Can you dry clothes in a microwave. The microwave allows you to cook food very quickly and conveniently, but it can also be used to dry clothes without the help of an actual drier.
While this may seem like a convenient way to save time on laundry day, there are several reasons why you shouldn’t use your microwave as a clothes dryer.
But if you need to dry something quickly, there are ways to do it safely and effectively with an appliance that was never designed for that purpose.
Let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts of drying clothes in the microwave so you don’t accidentally ruin your laundry.
This article tells you how you can use your microwave to dry clothes without drying them in the dryer.
Can you dry clothes in a microwave
Microwaves are often too small for large, wet items like towels or jeans to fit inside.
However, when the clothes are smaller and lighter, like socks or underwear, you can dry them in a microwave.
One way to do this is to place the damp clothes in a bowl and set the microwave on high for one minute.
Another option is to use a dish towel as an absorbent pad on top of your heating coil.
Microwave dangers
Microwaves can be hazardous to clothes. If you do not want to dry your clothes in a microwave, you can use a conventional dryer or hang them on a clothesline.
Microwaves heat wet clothes by causing the water molecules in the clothes to vibrate and create heat.
The heat from a microwave will penetrate much deeper into clothing than it does with a hot air dryer because microwaves are able to penetrate clothing more quickly and easily than hot air.
This causes the fabric of your clothes to shrink, which may cause holes or tears in the fabric.
For this reason, many people choose to hang their clothes outside instead of drying them in a microwave.
While hanging clothes out to dry can take days, microwaves have the ability to dry them within minutes. As long as you follow all safety precautions, using a microwave is a fast and efficient way to dry your clothes.
When you microwave clothes, what happens?
Microwaving clothes does not dry them. It is a misconception that microwaves can dry clothing.
In fact, clothes are made wetter from being in the microwave and it can cause a fire because all microwaves leak some radiation.
Microwaving clothes would not be recommended. First, microwaves do not actually dry clothes.
They can heat up water molecules on your clothes to produce heat which dries them but this will take an hour or more in most cases.
And second, even though no one knows for sure if microwave emissions have any health risks, they do tend to release an increased amount of radiation when they’re used to heat anything other than food like paper towels or toilet paper.
The electromagnetic waves released by microwaves can break down the chemical bonds of water molecules on your clothing which may increase drying time.
But could also lead to dangerous effects such as water vaporization and burn injuries so it’s best just to use an actual dryer instead of risking danger by using a microwave.
For The Best Results Follow These Steps
- Place a few towels or other clothes you want to dry in a microwave-safe dish or bowl.
- Microwave for one minute, then turn the item over and microwave for another minute.
- Take out the microwave and check to see if it’s dry.
- If you’ve been microwaving small items (like socks), stop microwaving once they are dry because they can overheat and catch fire.
- Larger items like shirts should be turned in every 1-2 minutes to ensure even drying.
The Last Word
Can you dry clothes in a microwave. Microwaves work by using a form of radiation to heat the water molecules in the clothes until they evaporate. The water vapor causes the clothes to take on heat and dry.
Whether or not you can dry your clothes in a microwave is dependent on how much moisture is in them before you put them in.
If there’s too much moisture, it will just get reabsorbed and your clothes will still be wet. If there’s not enough moisture, then you may be able to dry your clothes in a microwave.