Introduction
Hemp clothing is a rising favorite among eco-conscious consumers due to the natural, breathable and robust properties of hemp. If well-treated and maintained, hemp fibers can last decades, making it a renewable replacement for textiles such as cotton and synthetic fibres. But hemp fabric, like any material, needs extra attention in order to keep it soft, flexible and whole.
Drying is one of the most important hemp care processes. When not properly dried, fabric wilts, stiffens, shrinks or loses shape. As a sustainable material, hemp is tough and durable, though its resistance can be undermined by high temperatures or rough handling during drying.
In this post, we’ll discuss the best ways to dry hemp clothing, including methods to keep it fresh, soft, and durable while being eco-friendly. These steps, whether air drying or dryer, will ensure your hemp clothes stay looking their best for years.
1. How Drying Hemp Clothes Exactly Doesn’t Work If You Dry Them Right?
Maintaining Softness and Flexibility
Hemp fabric is highly durable, but when drying properly, in particular at a high temperature, it may become stiff or brittle. Hemp fibers are more prone to wear than fabrics made from synthetics, and the fibers may not stay naturally soft and flexible if dry too quickly. This makes wearing hemp clothes uncomfortably and may make them feel coarse or rigid.
To dry hemp garments, keep the fabric as flexible and supple as possible. Hemp softens naturally over time, but wrong drying methods can hinder the process. Drying properly, whether through air-drying or low heat, will maintain the material’s natural elasticity, keeping your hemp apparel comfortable and wearable for years to come.
Also Read : The Best Detergents for Cleaning Hemp Fabrics
Preserving Durability
Hemp fibres are durable, but over time they tend to deteriorate from overheating, wear, and abuse. Dryers with high temperatures — especially high or constant-cycle dryers — can warp fibers and break down at the ends, resulting in premature wear. This may lead, over time, to the fabric losing its form, developing a crack or hole in it, or deforming irreversibly.
Good drying practices ensure the fibers remain intact and robust, making hemp clothes more durable. This, in turn, keeps your clothing longer, which means you can wear your clothes for years without them unraveling.
Sustainability Considerations
Hemp fabric already has an ecological advantage over traditional fabrics like cotton or synthetic fabrics. Hemp uses less water to cultivate, it is biodegradable, and it is grown with the least pesticides possible. But the sustainability of hemp garments could be compromised if drying requires too much energy or damages the environment.
Then, consider energy-efficient drying techniques such as air-drying or a low-heat cycle dryer setting to further minimize your impact on the environment. These techniques use as little energy as possible, are resource-efficient, and meet the environmental standards of hemp cloth. Acute attention to drying hemp clothing safely, sustainably and in a circular economy puts sustainability and longevity at the center of our minds.
2. Hemp Clothes You Can Air Dry: The Ultimate Way!
Drying hemp clothes via air is the best way to maintain its quality and preserve its eco-friendly properties. Aside from machine drying, air-drying does not put hemp textiles at high risk of shrinkage or fiber deterioration due to high temperatures. Air-drying preserves the natural feel, comfort, and strength of the fabric.
- Benefits of Air-Drying
Saves Energy By Not Using a Dryer.
One of the greatest advantages of air-drying is that you do not need to use a clothes dryer, which requires electricity or gas. Air-drying saves energy and your carbon footprint, so it’s an environmentally responsible solution. And, by drying by air, you’re also avoiding the damage that dryers will do to fabrics over time.
Maintains Fabric Durability, Color, and Texture.
Drying hemp clothes in the sun or in the dryer will deteriorate, shrink, or become degraded. Hemp fibers fade naturally as they age, but too much heat or direct sunlight speeds up fading to make clothes look faded. You air-dry it in the shade to stop the fabric from discoloring, so the garment stays tacky and fresh.
Also, air-drying helps to keep hemp fabric from shrinking when placed in a dryer at high temperature. This is particularly relevant to hemp shirts, pants, or jackets that can get baggy once they shrink.
How to Air-Dry Hemp Clothing Effectively?
Garments Should be Left Out In a Shaded Space.
Hemp cloth fades in direct sunlight, particularly when used on darker fabrics. When storing your hemp garments for the best outcomes, hang them in a shaded place so that the sun doesn’t fade the fabric. Solar light can not only stain but can damage the fibers, weakening them and decreasing their strength and durability.
Put it on a Drying Rack or Clothesline.
