How long do clothes take to dry indoors?

Typical drying times by method

The ranges below are rough and assume a normal mixed load spun at a good speed. Thick items such as jeans, hoodies and towels take longer than shirts and underwear. Your home's temperature and humidity matter more than anything else.

What controls drying time

Spin speed. The less water left in the fabric, the less there is to evaporate. A higher spin is the cheapest way to cut drying time, if the care labels allow.

Humidity. Water evaporates slowly into humid air. In a closed room, humidity rises as the load dries, which slows it further. A dehumidifier keeps humidity down. Our explainer on how much water a wash load puts into your home shows why.

Warmth. Warm air holds more moisture and warm fabric releases it faster. A room at a normal heated temperature dries far faster than a cold spare room.

Airflow and spacing. Still air around crowded garments slows drying. Leave gaps and turn thick items halfway through.

Fabric makes a difference

Synthetics such as polyester sportswear dry fastest. Cotton shirts and underwear are middling. Denim, towels, hoodies and bedding take longest because they hold more water and have thick layers. Hang thick items where the airflow is best and dry them on their own if you can.

Bedding is a special case. A double duvet cover and sheets take up a lot of airer space, and folding them over a rail traps damp layers together. Drape them over two rails or the backs of chairs so air reaches both sides, and give them a good spin first. Towels dry faster if you shake them out hard before hanging, which lifts the pile.

How to speed things up

Use the highest spin speed the labels allow. Dry in a small room with the door closed and a dehumidifier running, with its airflow aimed at the clothes from about a metre away. Space items out, hang shirts on hangers, and turn heavy items. Our guide on how to dry clothes indoors quickly has the full method, and dehumidifier vs fan explains how to combine the two.

See dehumidifiers for drying clothes →

Signs washing is drying too slowly

If clothes take more than a day or two, smell musty when dry, or the windows stream while they dry, the room is too humid or cold. Musty smells come from slow drying rather than dirty washing, as explained in why clothes smell damp after drying. A dehumidifier in the drying room usually fixes both the time and the smell.

What temperature is best for drying clothes indoors?

A normal heated room temperature, around 18 to 21 °C, works well, especially with a dehumidifier. Colder rooms slow drying a lot and, for compressor dehumidifiers, reduce their output too. Drying over radiators speeds things up but releases all the moisture into the room and can block heat, so a dehumidifier and airer is usually the better combination.

Frequently asked questions

How long should clothes take to dry indoors? Often overnight to a day on an airer in a warm room, and a day or more in a cold room. A dehumidifier in a closed room typically gets a load dry in several hours.

Why do my clothes take two days to dry inside? The room is probably cold and humid with little airflow. Higher spin, a warmer room, spacing and a dehumidifier all help.

Do clothes dry faster with a dehumidifier or heated airer? A heated airer is quick for thin items in contact with the rails. A dehumidifier dries the whole load evenly and removes the moisture from the room. Together they are faster still.