Dry Wet Clothes Fast with the Dry Towel Trick

We've all been there: you have a big meeting or a fun night out planned, and you pull your favorite shirt out of the washing machine, only to realize you don't have enough time for a full run in the dryer. Maybe you're traveling and just hand-washed some socks in the hotel sink. Waiting around for wet clothes to dry can be incredibly frustrating.

When you're in a rush, you can drastically speed up drying time by using a clean, thick, dry bath towel. By rolling your wet garment inside the towel and applying pressure, the towel aggressively wicks away the moisture that your washing machine's spin cycle left behind, cutting air-drying or machine-drying time in half.

Why Use the Dry Towel Hack?

When you take clothes out of the washer, they still hold a lot of water deep within the fabric fibers.

• Faster air drying: If you don't have a dryer, removing that extra moisture is the difference between a shirt drying in two hours instead of taking all day.
• Less heat damage: If you do have a dryer, starting with less moisture means less time tumbling in high heat, which is better for your delicate clothes and prevents shrinking.
• Perfect for travel: This is the ultimate hack for hotel sinks. You can wash a shirt or a pair of underwear at night, use the hotel towel trick, and they will easily be dry by morning.

How to Do the Dry Towel Burrito Trick

Ready to get those clothes dry? Follow these simple steps for the best results:

1. Lay out the towel: Find a large, clean, and completely dry bath towel. Lay it out flat on the floor or a large table.
2. Position the clothing: Take your wet item (let's say it's a shirt) and lay it flat on top of the towel. Try to smooth out any major wrinkles.
3. Roll it up: Starting from one end, roll the towel and the shirt up tightly together, just like you are making a giant burrito.
4. Squeeze the water out: Now for the most important part! Press down firmly on the rolled-up towel. You can use your hands and knees to press your body weight into it, or even gently step on the roll with bare feet. Do this for a good 30 seconds.
5. Unroll and dry: Unroll the towel. You will notice the towel is quite damp, but your shirt will feel almost dry to the touch! Hang the shirt up to air dry completely, or toss it in the dryer for a fraction of the usual time.

This little laundry trick takes less than a minute, but it can save you hours of waiting. The next time you are staring impatiently at a wet outfit you need to wear right now, grab the fluffiest dry towel you can find and roll it up!