Hemp clothing must be draped in the right manner to maintain the fit. A drying rack or clothesline lets the fabric dry perfectly flat without curling or tumbling. Hanging hemp clothes by the collar or the cuffs, for example, keeps them from flaring. Make sure the garments are spread apart so that the air can circulate and the clothes dry evenly.
Don’t Twist or Wring to Avoid Rigging.
Tightening or writhing hemp fibers in order to remove excess water can result in distortion and irreversible creases. Hemp fibers are pliable when wet, and excessive manipulation can destabilise the fabric. Rather than twirling, blot or press the clothing with a dry towel to soak up water and hang it to dry. If desired, lay the clothing flat to dry in its original form.
Hanging vs. Flattening Flat: How To Lay Out Hemp Clothes Different Styles of Clothing.
Hanging
Hanging is ideal for drying most hemp clothing such as shirts, dresses and pants. Dresses should be held by the seams, cuffs, or waist to keep them from getting squashed. Do not use wire hangers that might be scratched or stretched. Wooden or padded hangers are ideal for supporting the fabric without ripping it.
Laying Flat
A few hemp items (especially soft or small garments, such as scarves) need to be laid flat to dry. Placing flat avoids stretching and stretching the fabric, and maintains the original form of the garment. – Lay the garment flat on a dry towel or mesh drying rack. Make sure to flip it back and forth a couple of times to make sure both sides are dry.
Machine Drying: What to Do If You Need a Dryer?
Hemp cloth is strong, durable, and environmentally friendly, but like any fiber, it requires care to stay supple and smooth. Air-drying is the preferred method for drying hemp clothing in order to preserve its integrity, but sometimes a dryer will be required. If air-drying isn’t possible — because of space, bad weather, or time — the dryer must be operated in a way that minimizes damage while keeping the fabric’s nature intact.
DRYING BY MICRODRYING, if done badly, can destroy hemp clothes, shrinking, stiffening and even breaking down the fibres. This guide will take a closer look at how to use a dryer for hemp clothes, what to do when using a dryer, the importance of low heat, and how to prevent shrinkage. When done in the right ways, you can take the advantage of a dryer without harming your hemp clothes.
Using the Dryer: If You Can’t Air-Dry, And You Want to Go Faster.
Air-drying is the ideal way to maintain the durability of hemp clothes, but sometimes you just can’t. For example, in colder seasons where you cannot dry things outdoors or where you don’t have a lot of space to hang clothes, you need a machine dryer. Additionally, if you’re on a crunch and you want your hemp clothing to dry in a hurry, the dryer can work for you.
The dryer, however, may get things done faster, but it is also more destructive to the fabric than air-drying. The heating and abrasive effect of the dryer can damage the fibers, shrink them, or wear them out prematurely when used incorrectly. Because of this, you’ll want to know how to dry hemp clothing in the dryer in a manner that keeps the integrity of the fabric.
Make sure you know if you have any other options before you throw your hemp garments in the dryer. Otherwise, use the best practices outlined below to reduce machine drying’s detrimental effects.
Tips On How to Use a Dryer:
If you absolutely have to dry your clothes, the following recommendations will help keep your hemp clothing soft, durable and intact:
1. Select the Lowest Heat Setting to Avoid Shrinking or Fabric Breakage.
Heat is the biggest culprit in making your hemp fabrics burn in the dryer. Hemp fibres are natural and may shrink when left in high temperatures (not to mention when wet). The heat swells the fibres and sometimes even tears off the natural squish of the cloth. To prevent this, keep the dryer at its lowest setting.
The majority of dryers have a “delicate” or “low heat” option that is reserved for softer materials such as hemp. It employs low temperature settings and lowers the amount of heat the fabric feels. Additionally, this setting usually entails a slow, slower drying that maintains the fabric’s natural structure, preventing shrinkage and wear. This slower drying speeds up the process and minimizes the possibility of hemp becoming too tough or brittle.
The same goes for hemp garments, if your dryer features an air-dry or no-heat function. As there is no heat, there is no shrinkage, and even though the process takes longer, it keeps the hemp fibers intact.
Generally speaking, the lower the heat level, the better the results are with hemp cloth. This is particularly important for apparel made from 100% hemp as the natural fibres in it are more susceptible to heat-scratching than in mixed fabrics.
2. Choose a Slow or Smoother Speed to Reduce Agitation.
A second key element when dryering hemp clothing is to reduce mechanical stimulation. Agitation means the tumbling action in the dryer that causes the fabric to stretch and rub. Drying will require agitation, but excessive agitation can be harmful to natural fibers such as hemp. Hemp fibers are relatively tough but also resistant to overtreatment, and can fray or collapse under heavy stress.
