How To Use Your Dryer's Damp Dry Setting To Make Ironing Easier

Even though I don’t have to do very much of it to begin with, I’ve never really liked ironing. So I’m always on the lookout for tips or tricks that can help make ironing easier, or better yet, make it possible to avoid entirely!

And that’s exactly the kind of tip that I have to share with you today! Because I recently learned how to use the “damp dry” setting on my dryer, and I only wish that I had learned about it sooner!

What Is The “Damp Dry” Setting?

Depending on your specific dryer model, a “damp dry” setting may do one of two things. One possibility is that this setting will stop the drying cycle when your clothes are still a bit damp to the touch.

The second option is that, instead of stopping at the “damp dry” stage, your dryer will simply sound an alarm at that point while continuing the drying cycle. This is how it works on my dryer, but you may need to consult your dryer’s user manual to know for sure how it works for your specific model.

How To Use The Damp Dry Setting To Make Ironing Easier

There are a couple of ways you can use the damp dry setting to your advantage, depending on the type of clothing in question.

Method #1 – Iron While Damp

One way to do it is to remove the items you’re planning on ironing at the damp dry stage and iron them immediately. This is one of the best ironing hacks I’ve ever uses, since clothes that are slightly damp will get steamier than they would from the iron alone, helping to eliminate wrinkles in record time!

This method is particularly useful when it comes to wrinkle-prone clothing items, like dress shirts, slacks, and linens.

Method #2 – Hang While Damp

The second option is to remove the items at the damp dry stage and hang them (or lay them flat) to dry the rest of the way. For items that are a bit more more wrinkle-resistant, this method may help you avoid ironing entirely!

No Damp Dry Setting? No Problem!

If your dryer doesn’t have a damp dry setting or option, no problem! You can always just take your clothes out of the dryer while they are still a little bit damp.

This may require you to determine how long it takes for an average load to dry if your dryer operates on a moisture sensor rather than a timer. Once you figure out how long an average load takes, you can set a timer for about 10-15 minutes less than the full drying time!