinet. Just leave the door ajar and the drying cabinet will take care of the residual moisture within a protected environment. Some garments might not even need to be washed, but can be refreshed by going a round in the drying cabinet, e.g. dirty jackets or over-trousers.
Another aspect that the survey addressed was whether we choose to hang our clothes outside in the summer. About half of the respondents answered that they hang their laundry outside. From an energy point of view, it’s naturally quite ingenious to use the sun’s heat and the wind’s fan to remove residual moisture from your laundry. On the other hand, drying outdoors can affect the quality of your clothes and, thus, their lifespan, because the sun’s rays can fade colours and patterns. There are also many people who suffer from pollen allergies as soon as spring begins to blossom and here it’s important to remember that the same pollen that you can see on your car roof also lands on your clothes. Bless you!
In summary: if you’d like to maintain the quality of your clothes for as long as possible, protect them from pollen and reduce the risk of moisture damage in the home, a drying cabinet could be the solution.