I absolutely overlooked the drying process when I first switched to a sustainable detergent. I thought swapping from a plastic bottle of detergent was the biggest way to reduce my laundry impact, but there are absolutely changes you can make (plus they may save you some money!)

Dryers use a lot of energy, but they also can impact how long your clothes will last. Some materials like synthetics and denim break down faster when they are put in a dryer. Other items may shrink (like sweaters, linen items, and cheap fast fashion clothes). Since getting a drying rack a few years ago I do about half as many dryer loads and I haven’t had to part with any clothes due to shrinkage or being prematurely worn out.

I got my drying rack on Facebook Marketplace but I’ve also made some makeshift ones. I hang clothes on hangers and pop the hangers on the backs of chairs, on door frames, on my shower curtain rod – really anywhere that they can hang.

Dryer balls have also been a great swap for me. I thought they were unnecessary, but after receiving some as a gift I realized how much they helped with cutting down on drying time. The balls bounce around and move through the layers of fabric and separate them which helps everything dry a bit quicker (compared to the laundry otherwise clumping together). They can also help with reducing static and wrinkles. Plus if you want an additional scent like you’d get from dryer sheets you can put a few drops of essential oils on the dryer balls before you throw them in.

There are tons of dryer ball options – Dropps has them, the ones I have are from Amazon, and you can even get them at Trader Joes!