Daily Halacha - Is It Permitted to Hang Dry Clothes?

Is it permitted to place wet clothing on a chair?

If one's clothes become wet, they should not spread them out to dry, due to the appearance it creates, as others might suspect they washed them on Shabbat. However, it is permitted to place them on the back of a chair to dry. This is only permitted if they are not placed near a lit stove or central heating. One should not place several chairs next to each other to dry wet clothing on Shabbat, as it becomes obvious that the intent is to dry them [Yalkut Yosef Shabbat Vol. 2, p. 67].

It is also permitted to spread out a soiled garment if it has visible dirt on it, as there is no concern that it will appear as if it was washed on Shabbat [Halichot Olam 3, Vayechi].

Is it permitted to hang dry clothes?

There is no prohibition against hanging dry clothes, since they are already dry, there is no concern that people will say they were washed on Shabbat [Halichot Olam 3, Vayechi 2].

Ach Tov V'Chesed - Daily Halacha