You can speed up drying time and reduce wrinkles in your laundry just by shaking your clothes. I test laundry products in the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab, and I can confirm that the Shake Method can preserve the look and shape of your garments.
Is it really just shaking your clothes?
Yeah, it really is. When you’re transferring items from the washer to the dryer, you likely find that they’re twisted, folded, or tangled. Resist the urge to chuck the wad of clothes into the dryer! Those coils and clumps keep their shape in the dryer and result in annoying wrinkles that take time to undo with an iron or steamer. They can also stretch out your clothes, which can shorten their life over time.
What do I get for adding another step to laundry day?
✔️ If you think of the dryer as “baking in” the twists, you’ll understand why your shirts come out crumpled. Separating each item and shaking it like you would to knock sand off a beach towel will help smooth the folds and allow it to tumble more freely so it emerges from the dryer less wrinkled. Add dryer sheets or dryer balls, and you’ll have even more wrinkle reduction.
✔️ Untwisting your clothes can also release trapped pet hair and lint, so your clothes, sheets, and towels will look more polished when you go to put them away.
✔️ When the sleeves of your shirts get drawn into the tangled web of laundry, they can stretch the neckline and hem. Taking the time to shake and separate your laundry can help preserve the shape and integrity of your clothes over time.
✔️ That wad of clothes also keeps fabric tightly bound, so it’s harder for air to circulate. A shake allows airflow, which speeds up the drying time, meaning your clothes are less likely to stay damp in spots.
✔️ That airflow can also help your towels regain their fluffiness, which makes them more absorbent.
