Julianna Nasif | PlumbJoe.com

We’ve all been stuck in a situation where we needed to get a clothing item dried quickly and didn’t have access to a clothes dryer. Then you are left wondering how to dry your clothes fast without the appropriate appliance. Can you put clothes in the oven to dry them? A standard kitchen oven can easily be used to dry a single small item of clothing like a pair of socks or a small t-shirt. Set the oven for 215°F. When it reaches this temperature, turn it off. Place a single clothing item on a baking sheet inside the oven. Some items may need to be turned over once during the process to dry completely. This is not an ideal solution, but it can work if you're in a pinch. You shouldn’t use this as a go-to method all the time because the moisture will eventually damage your oven. You should also be extremely careful because if the clothing article touches the oven’s heating element it can start a fire. How Long Does It Take To Dry Clothes In The Oven? It can take an hour or more to dry a single item of clothing, depending on the thickness of the fabric. This is not the quickest method to dry most things. For example, a small baby blanket could take five hours to dry in the oven, but may hang dry outside in two or three hours on a warm day. Can You Put Jeans In The Oven To Dry? Denim is a very heavy material and it doesn’t dry very quickly. Denim is both too thick and jeans are too large to dry in the oven. Since you would have to fold the jeans several times for them to fit onto a baking sheet, it would take longer to dry them in the oven than by hanging them. How Can I Dry My Jeans Fast Without a Dryer? Due to their thickness and often having many pockets, jeans can take a long time to dry, especially without a dryer. Here is the quickest way to do it. 1. Spin Or Wring Out As Much Water As Possible If you are using a washing machine, use the strongest spin cycle. You may want to even spin them out twice in order to get the most water out of them as possible before you start trying to dry them. If you wash them by hand, wring them out as much as possible. 2. Use A Towel Wrap your jeans in a towel and wring them out again. If you have a couple of clean towels, doing this two or three times will get them much closer to dry. 3. Put Them On If they are only damp and it is a warm day, this may be enough as they will dry quickly from this point. 4. Use A Hair Dryer If your jeans still need a little more help, use a hair dryer on them while you are wearing them. You will want to use a low setting so they do not shrink and you do not get burned. Can You Dry Clothes in the Microwave? You should never attempt to dry your clothes or even a piece of your clothing in the microwave. Microwaves do not use the same type of heat as an oven. Direct heat is why the oven can dry clothing. A microwave’s electromagnetic waves can damage clothing and even start fires if they come in contact with metal buttons or zippers. How Can I Dry My Clothes Fast Without A Dryer? When you are asking if you can dry clothes in your oven, what you likely mean is “What's the best way to dry clothes without a dryer?” There are many indoor solutions for drying clothes. It all depends on the items you need dry and what you have available to you. Here are a few different situations to consider. How To Dry Clothes Indoors Quickly The fastest way to dry clothes indoors is to dry them in your bathroom. Start as above by spinning them or wringing them as dry as possible, then follow these instructions. 1. Hang Your Clothes Hang your clothes on clothes hangers and hang them on the shower curtain bar. Keep an inch or two between each item of clothing. The more space between pieces, the faster they will dry. 2. Add Heat Place a small space heater in your bathroom. Place it near the clothes but at a safe distance. You can also add an additional fan to expedite the process. 3. Close The Door Closing the door effectively turns your bathroom into a large dryer. 4. Turn The Load After a couple of hours, turn each hanger the opposite direction so the warm air is closer to the opposite side of clothing. This will make the drying process faster and more even. This method will dry an entire load of clothes in about a day or overnight. Note that while it is effective, it will increase your electric bill if you do this very often. However, if you have no access to a washer or dryer and are washing full loads of clothes in your bathtub, this may be the perfect method for you. How to Dry Clothes Without A Dryer In An Apartment You can use the above method to dry your clothes without a dryer in an apartment. However, it is important in an apartment to keep this in the bathroom. A house may provide more space and even a basement to dry in. An apartment is smaller and more closed, trapping more moisture. The bathroom is built to handle moisture and may even provide you with an exhaust fan you can use during the process. Consider opening a window if possible when you are done drying to help release the moisture laden air from your apartment. How To Dry Clothes Quickly in Winter Many people sit their shoes or wet socks on their floor level heating vents to dry them in the winter. This is not a great method for drying clothes. You may use the above method to dry clothes quickly in the winter. You can also hang your clothes above the heating vents without touching them. If you do this, make sure the clothes are no longer dripping wet with water. You do not want water to run down into your heating vents as this can cause many types of damage to your heating system. How To Dry Clothes In A Dryer If you do have access to a dryer, throwing a lone item into it is not the fastest way to get it dry. Be careful when turning the heat to the highest setting, as this might shrink some clothes. The best thing to do is to throw your single item into the dryer with a couple of clean, already dry towels. This will get your clothing item dry the fastest. The most efficient way to use a dryer is to plan ahead and give yourself enough time to dry full loads on the proper setting. This gives you the most bang for your buck in all regards. What Temperature Is Best For Drying Clothes? Clothes dryers run between 125°F and 175°F. Some delicate fabrics should be kept below 150°F, which is why tumbling them in the dryer is important for getting them dry faster. Generally speaking, over 100°F and under 200°F is going to be the best bet for getting clothes dry fast without damaging them. Hacks To Dry Clothes Faster Wash and dry normal size loads, do not over or under load washers, dryers or clothes lines. Use the strongest spin cycle or even add a spin cycle. Add a few new tennis balls to your dryer with the clothes. Dry your clothes outside during the height of the heat of the day. Add an extra heat source like a space heater or a fan for movement when drying indoors without a dryer. Conclusion While it is possible to dry a clothing item in the oven, there is no reason to. There are better, faster, easier and safer ways to dry clothes, even without a clothes dryer.