If you’ve ever tried to dry your clothes in the microwave, you’ve probably been disappointed. A freshly washed pair of pants or a t-shirt takes two liters of water to dry, and that’s all it takes to wring them dry.
However, it’s also true that a microwave will not do the same for a large piece of clothing. You’ll likely get steam burns, and you can also make your kitchen smell like dirty laundry. Regardless of your personal preference, the microwave is not your only option.
Can You Put Clothes in The Microwave To Dry?
Yes, your clothes can be dried in the microwave, although the outcomes will vary depending on the fabric type. Cotton is the most suitable cloth to dry in a microwave because it is a microwave-safe fabric. However, elastic and polyester are not heat resistant and may melt.
As you can see, a microwave is intended to heat rather than dry. It’s technically possible to dry clothes in the microwave, especially if your clothing is little and non-elastic. However, it is preferable to hang them.
When wet clothes are subjected to heat, the water in them evaporates. Furthermore, microwave heat can only penetrate an inch through damp garments. You can only dry a large folded fabric on the exterior.
The moisture created, however, does not evaporate in an enclosed microwave. This may cause creases in your fabric when ironed.
You may also use a microwave for some seconds to warm damp clothing before hanging them out to dry, as it could cut the drying time in half.
This post will look at the different types of microwavable clothes and dry them.
What to Do When You Need to Dry Your Clothes Fast Due to an Emergency
In an emergency, if the only realistic choice for drying your garments is to use a microwave, do the following:
- Make sure the fabric you’re drying isn’t too big and doesn’t include any metal or plastic. You should avoid doing this with a soiled towel since it can stink your kitchen.
- To keep your microwave safe, cover the fabric with a dish. This will only assist if the material catches fire, and you’ll have to replace the garment and the bow, not the microwave as a whole.
- Reduce the microwave’s temperature to roughly 70% of its original setting. Microwave the garment for 10 seconds only.
- Check to see whether it has dried. Remove it from the microwave with potholders and gently feel the temperature. Waft it till it cools down if it’s too hot.
- If the fabric is still wet, repeat the procedures above, but at a lower temperature for only 10 seconds each time. When the cloth is completely dry, press it for a few minutes to dry it fully.
What Happens When You Put Clothes in The Microwave?
When you place your clothing in the microwave, heat is produced that aids in absorbing moisture from your garments, causing them to dry. Microwaving a piece of cloth will have no effect on the fabric, but it will not absorb the heat generated and may cause harm to your microwave, comparable to turning your microwave on with nothing in it.
Drying bulky clothes in the microwave, such as shirts, pants, and bed linens causes electrical fires.
If you choose to disregard this advice, please be cautious about steam burns while opening the microwave after using it to dry something. A microwave can dry pantyhose, socks, and other small things, but it should only be used as a last resort.
Dangers of Putting Clothes in The Microwave
When you microwave garments, you risk igniting an electrical fire, mainly if your clothes include any metal. If your garments have metal attachments, forget about drying them in the microwave.
Similarly, even if your garments are 100% cotton, the steam from opening the microwave door might badly burn you. Microwaves aren’t designed to dry garments.
Can You Dry a Towel in a Microwave?
Yes, you can microwave a towel to dry it as long as it doesn’t have any metal tags or weights, which many beautiful towels have. Simply throwing your towel in the microwave is faster and more reliable to heat it.
Run your towel under the kitchen faucet and wring it out until it’s barely moist— microwave for 30 seconds in a Pyrex dish or on a platter.
Although you can use a microwave to dry your towel, remember it is designed to heat rather than dry. You should also ensure that the cloth can endure the heat. You can use this procedure to go in the dryer without being damaged. A microwave is also poorly ventilated, meaning you will finish up with very hot and soggy clothing.
How Long Does It Take To Dry a Towel in The Microwave?
