Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Drying clothes in the winter

dennisfrancisblewettiii - 4-3-2007 at 11:11

Supposedly, if a person has clean, wet clothes, then he or she can put them on a clothes line during the winter. Afterwards, the outdoor conditions will take out the moisture and turn it into some type of vapor...

What is the name of that process? I think it starts with "sub," but I can't remember.

garage chemist - 4-3-2007 at 11:18

Its sublimation.
Yes, wet clothes will dry outside even when the temperature is below 0°C and they freeze stiff.

12AX7 - 4-3-2007 at 11:21

Just takes longer because at the lower temperature, the vapor pressure is lower. (The relative humidity is roughly the same around here during winter, so evaporation (given the same vapor pressure) would be about the same as during any other season. Cold air is only dry when you heat it up to room temperature.)

Tim