7 Effective Ways To Dry Clothes In Apartments (With Pictures)

With little floor space, there isn’t always enough room for a washer and dryer unit.

How do you dry clothes in a small apartment?
If you have access to outdoor space the best way is to hang it outdoors. Otherwise, you can use a compact dryer with a low noise level or a window-mounted drying rack.

Here is everything you need to know about the best ways to dry your clothes in a smaller apartment.

Dryers Meant for Small Apartments

Having a small apartment doesn’t mean you have to go back to the dark ages when it comes to washing and drying your clothes.

If you are looking for a dryer that both fits into your downsized life and your small apartment, you have options.

When it comes to finding the best dryer for your small apartment, the two things to keep in mind is:

1. Size
2. Noise output

You will also want to make sure that your apartment has the right hook-ups in order to support your dryer. Your hook-ups will be specifically meant for either electric or gas dryers.

So, you should know what kind you need before you start shopping.

Here are some of the best compact dryers that are preferred among small apartment renters:

• Panda Compact Laundry Dryer

This compact Panda dryer is an electric style dryer that is only a little larger than 2.5 cubic feet. Also, you will love that is only weights around 40 lbs.

It typically costs around $250-300 and has a fine resell value as people often move in and out of small apartments.

When it comes to this dryer, you are not only getting size, you are getting quality.  The inner barrel features a stainless steel drum so gently rolls clothes until dry.

The main reason why renters prefer to use this dryer for their apartment is that you don’t have to place this dryer on the floor.

The Panda Compact Dryer comes with a wall mounting kit so that you can literally attach the dryer to the wall to help save some floor space.

However, with a dryer that is compact like this one, your clothes will take a longer time to dry.

• Manatee Portable Electric Laundry Drying Rack

You can find this model here at a good price.

It’s a pretty cheap solution that has gotten good recommendations and reviews. You can typically find it for around $60.

Not all clothes dryers have to be little boxes of hot air.  There have been plenty of ingenious dryers designed specifically for people with limited living space.  Much like those living in a small scale apartment.

The Manatee Portable Drying Rack is an example of one of these ingenious inventions.

The portable drying rack does much more than give your clothes a place to lay out and dry.  It does actual drying for you.  The reason why this portable dryer is so popular among renters is that it easily breaks down and can be stored out of the way when not in use.

One the drying rack is open, it looks more like a coat hanger.  There are several slots to attach clothes hangers to so that your clothes can dry evenly.  Also, because of the open movement, your clothes can dry wrinkle free which will save you time.

Once you have the clothes in place, you simply place the cover over the rack.  Once turned on, the Manatee Dryer will circulate warm air throughout the rack drying your clothes evenly and efficiently.  Once you are down, you break down and fold away the rack until you are ready to use it again.

 

Creative Ways To Dry Your Clothes

Using the sun or a compact dryer are not the only options renters have when it comes to drying their clothes in a small apartment.  Many people have found very creative ways to get the best of both worlds.

They have found ways to dry their clothes while still not spending money on electricity or adding any more harm to the environment.

Here are some quick and innovative ways to dry your clothes in your small apartment using what you already have in your home:

• Drying Rack Mounted On A Window

You can find a good rack you can mount on your window.

Or close to the window like this model can do:

That’s a great way to dry your clothes as you can let them hang there during the day with the window open.

You can find these types of drying racks here.

They come in all price ranges from $15 to $100.

• Hair Dryer

It may seem crazy, but people have been using their hair dryers to help speed up the drying process.

However, it isn’t recommended that you use a hair dryer to fully dry your clothes as it is tough on the environment as hair dryers use a lot of electricity. So use this options when all other options are out and you are in a hurry.

Depending on how you wash your clothes, your clothes will be too wet to dry from the start with a hairdryer.

The most important thing to remember when trying this trick out is to take your time and stay safe.  Make sure that the area you are placing your clothes on is free of water and clutter.

This trick also works best if you lay your clothes flat on a drying rack.  This will not only help the process go faster but will also help to keep the clothes wrinkle-free.

A good tip for drying clothes with a hair dryer is to do only a couple of pieces of clothes at a time.  Also, you will want to start on the low heat setting and constantly keep checking the clothes with a quick touch.

Remember that the metal vents on hairdryers get hot fast, so hold the dryer a good 5-7 inches away from the clothing and never press the dryer directly to the fabric.

• Heating Vent

One good thing about apartments is that they used forced heating vents to warm up units.  While these heating vents might not be the best to look at, they do offer another creative way to dry your clothes.

All you will need is a collapsible folding drying rack.  These types of drying racks open up like an ironing board would.

This means that they close completely flat for easy storage which is perfect in a small apartment.  simple place the folding rack over the floor vent or against the wall where the vent connects.

Lay your damp clothes out evenly across the rack and let your heating system do the work.

Just remember, the like with a hairdryer; slow and steady win the race.  This means that you use only attempt to dry a few clothes at a time and also check the clothes to make sure they are drying evenly.  However, the biggest downside to this trick is that it only works well during the months that you use heat.

You will have to find a drying alternative during the warmer months.

Sun Drying Outdoors

A great option for smaller apartments when it comes to laundry is the sun.

Even to this day, with all the new technology available, sun drying is still a preferred method.  But, why do people still prefer to dry their clothes with the sun?  Here is what we know about using the sun’s natural heat to dry laundry and why it may work for you:

Environmental Impact

The main reason why sun drying clothes are such a popular option is that it is a lot easier on the environment.

Dryers work on either electricity or gas.  The one good thing about electric dryers is that these days they are made with the environment in mind.

Many come back with a high ECO rating that means the environmental impact will be much lower.  But, using the sun to dry your clothes means that your environmental impact will be at zero.

You can buy all of the eco-friendly appliances you want, but nothing beats nature.

How Do You Sun-Dry Your Clothes?

How you choose to sun-dry your clothes will depend on the type of apartment you are renting.  This is because, in order to properly dry your clothes, you have to have a clear view of the sun.

Most people prefer to sun-dry their clothes outside.  If you have shared yard space, consider using either a short dry line or outdoor rack.

If you are in an upstairs apartment without a yard, you also have options.  If you have a balcony or a space fire escape, you should be able to fashion a drying line out your window.

However, if you don’t have any outside access, use an indoor drying rack.  An indoor drying is inexpensive and can be placed right near a bright window.

This way your clothes can sun-dry without ever having to leave your apartment.

 

Final Thoughts

Drying your clothes shouldn’t be extra anxiety in your life.  Also, living in a smaller apartment doesn’t mean that you can’t live the way you want to.

When it comes to drying your clothes, you have plenty of options.

While it isn’t always ideal, you do have the option for visiting local laundromats to dry your clothes.

However, keep in mind that this is the most costly of options.

When you consider that a compact dryer will run you around $150 and using the sun to dry your clothes is free, you may no longer see a need to leave your home.

There is no reason why you can’t conveniently dry your clothes right from home.  No matter how little space you have.