When washing hemp clothes in a machine, use the gentle or delicate setting to avoid any mechanical damage to the fabric. These settings aim to reduce the tumbling effect so that the clothing doesn’t rub against one another. Consequently, hemp fibers will be less brittle, and your garments will not pill or fade.
As an added touch, don’t over-dry the dryer and do one or two items at a time. If the machine is loaded too full, it will friction the clothing and block the movement of the heat so that it does not spread evenly. It might dry unevenly, with some spots damp and others over-dried.
Selecting the delicate or gentle cycle will minimize wear and tear on your hemp clothing and also make the drying process more sensitive to the fibers.
3. Pull Out Quickly: Pull Out of the Dryer As Soon as the Cycle Has Ended to Avoid Overdrying and Damage to Fiber.
The number one rule for machine drying hemp clothes is that it’s best to get them off the dryer right at the end of the cycle. Hemp textiles are extremely sensitive to drying too fast and can lose elasticity, stiffness and hardness from over drying. Hemp fibres, like all natural fibres, are sensitive to high temperatures and mechanical stirring, and prolonged exposure can cause irreversible damage.
Leaving your hemp clothes in the dryer for too long also produces unneeded wrinkles and creases. Those wrinkles can be tricky to lift if they’re woven into the fabric. If you don’t want to over-dry, use a timer or stay close so that you can remove clothes as soon as they are dry.
Leaving your clothes in place as quickly as possible also keeps them soft and flexible. The more time hemp spends in the dryer, the more stout and dense it gets. In order to counteract this, remove the clothing as soon as the drying cycle is finished so the fabric stays as good as possible.
If you take your hemp clothes out of the dryer, you can shake them up to break up any wrinkles and keep them pliable. If wrinkles appear, a steamer or iron with a low temperature setting can be used to iron them out.
4. Use Wool Dryer Balls or Dryer Balls to Shorten Drying Time and Smooth the Fabric Without The Use Of Oil.
To soften hemp clothes and minimize drying time, add wool dryer balls or dryer balls to the load. Wool dryer balls are a healthy alternative to chemical softeners and can soften hemp clothing without damaging it. These dryer balls are useful for tossing your laundry around and separating it from the dryer, which increases airflow.
The additional circulation speeds up the drying of the hemp clothing and may limit the exposure to heat and mechanical agitation. This, in turn, maintains the integrity of the fabric and helps conserve energy as well by reducing drying time.
Wool dryer balls also eliminate the build-up of static that sometimes forms when drying natural fibres such as hemp. Static cling will make the fabric stiffer and more uncomfortable. Dryer balls help ensure the fabric does not static and dries evenly.
Although dryer balls are a natural, eco-friendly option, they won’t soften hemp clothing as much as standard fabric softeners. But they’ll smooth the overall stiffness and make the fabric more flexible.
Preventing Shrinkage: Special Considerations
Hemp clothing, like any natural material, can shrink under high heat during washing and drying. Knowing why hemp clothing shrinks and how to avoid this can go a long way towards keeping your clothes’ fit, shape, and quality intact.
Why Hemp Clothing Shrinks
Hemp is a natural fabric, and just like any plant-based textile, shrinks with heat. This shrinks when moisture is removed from the fibers, especially when the garment is heated. Fabrics in hemp clothing shrivel when they are washed or dried in hot weather, affecting the fit and dimension of the garment.
You should also keep in mind that hemp garments can shrink during the first wash/dry period because they aren’t fully utilised or softened. Hemp fabric tends to soften and shrink less after the first few washes, though it still retains its ability to retain heat.
How to Prevent Shrinkage
Fortunately, you can do several things to minimise or prevent shrinkage in hemp clothes, especially when you are drying it in the dryer.
Always Handwash in Cold or Lukewarm Water So That You Don’t Shrink Unnecessarily Before Drying.
You need to rinse your hemp clothes with cold or warm water before you even dry them. The fibres of hemp can stretch when they’re rubbed through with hot water and shrink when heated during drying. Cold water will prevent shrinkage and maintain the original fit and size of the clothing.
Using cold or warm water also keeps the color and feel of the hemp fabric intact. The use of hot water makes colors appear to bleed faster, particularly with natural dyes.
When Drying In the Machine, Make Sure To Reduce the Heat Setting as Low As Possible.
