DRYING CLOTHES IN THE SUN, YES OR NO?

The high temperatures at this time of year and the almost daily gift of the sun invite usto dry our clothes in the open air.

Taking advantage of the weather helps the ecosystem, and at the same time, the sun’s rays give us many benefits.

In addition, drying clothes in the sun is environmentally friendly and has no negative effects on the skin.

Here are other benefits of exposing laundry to the sun:

• it is a natural whitener;
• it is cost-effectivefor the family economy;
• it helps eliminate bacteria that adhere to fabrics;
• the sun’s rays have properties that contribute to the disinfection of clothes.

Another advantage of this practice is that it allows you to forget about the shrinkage of clothes. This can happen when using the dryer.

However, precautions should be taken to prevent clothing from sustaining irreversible damage when exposed to the sun.

What are the main negative effects of drying your clothes on clotheslines in the sun?

• loss of colour;
• reduced elasticity of the fabrics and/or materials;
• can damage some fabrics.

How to dry clothes in the sun?

Although important, few precautions need to be taken so that your clothes benefit from the heat of the sun without its rays damaging them.

But, before talking about how to hang laundry in the sun, let’s talk about the procedure that must be carried out before: draining the water accumulated in the fabrics.

For all clothes, white or coloured, it is best to let them drain well, either in the washing machine or in the washing machine.

After spinning, let the laundry rest for a few minutes. If you wash it by hand and you have trouble wringing it out, wrap the garment in a towel to absorb excess water.

The following recommendations are among the most important: put the garment in the right way, in the right place and for the right duration. These recommendations vary depending on the colour of the clothes.

Black clothes

These clothes are the ones that benefit the most from exposure to the sun. They regain their splendour, that natural glow that brings out your tan in summer.

Some stains disappear during drying, especially if the garment to be washed has those ugly yellow stains typical of clothes that have been kept in the closet. Besides usingbleach detergent, drying them in the sun will be a plus.

One of the precautions to take when hanging out laundry is to lay it as flat as possible. In this way, the sun penetrates the fibres and the result is more evident.

For bed sheets or tablecloths, exposure to the sun is a natural means of drying, 30′ is enough and will retain much more the smell of fresh air that permeates the fabrics.

Brightly colouredclothes

Always try to hang the garment inside out to avoid fading or marks caused by direct sunlight.

The best advice we can give you with this type of laundry is to dry it outside, but not under direct sunlight.

Some fabrics may fade a bit, especially if they are brightly coloured. Even when hanging the laundry inside out, we recommend drying in the open air, but always in the shade.

Another suggestion is to hang the laundry in the evening. Want a good formula? Wash your laundry on a short cycle during dinner with an appropriate detergent and hang it out before bed to benefit from the breeze and the temperature.

How to avoid damage to clothes when hanged outdoors

Besides the indications we have already mentioned, the answer to this question lies in ourselves and in the care we give to our clothes , whether white or coloured.

To a large extent, lack of care, haste and ignorance are the causes of damage caused by drying laundry in the sun.

These tips are very useful when it comes tohanging laundry outside.

• The laundry must be damp before hanging, but without dripping water, otherwise its own weight will cause it to deform.
• Make sure the cuffs, hems and inside pockets lie flat. Otherwise, you run the risk of them not drying properly and retaining bad odours.
• Give the garment a little shake so that it takes on its natural shape without excessive creases. You’ll be glad you did when ironing and you might even save yourself that chore.
• When hanging T-shirts, shirts, or blouses, place the clothespins under the armpits, never over the shoulders, or you’ll leave marks on them. You can also let them dry on hangers.
• When you stretch pants, take advantage of the folds on the groin to place the clothespins.
• Don’t pick up your clothes too soon. Make sure each piece of clothing is dry, otherwise you will not be able to get rid of the damp smell when storing them.

In general, the sun and clothes get along well. Do you know of any other benefits of the sun on fabrics? Tell us in the comments.