Why are my towels taking so long to dry? This is one of those questions almost everyone doing laundry has asked themselves at some point. Whether you're working in hospitality, healthcare, education, or even just at home - drying speeds seem to change at random! Our laundry experts decided to sit down and answer this one once and for all.
How does a dryer actually work?
Before we tell you what might be interfering with your dryer, you should first understand how they work. There are three key elements to drying linen; heat, the tumble motion, and airflow. Heat helps the water in the linen evaporate faster by agitating the water molecules. The tumble motion keeps air circulating all around the linen for an even dry and to continually expose dry air to the linen - enabling water to evaporate from the linen into the air. Finally, the airflow transfers fresh dry air into the drum and removes the humid air.
Clean the lint filter
If your drying efficiency is declining, the first and easiest to check is the lint filter. If the filter is full your dryer will not be able to get sufficient airflow throughout the drum meaning the moisture in the towels remains trapped inside, extending the drying time. The lint filter is typically located just behind the door of the machine and is easily cleaned with either a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner. As a matter of course, it should be cleaned regularly.
Another important part of a dryer is the air filter/ vents. These normally need to be cleaned once per year, but if the lint filter is often clogged they will need more attention. If these vents are clogged, the machine will struggle to get sufficient airflow, and cleaning the lint filter will not fix the issue. Clean these vents with care!
Check your laundry is properly washed
Your spin speed and length will determine how much moisture remains in your linen. Slower speed, or less time means more retained moisture. That inevitably leads to a longer drying time. Dirt, grit and other particles that remain on linen after the washing cycle can also prevent water from evaporating effectively, thereby increasing the drying time. If the lint filter is not causing the problems, we recommend checking that your detergent and wash cycles are appropriate for the linen you are cleaning.
Humidity
If the air going into the dryer is already full of moisture, your dryer will have to work much harder (and longer) to get your garments dry. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do about this one, save having a dehumidifier running inside. But bear in mind that significant changes in humidity will affect your drying efficiency.
Check you aren't overloading your dryer
It might be tempting to jam your dryer full in order save time doing one load instead of two. But this will slow your drying speeds dramatically as the linen in the middle will not get adequate airflow for evaporation. Your dryer will have reccomendations on appropriate loads - follow these - they are the result of thousands of hours of testing.
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