As mentioned earlier, the best way to prevent shrinkage is to keep your dryer on its lowest setting. Lower temperature settings keep the hemp fibers from being exposed to extreme temperatures that can cause shrinkage. Use a “delicate” or “low heat” cycle when possible, they are gentler on natural fibers.
Air-Drying Is Always the Safest Way To Avoid Shrinkage.
While machine drying may be convenient, air-drying will always be the most secure method of avoiding shrinkage. Hanging hemp clothes from a clothesline or lying flat to dry reduces the chance of shrinkage due to heat. Air-drying maintains the natural softness of the fabric and avoids the fabric becoming brittle and stiff with extreme heat.
5. Stiffness Abandonment: How To Keep Soft?
Hemp cloth is known for its durability, permeability, and sustainable nature, but it does have its peculiarities, and some special care is needed to keep it soft. One of the main complaints about hemp clothes is that it gets soggy and uncomfortable when washed and dried. This stiffness can make hemp clothes less comfortable and breathable, but fortunately it can be prevented with proper care practices.
Although hemp gradually stiffens over use, poor washing and drying methods accelerate the process to leave the fabric rough and slick. Fortunately, there are several strategies to stop hemp from becoming stiff and keep it soft.
Avoid Fabric Softeners: Why Chemical Softeners Should Be Avoided?
Laundry is frequently sprayed with fabric softeners, to soften clothes and remove wrinkles. But when it comes to hemp clothing, fabric softeners should not be used at all. They can make clothes soft in the short run but do more harm than good when applied to natural fibres such as hemp.
Why fabric softeners can ruin hemp clothing:
- Chemical Adsorption: Fabric softeners can create chemical adhesions on fabrics that can suffocate the natural fibers of hemp. The coating makes the fabric less breathable, which is one of hemp’s greatest assets. With age, chemicals accumulated in the fabric render it stiff and sterile.
- Contradiction with Moisture Wicking: Hemp fabric is incredibly moisture wicking, meaning that it pulls moisture from your skin and keeps you cool. Fabric softeners disrupt this property, reducing fabric’s ability to regulate temperature and moisture.
- Damage to Natural Fibers: Hemp fibers are dense and can get brittle when exposed to chemicals such as those in traditional fabric softeners. These chemicals degrade the natural fibers over time and can prematurely degrade and shorten the lifespan of your hemp clothes.
- Increased Stiffness In The Long Run: While fabric softeners may seem to supplicate hemp fabrics in the short term, they add stiffness over time. The sheen they leave behind can impede the natural stretchiness of hemp fibers, rendering the fabric rough and uncomfortable.
Be smart about fabric softeners: opt for natural products that keep the hemp fibres intact while being soft.
Alternative Softening Methods
Wash With Vinegar or Baking Soda to Soften the Fabric Naturally.
White vinegar and baking soda are great natural alternatives to fabric softeners. They dissolve minerals and detergents that can accumulate in the fabric over time, thus eliminating stiffness and restoring softness. How to make hemp clothing soft with these common household items:
- Vinegar: Use half a cup of white vinegar during your wash, either when the wash is in the rinse cycle or in the drum right before the detergent. Vinegar is useful to wash away the detergent residue that can stick to the fibers and cause them to stiffen. Not only does it absorb odors and keep your hemp garments smelling fresh, but it also works as an anti-odour.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is another effective natural softener. It neutralizes the pH of the wash, avoiding detergent residue from binding to the fibers. Try incorporating half a cup of baking soda into the wash to tame and preserve its natural elasticity. It also works as a deodorant that leaves your hemp clothing smelling good without resorting to chemical scents.
Vinegar and baking soda won’t affect hemp fabric’s natural fibers, but synthetic softeners do.
Air-Drying Naturally Softens Hemp Fibers
Drying hemp garments by air is one of the easiest ways to retain their softness. Conveniently, machine drying exposes the fabric to intense heat and mechanical vibration that will cause stiffness and wear. However, air-drying keeps the fibers intact, making them soft and flexible.
If you dry your hemp clothing by air, do not hang it in direct sunlight, since sunlight brittles and shrivels the fabric over time. Rather, lay your hemp clothes flat in a shaded spot that’s airy, allowing the fabric to naturally dry without bruising it from the sun or heat.
Hemp cloth is also easily softened through air-drying, so the absence of heat maintains its wicking, breathability, and overall comfort. Additionally, air-drying is healthier than a dryer, saving energy and helping you do your part to make the world a better place.
To Warm the Fabric During Machine Drying, Use Wool Dryer Balls To Soften the Fabric Before Drying.
