How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry [Facts Only]

Published by Ahmad Jamal on March 19, 2023 | Last updated on May 15, 2023

You have multiple options when it comes to washing dishes at home, but keeping your dishes in the best shape health-wise isn’t only about washing, but about drying the dishes as well.

Therefore, when you’re having second thoughts about what’s more helpful for your family health-wise, consider drying dishes more thoughtfully, and search for how long does it take most dishes to air dry.

Since you’re visiting this CleanersAdvisor guide, then you’re already determined on doing what’s best for your family, therefore, this guide shall help you know How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry, in addition to what the best dishes drying methods are.

Why is it important to know How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry? According to a study in the early 2000s, dishes that aren’t dried well enough after they’re washed can easily be contaminated with bacteria of many types.

Now, what are the factors that control the time it takes dishes to air dry? Let’s find out.


Factors that Control How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry

The time it’ll take your dishes to air dry relies on a handful of factors, including what season it is when you’re air-drying the dishes.

In winter, it’ll take you 3x-4x times more time than it’ll take you in summer time, due to the gap in air humidity level.

Moreover, if your kitchen is equipped with a window that drives more natural air into the inside, then this will certainly speed up the air-drying significantly.

The temperature inside your house is another factor, the warmer it is the less time you’ll need to air dry your dishes.


How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry

Let’s discuss the elephant in the room first, before diving deep into the do’s and don’ts of air drying.

It’ll take most dishes between 20-50 minutes to air dry, depending on the factors we have just explained.

Therefore, if the air ventilation is perfect in and out of the kitchen, and the temperature inside it is also warm, dishes should only take 20 minutes to air dry.

However, if it’s winter time, and the air moving in and out of the kitchen is pretty cold with high humidity level, don’t expect it to air dry before 40-50 minutes.

how long does it take most dishes to air dry

How Can I Make My Dishes Air Dry Faster?

You can use other methods of drying the dishes to make sure the dishes are dried faster.

However, we advise you otherwise.

According to a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center, it’s not only about cleaning, but about cleaning and disinfecting.

So, if you’re looking for faster methods to dry your dishes, you may be open to infecting the dishes after washing them properly.

Therefore, it’s optimal if you seek drying your dishes & disinfecting them properly, instead of searching for faster ways of air drying your dishes.


How Should Dishes Be Dried

There are multiple methods in which you can dry your dishes, and we already discussed air drying, How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry, and what factors decide the drying speed.

Now, there are other options, but they’re also controlled by factors like the space of the dish rack, the number of dishes you’ll have to wash regularly, and the temperature inside the kitchen.

The methods in which you can dry your dishes include:

a. Dishwasher’s Sanitizing Cycle 

Brand new dishwashers have a sanitizing cycle in which it rinses the dishes with pretty hot water that’s around 66c degrees, as this cycle kills the bacteria effectively.

Moreover, every dishwasher with the sanitizing cycle has another option that’s “Heated Dry”.

This option orders the dishwasher to pump hot air towards the dishes, evaporating any type of moisture on the dishes into steam, making sure the dishes are as dry as you’d like them, making the chance mold or bacteria would want to grow on dishes near 0%.

b. Using a Dish Towel

Dishtowels are used as a traditional drier for dishes, as people tend to dry dishes with the dish towel right after washing it.

This is an effective method when the dish towel is brand new, just been cleaned, or you’re sure you only use it on a couple of dishes.

The more dishes you’re drying with a dish towel, the more it’s probable you’re infecting the remaining dishes with bacteria.

It’s only effective on a few dishes, and when you are pretty sure you’ve just cleaned it, as the dried water from dishes can be the brand new home for bacteria quite easily.

Paper towels on the other hand would require more work, as you’ll need a new paper towel with each dish, which is proven both ineffective economic-wise, and needs more effort from you.

how long does it take most dishes to air dry

c. Drying in the Dishwasher

Some of the dishwashers are obtained for economic reasons, in which the dishwasher is not expensive, yet it does the basic dishwashing and drying, without having the luxurious option of sanitizing cycle.

Therefore, you can use the regular drying cycle with high temperatures, to dry the dishes and get rid of potential bacteria or germs.


Best Way to Dry Dishes

For economical reasons, air drying is the best way to dry dishes, since it’s natural, and less-expensive, and requires little work from whoever is responsible for the dishwashing.

However, if you have a dishwasher, and it’s equipped with the sanitizing cycle, then that would be the best option, since it does both jobs quite effectively.

Additionally, while heat dryers inside a dishwasher can be effective, it’s not as economic as you’d love it to be if you’re on a low budget or you’re not willing to consume much energy in the act.

Therefore, pick what suits you, your time and effort, and your wallet of course.


How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry FAQ


To Wrap Up

“It takes 20-50 minutes,” this is CleanersAdvisor’s answer to How Long Does It Take Most Dishes to Air Dry.

However, there are other drying methods we discussed in depth in this guide.

If you have any more questions in regard to air drying dishes, feel free to ask us in the comments section below.