Whether you got caught in a rain shower, or decided to wash your clothes in the sink of the bathroom, it’s likely you’ve stood there with dripping wet clothes, with little idea of how you’re going to dry it.
Drying your clothes in a hotel room is similar to how you would do it at home, however, you’re probably only there for a night or two, so speed is of the essence.
Start by finding somewhere well ventilated where you could hang your wet clothes. Opening a window or the door to the bathroom will drastically improve the drying time.
Use the Towel Trick First!
Hanging up your clothes straight away will have you waiting the whole day, if not more. To avoid this, try this well-admired towel trick used by many seasoned travellers:
Find a dry towel and lay it out flat. Then place your wet items of clothing in the middle and roll it up tightly. After this, you’ll want to wring it out to remove as much of the water.
The only reason not to do this is if you have any delicate garments, as this method can distort the shape or damage the fabric.
Having done this, use one of the methods described below, such as using an ironing board, or hanging the clothes up in the bathroom. You can also combine some of these methods if you feel one isn’t working.
8 Ways to Dry Your Clothes in a Hotel Room
Here are a few of our favourite ways to quickly dry your clothes in a hotel room:
1. Towel warmer
Many hotel bathrooms will have a towel warmer. Having turned it on, you should be able to hang a few t-shirts and socks on there, depending on the size.
Make sure that you get as much surface area of the clothes in contact with the pipes, as this will lessen the drying time. Flipping and moving the items around every couple of hours will also help reach all the damp spots.
2. Hang them on shower rail
The shower rail is a good spot to hang your clothes to dry. To avoid an unpleasant blotch on your garments, clean the top of the shower rail with a cloth (not the top priority for most hotel cleaners), and sling your clothes over the top of it. Try not to crowd the rail with lots of clothes, as this will prolong the drying time.
It’s quite common for the coat hangers to be confined to the rail in the cupboard. If they’re not, use them to hang your clothes and hook them on the shower rail.
3. Hair dryer
Although slightly tedious, using a hair dryer can be very effective.
Turn on the high heat setting and move the hair dryer across the garment, spending more time on the seams, as these will take a bit more heating to dry. Turn the clothing inside out and heat from that side. Repeat this until you feel your clothes drying up.
Be cautious not to burn the fabric by holding the hair dryer too close to the clothes.
4. Ironing board
If the hotel has provided you with an ironing board, this may be the fastest way to dry your clothes.
Lay out your wet clothes on the ironing board, and then proceed to slowly move the iron across the garment. Don’t keep the iron in one spot for too long, or you’ll end up with a hideous black burn mark.
Try placing a dry towel over your clothes, especially if they are delicate. Slowly ironing onto the towel allows the heat to pass through to your clothes, whilst letting the towel soak up any additional moisture. Towels that are very absorbent work a charm, making your clothes dry in no time.
5. Radiators
This is an obvious choice for many, but it made the list due to its effectiveness.
Turn the radiator onto its highest setting. You now have two options: either distribute your clothes onto any available chairs and move them next to the radiator, or place the clothes directly onto the radiator.
Always check the label of your clothes. Some fabrics might not be suitable for direct heat, which will result in them melting.
6. Use a fan
The hotel room might have a small fan, which you can certainly use to your advantage.
Hang up your wet clothes and position the fan so it is blowing air towards the clothes. Position the fan a metre or so away from the clothes, and put it on its highest setting. The moving air – similar to drying outdoors – will shift away the moist air, thereby speeding up the drying process.
7. Turn the sink into a dryer
Have a look at the sink. If it looks clean – you would hope so – throw your wet clothes in there. Use a towel to cover the sink, and then slide the nozzle of the hair dryer under so that it is blowing warm air into the covered sink.
Before using the hairdryer, check that it is relatively new, so it isn’t clogged with hair that could potentially catch fire.
The towel should trap the hot air, allowing your clothes to dry faster. Every five or ten minutes, move the clothes around to ensure it all dries.
8. Hotel laundry service
Some hotels offer laundry service, which may be a better option if you are wanting to properly wash your clothes and be free of the hassle to dry it.
If you’re only staying in the hotel for a few days, this might not be a great solution, as some laundry services take a while before they return the clothes. Check with your hotel about this.
For Next Time…
Bringing a travel clothesline with you when you are travelling is a good idea, since a lot of hotel rooms are limited in hanging space. They are simple, cheap and can be hung up almost anywhere. You can hang up a lot more clothes, whilst still allowing space for them to efficiently dry.
You can also use a clothesline to dry clothes in your car if you need to.
If you’re keen to really reduce that drying time, make sure to pack lighter fabric clothes, such as sportswear. These are designed to dry in a short period of time.
In The Wash is your guide to the best laundry and cleaning products, tips and tricks. Our mission is to solve the UK’s cleaning and laundry dilemmas!