Depending on the type and size of the towel, drying time in the microwave might range from 1 to 2 minutes. Naturally, it will be heated since the water condenses into steam. Take it out and flail it around in the air to dissipate the steam and cool the towel. Repeat as many times as necessary.
As the towel dries out, reduce the time you leave it in the microwave again, or else it may burn. You have to be extremely careful with synthetics since they can melt if they get too hot, but I have mistakenly allowed cotton to grow hot enough that I had to use a dish towel to hold it as I flap so I don’t burn my fingers.
To avoid scorching, it is frequently advisable to let it dry before a fan or sit for 30 minutes. Exercise extreme caution at the end of this process, and only heat the object for 15 seconds.
Can You Microwave Gloves?
Fabrics such as polyester or a combination of polyester and cotton and nylon will melt in the microwave. Only gloves made entirely of cotton are appropriate for use in the microwave. Any other substance will wreak havoc.
If your gloves are made of spandex, placing them in the microwave will cause them to catch fire since spandex is flammable.
Gloves made of highly fragile materials, even if they are all-natural, might be harmed by the tremendous heat created by the microwave.
If your gloves have any metal on them, putting them in the microwave will result in a massive tragedy. Your microwave will be destroyed, and the circuits in your home may be destroyed as well.
What Are The Other Ways To Dry Clothes?
With the typical household washing 8 to 10 loads of laundry every week, it’s no wonder that laundry is one of those activities that you can’t put off for too long.
When you don’t have a dryer, laundry might feel even more inconvenient — especially if you’re short on time. However, there are several advantages to living without a dryer.
Other than the benefit of conserving electricity, drying your clothes without a dryer extends the life of your garments, minimizes your carbon footprint, and saves space in tiny apartments.
If you don’t have a dryer, try these quick and clever solutions for drying clothing without a dryer. Below are some of the ways you can dry your clothes.
1. Using The High Spin Setting
When drying clothing without a dryer, first, you should wring them out. Using the quickest pace setting on your washing machine is one method to do this.
The higher the speed, the easier it will be to remove extra water from your garments, allowing them to dry faster when you hang them later.
2. Hang Your Clothes To Dry in the Airline
You won’t be able to hang your clothes outside in most flats, so you’ll have to commit to an internal section of your home to dry your garments.
Consider purchasing a drying rack that folds up or hangs on the wall for convenient storage. Otherwise, be creative and hang your clothing on a shower rod door frame, or put them flat on a towel.
3. Use a Hairdryer
A portable hairdryer can do the trick if you want to dry your garments quickly and thoroughly! Place your wrung-out garments on a level surface. Hold the hairdryer near the clothes and use hot or warm air to spot-dry it. Take care to rotate the garment periodically and dry it from the inside out.
4. Roll Your Clothes in a Towel
Simply wrapping your garment with a towel to absorb the water is a straightforward approach to help dry your garments. Place your item of clothing on top of a large, fluffy towel and roll it up nicely. Begin rolling the piece of clothing from one end until the entire towel is securely twisted.
5. The Iron And Towel Trick
Lay your garment on an ironing board as if you’re about to iron it to perform the iron and towel method. Carefully place the towel on top of your clothes and iron both sides of the towel with high heat. This method allows warmth to be channeled into the cloth, absorbing moisture.
6. Dry Your Clothes Strategically
If you don’t have a drying rack, make sure to shake out your clothes and hang or arrange them evenly to eliminate creases. Clothes that have been crumpled may take longer to dry.
Additionally, placing your drying rack or hanging garments near a heat source may hasten the drying process, such as a sunny window, fireplace, radiator, or furnace.
7. Dry Small Articles Of Clothing In The Oven
Yes, you may use the oven to dry your garments. This approach, however, is only suitable for small items of clothes such as socks or underwear, and it can take up to an hour to dry completely.
Preheat your oven to 100 degrees and set your tiny objects on a baking sheet if you still want to try it. Turn off the oven and lay the baking sheet with your garments in it after heating the oven.