If you’re going to have to put your laundry in the dryer, consider throwing in some wool dryer balls. Wool dryer balls are a great alternative to fabric softeners and can naturally soften hemp clothes while drying. These balls tumble around your laundry in the dryer, moving more air between the clothes so that warm air circulates more freely through them and softens the fabric.
Wool dryer balls have the following uses for hemp textiles:
- Shorten Drying Time: Wool dryer balls shorten the drying time by opening the dryer for more air to evaporate moisture faster. This minimizes the amount of heat that the fabric is exposed to and the risk of shrinkage or deterioration.
- Softening Fabric: Dryer balls tumble and release the fibers of hemp fabric, softening the garment. It also stops clothing from bundling together, eliminating wrinkles and folds.
- Reducing Static: Wool dryer balls prevent static, an issue that typically occurs with natural fibers such as hemp. The fabric will become stiff and unwearable when static builds up.
- Wool dryer balls: simply add 3-4 balls to your dryer load and your hemp clothing. This will soften the fabric on its own and speed up the drying time without affecting the quality of the fabric.
6. Additional Information on How to Maintain Hemp Clothes Optimally
Beyond softening, there are several other ways to keep your hemp clothing in excellent condition and maintain its beauty and utility.
Don’t Overload the Dryer
Don’t over-fill a dryer when you’re washing clothes. Over-loading the dryer will cause too much friction between the fabrics and result in pilling, wear or fade. It will also cause the clothes to dry unevenly, which could leave some pieces of your hemp clothing damp and creating mildew or foul odours.
If you’re drying multiple hemp pieces at a time, divide them up into two loads. This allows air to flow more freely between fabrics, letting them dry evenly and keeping their shape, comfort and structure intact.
Avoid Folding While Damp
One more trick to keep your hemp clothes in good shape is not to fold your clothes once they are wet. Wet hemp fabric tends to wrinkle and fold, and folding wet fabric leaves deep and indestructible creases.
Let your hemp clothes completely dry and then fold it up. If you’re air-drying, hang your clothes up until it’s fully dry. If you have to fold the clothes before they are dry, fold them only lightly so they don’t stretch or fold over.
Storage Tips
It is important to store your hemp clothes appropriately to preserve their shape, comfort, and lifespan. Once you dry your hemp clothes, hang them in the cool, dry corner away from direct sunlight and humidity. Too much heat, moisture or sunlight will break down the fibers and shorten the lifespan of the fabric.
When storing your hemp clothing for the long term, use breathable garment bags or cotton storage bins to save your hemp clothes from dirt and dust. Keep hemp garments out of plastic bags as it will trap moisture which causes mildew or odour to accumulate.
If your hemp clothing is easily wrinkled, hang it on a hanger or steam it in a gentle motion to smooth out any wrinkles and then store it away. Steaming is much gentler than ironing, as it preserves the integrity of the fabric and eliminates wrinkles.
7. Common Drying Mistakes to Avoid
If you want your hemp clothes to stay as fresh as possible, you’ll need to avoid a few drying mistakes that will cause damage, stiffness, or loss of elasticity.
Over-Drying
Over-drying is one of the worst ways to dry hemp clothes on a machine. Tossing clothes in the dryer too long or drying them overly hot can cause a waste of time. Too much drying can deplete hemp fibres of their natural oils, and the fabric will become dry, rigid and brittle.
In order to prevent over-drying, unroll hemp garments from the dryer once it is completely dry. Use the air-dry for the last few minutes of drying if necessary to avoid burning the skin too much.
Wringing Out Wet Hemp
Twisting or wringing hemp clothes when they are wet is another mistake that can permanently harm the fabric. This move pulls the fibers out of shape, compromising the garment’s edging and creating indelible wrinkles. Instead of squeezing damp hemp clothing, squeeze the water out by pressing the garment between two dry towels or letting it dry in the air.
Not Following Care Labels
Make sure you read your hemp garments’ care instructions before drying them. A variety of hemp fabrics may have specific directions or guidelines that are specific to the weave or blend. Follow the cleaning guidelines to prevent your clothing from getting damaged and to keep it in top condition.
Yashvi Jain, a writer by day and reader by night, is an accomplished content writer and published author of ‘Mind Under Construction. Yashvi possesses extensive knowledge of fabrics, sustainability, and literature. On occasions, you would catch her scripting for her YouTube channel, engrossed in fiction, or ardently dedicating her time to research and storytelling.