Dear Tom,
I’m old-fashioned and I like to hang my wash outside to dry, but I only do this during the summer. Would clothes still dry even in colder winter temperatures? Would it be worth trying?
— Marlene Forst
Dear Marlene,
A sunny day is conducive to hanging your wash out any time, but you will be disappointed during the colder months.
Drying (evaporation) rates are a function of the air’s ability to hold moisture, and this is determined by temperature. Cold air has a very small capacity to hold moisture, and a full day on the line on a cold day might still result in damp or frozen clothes.
Sunshine itself has a minor effect, raising the temperature of the clothes and adjacent air molecules a few degrees.
Indirectly, though, sunny skies usually indicate a dry air mass and, hence, increased evaporation.
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