Using a Dehumidifier to Dry Clothes: What to Look For

How a dehumidifier speeds up indoor clothes drying

Drying clothes indoors is slow because the air around wet fabric quickly becomes saturated with moisture. A dehumidifier changes that by pulling humid air across a cold coil, condensing the water into a bucket or drain line, and sending drier air back into the room. As the relative humidity drops, water evaporates from shirts, towels and bedding more quickly than it would in still, damp air. The how dehumidifiers work article explains the compressor, coil and fan in more detail.

Indoor drying is not only about speed. The University of Minnesota Extension notes that drying clothes on an indoor clothesline adds moisture to the air for molds to grow. The EPA says it is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and the same idea applies to laundry: a dehumidifier keeps extra moisture from settling on walls, ceilings, fabric and stored items. For the room itself, see the dehumidifier for laundry room guide.

What pint capacity you need for drying clothes

Capacity is the first specification to check. ENERGY STAR explains that dehumidifier size is measured in pints per 24 hours, and the capacity you need depends on the size of the space and the conditions in it without dehumidification. For wet conditions that match laundry drying, ENERGY STAR recommends 30 to 50 pints per day for a small to medium room under 2,000 square feet, and 50 pints or more for a large room over 2,000 square feet. If your drying room is a bedroom, apartment or small laundry closet, a unit under 50 pints will usually be enough. For the general sizing approach, the sizing a dehumidifier by square footage article walks through the process.

Those numbers come from the current DOE test method. The Department of Energy changed the way dehumidifiers are tested, and the ENERGY STAR testing page notes that portable dehumidifiers are tested at 65°F rather than 80°F. That means a model rated today often reports a smaller pint capacity than a comparable older model. It does not mean the machine works worse: if you are replacing an old dehumidifier, the smaller new rating may still meet your dehumidification needs.

One rule of thumb for laundry: it is better to oversize than undersize. ENERGY STAR says the same thing explicitly. If every load of thick towels seems to overwhelm the room, step up one capacity class instead of expecting a smaller unit to keep up.

Airflow and placement matter as much as capacity

A dehumidifier only removes moisture from air that reaches the machine, so airflow across the wet fabric matters. Moving air picks up evaporated moisture and carries it toward the intake. For that reason, a room fan pointed at the drying rack often speeds drying more than any single dehumidifier feature. If you prefer one appliance, look for a dehumidifier with an adjustable fan speed or a louver that can direct air toward the rack.

Placement changes the result too. Put the dehumidifier near the drying rack but leave clearance around the intake so air can circulate, and keep doors and windows closed so the unit does not draw in humid outdoor air. The dehumidifier placement tips article covers position in more detail, and the what CFM means in dehumidifiers page explains how airflow ratings relate to moisture removal.

Airflow is not regulated the same way capacity is, and some spec sheets list CFM while others do not. If drying clothes is the main job, compare the airflow figures on the spec sheet and look for a machine that can move air toward the rack. The reading dehumidifier spec sheets guide shows where to find capacity, airflow and other numbers.

Set the humidistat for fast drying and mold control

The humidity target controls how hard the dehumidifier works. The CDC recommends keeping indoor humidity as low as you can, no higher than 50 percent, all day long, and notes that an air conditioner or dehumidifier can help keep the level low. While a load of clothes is drying, a setting no higher than 50 percent is a practical target: it pulls enough moisture out of the room to keep drying moving without running the compressor harder than necessary.

Once the clothes are dry, raise the setting back to a normal comfort level. Running at maximum pull in an empty room wastes energy and can make the space feel cool. The recommended humidity settings article covers setpoints for bedrooms, basements and other rooms.

Features worth choosing for laundry drying

If you dry clothes on a rack more than once a week, you will empty the bucket often. A continuous drain connection solves that. ENERGY STAR notes that some portable dehumidifiers come with a fitting that allows you to hook a hose directly to the bucket, which can be directed into a floor drain or sump pump, so there is no need to empty it. If no floor drain is nearby, a built-in condensate pump can push water up and over to a sink or drain. The continuous drain hose setup and built-in pump vs gravity drain articles explain the trade-offs, and the drain hose models guide lists options.

Check the operating temperature range if the drying spot is a cool basement or garage. ENERGY STAR says frost can form on the condensing coils below 65°F, and that can reduce performance by making the compressor cycle on and off without removing moisture. A model specified for lower temperatures handles that situation better. Most laundry rooms stay warm enough, but a cool basement is worth checking before you buy.

Finally, look for an ENERGY STAR certified model if you expect to run the unit often. ENERGY STAR says certified models use more efficient coils, compressors and fans to remove the same amount of moisture while using about 20 percent less energy. That matters for a machine that may spend hours running after every wash.

What to pick for your use

Questions

Will a dehumidifier dry clothes as fast as a tumble dryer?

No, but it is much faster than leaving wet clothes in a damp room. A dehumidifier lowers the humidity in the room so water evaporates from the fabric more quickly. A tumble dryer uses heat and tumbling to push moisture out directly, which is faster, but a dehumidifier is gentler on fabrics and works for items that cannot go in a dryer.

Where should I place the dehumidifier when drying clothes?

Put it near the drying rack with clearance around the air intake, and close doors and windows so it does not pull in humid outdoor air. A separate fan blowing across the clothes also speeds drying because moving air carries evaporated moisture toward the dehumidifier.

What humidity setting should I use while drying clothes?

Keep the setting no higher than 50 percent, which the CDC recommends as the upper indoor humidity level for mold prevention. A lower setting makes the unit work harder, so raise it back to a normal comfort level once the clothes are dry.

Do I need a large-capacity dehumidifier just for drying laundry?

Not necessarily. ENERGY STAR recommends 30 to 50 pints per day for a small to medium room with wet conditions such as laundry drying, and 50 pints or more for a large room. Since it is better to oversize than undersize, choose one step above your estimate if you dry heavy loads often.

Is indoor line drying with a dehumidifier safer than drying in a damp room?

Yes. Indoor drying adds moisture to the air, and the University of Minnesota Extension lists indoor clotheslines as one of the household moisture sources that can encourage mold. A dehumidifier removes that moisture, and the EPA recommends drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

Can I run the dehumidifier only on laundry day?

You can, but if the space is naturally damp, it may stay humid between loads. Many laundry rooms benefit from running the unit whenever the room feels humid, not just after washing. A portable model you can move into the room works well for occasional laundry drying.