Breaking Up With Your Dryer

A Practical Guide to Air-Drying Laundry (Without the Guilt)

Laundry can feel like one of those unavoidable parts of life — especially if you live in an apartment in New York, a small home in Washington, DC, or anywhere without a big backyard or dedicated laundry room. For most of us, the dryer is just part of the routine.

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to quit your dryer cold turkey to make a meaningful difference.

Breaking up with your dryer (or even just using it less) can save energy, extend the life of your clothes, and lower your household’s environmental footprint — all without making laundry day harder.

This is a guide to doing it practically, not perfectly.

Why Consider Using Your Dryer Less?

Clothes dryers are one of the most energy-intensive appliances in the average U.S. home. Even energy-efficient models use significantly more electricity than air-drying, and over time that adds up — both in cost and emissions.

Beyond energy use, dryers are also tough on clothes. Heat and tumbling break down fibers faster, leading to:

• Shrinking
• Fading
• Thinning fabric
• Shorter garment lifespans

Air-drying, even part of the time, is one of the simplest ways to care for your clothes and reduce household energy use.

How We Actually Use Our Dryer Less

Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, we focus on habits that are easy to maintain.

1. Sort for Air-Drying

One small shift that makes a big difference: keep a section of your laundry basket just for items you plan to air-dry.

This might include:

• Kids’ clothes
• Dresses and skirts
• T-shirts and woven tops
• Delicates and activewear
• Anything you don’t want exposed to high heat

When air-drying is built into the sorting step, it stops feeling like extra work. Tools like a three-part sorter can help.

2. Air-Dry What Dries Easily

You don’t need a backyard clothesline to air-dry laundry. A simple drying rack works well in apartments and small spaces, especially if placed near a window, vent, or radiator.

Many everyday items air-dry beautifully:

• Pants and jeans
• Shirts and dresses
• Pajamas
• Napkins and dish towels
• Athletic clothing
• Sweaters 
• Delicates

Hanging clothes in the evening often means they’re dry by morning — no dryer required.

3. Use the Dryer More Intentionally

We still use our dryer — just more selectively.

When you do run it:

• Use sensor-dry settings instead of timed cycles so clothes aren’t over-dried
• Use the coolest setting that can reasonably dry the items
• Clean the lint trap regularly to improve efficiency
• Spin clothes well in the washer so they go in less wet

Shorter, smarter dryer cycles can significantly reduce energy use without sacrificing convenience.

What About Towels? Do What Works for You

Let’s be honest: air-dried towels can get crispy, especially indoors or in drier climates. If soft, fluffy towels matter to you (and they do to us), that’s completely valid.

For towels, we take a do-what-works-for-your-life approach:

• Use the dryer for towels if that’s your preference — especially bath towels and kids’ towels
• Try a hybrid method: air-dry most of the way, then finish with a short dryer cycle to soften them up
• Skip fabric softener if you can; it reduces absorbency over time. Dryer balls are a good alternative

If you’re interested in air-drying towels more often, Turkish towels (also called peshtemals) are a great option. They’re thinner, highly absorbent, and designed to air-dry quickly without getting stiff — making them ideal for apartments, small laundry spaces, and households trying to cut back on dryer use.

Why people love Turkish towels:

• They dry much faster than traditional terry towels
• They stay soft when air-dried
• They take up less space
• They work well for everyday use, kids, and travel

Sustainability isn’t about suffering through crispy towels. Sometimes the solution is switching the towel — not forcing the method.

Small Changes Add Up

Breaking up with your dryer isn’t about doing everything “right.” It’s about making choices that are realistic, repeatable, and supportive of your life.

Even air-drying a few loads a week can mean:

• Lower energy bills
• Longer-lasting clothes
• Less environmental impact over time

So if the dryer still has a place in your routine — that’s okay. What matters is being thoughtful about when and how you use it.

Progress, not perfection. Always.

Like this post? Check out our guidance on how to make your Jackalo clothes, or any clothes for that matter, last.