Air dry or tumble dry? What's your opinion about linen?

Laura1899
Level 2
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Air dry or tumble dry? What's your opinion about linen?

Which is best?

5 Replies 5
Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

Air if space, time, and weather allow, @Laura1899. I find it more economical, and not a great deal of work. I love my huge outside clothesline and pretty sheets flapping in the breeze, but I have an inside drying rack for blizzards and rainstorms. I use the gas dryer as a last resort when there are too many turnarounds and I have hit the bottom of the sheet stack. 

Like some of the hosts here, I do touch up the wrinkles with an iron. 

 

@Laura1899 @Lawrene0

Dryers are still rare in Korea.... it's considered a luxury appliance and most typical 2~2 bedroom homes won't even have space to install one. I don't have a dryer, just a top load Samsung washer.... and I have drying racks that I set up indoors and in the enclosed balcony. 

Rachel0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Laura1899 Air or inside drying for sheets and duvet covers, tumble drying for towels.  I avoid fabric conditioner at all costs - horrible stuff and it reduces the absorbency of the towels.

Mel101
Level 10
Amsterdam, NL

I'm definitely in the air dry camp, and can even manage it in a place as rainy as our home town!

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Laura1899, I always air dry for the following reasons:

  1. Climate change: why wouldn't you use the sun and the wind to dry sheets if you can? Zero carbon footprint.
  2. Cost: tumble drying is just going to add to your expenses.
  3. Wrinkles: air drying the sheets and quilt covers leaves them relatively wrinkle-free as opposed to tumble drying them which means they end up looking like they've been scrunched into the bottom of the linen cupboard for years
  4. Freshness: air dried sheets just seem 'fresher' to me

I live in a pretty rainy place so I can't always get the sheets dried fully, especially in winter. However, I always hang them up until they are almost dry, then finish them off in the tumble drier only if necessary to get that last little bit of dampness out of them. I have both an outdoor line and under shelter line in case of rain.

 

@Rachel0, thanks for the tip about fabric softener - I've been using it ever since an (older) guest said my sheets smelled 'interesting'. As I only use natural products, I'm assuming she meant they didn't have the perfumed (and to me, horrible and fake) smell of highly fragranced laundry products. Since then, I've been using a natural fabric softener to ensure the sheets and towels smell 'nice'. But, you may be right about absorbency - I think I'll stop using it and maybe just add a few drops of essential oils to the wash instead.