Can yo use a mircrowave to dry clothes?

DonDaddyD
DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
edited August 2011 in Commuting chat
There's a microwave in the kitchen, my clothes are still damp and the kitchen is empty....

Will it work or will it be trail by microwaved fire?

I've surmised that my shoes won't work because of the metal clip and I'm sure the carbonfibre will react badly - not sure but EKE says that looking at carbonfibre the wrong way could make it combust.

So, debatable hygiene aside, can you put your damp cycle clothes in a microwave and heat them up?
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Comments

  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    Give it a go and let us know how it goes.
  • minardi
    minardi Posts: 64
    I had this once with wet boxers. One day I tried.

    1st time: I wrung 'en out as best I could - but them in for short 10 second blasts and checked/changed their position each time. Worked a treat - nice and warm too!

    2nd time: following my initial success I tried another day. Chucked them in soaking wet and turned on the machine for a minute or two......

    Next thing I know the alarms are going off and there's smoke billowing from the microwave! Take my pants out and they're smouldering!

    So - on a cotton and polyester mix it works IF YOU ARE VERY CAREFUL!
  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    Once tried to dry some gloves, but they get really hot (the water boils) and melted anything plastic.
    exercise.png
  • Redhog14
    Redhog14 Posts: 1,377
    Video evidence is required and there is currently nothing on YouTube so go for it and post the link up here.

    Remember to test product on an inconspicrtuous area first - so not your Assos bibs.
    @surroundedbh
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    It won't work very well. It will heat/boil/evaporate the water but a microwave doesn't have enough ventilation to get rid of the moisture.

    May dry slightly quicker if you heat them for a bit and then take them out to air/finish.

    Plus I personally wouldn't want to heat up some of the exotic materials used in cycling clothes.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,377
    http://www.howstuffworks.com/microwave.htm
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • optimisticbiker
    optimisticbiker Posts: 1,657
    microwaves work by exciting water molecules to heat them up... most solids wont excite (because they are solid!) so all you will end up with is hot wet clothes... withotu any airflow the water wont really evaporate... but if you swing them round your head after heating them you might get them to dry a bit... you might need to repeat a few times...

    A hairdryer works well for this by the way, as I discovered (we have one in the shower room but being a short-haired breed I never use it)
    Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph :cry:
  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    Microwave will heat up the water not the clothes. Even if your clothes survive water getting to 100c there are no vents, extractors or compressors to remove the water vapour so it's not going to work. Also big fire risk so please don't try this unless you take the microwave outside first.

    Best bet is to MTFU and put the wet clothes back on, looking out the windows here tells me you are only going to get wet again once you set off.

    [/list]
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • RTW
    RTW Posts: 23
    Not done it with cycling kit, because, well, if it is only a bit damp, then man the **** up and just put it on and ride.

    Did it with socks successfully.

    Did it a second time, set fire to the microwave / socks - noxious gasses in the kitchen, which I couldn't ventilate enough before going out.

    Very very angry mum when she came home.

    I advise against it.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I've surmised that my shoes won't work because of the metal clip and I'm sure the carbonfibre will react badly - not sure but EKE says that looking at carbonfibre the wrong way could make it combust.
    EKE is right, carbon fibre in a microwave would be a bad idea. The individual fibres are fairly good conductors, so it'll behave a lot like metal, except that it's more delicate. I have no idea how the resin would react to the microwaves themselves, but I'm quite sure it wouldn't respond well to the hot fibres.

    If you want to see what might happen without killing your shoes, I reckon wire wool would be a good proxy; try it out with a very smll quantity to begin with, and if it's any good post the results on YouTube...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    You can't microwave a cat.
    Dolan Mythos
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,346
    Would the lycra content not 'melt'
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    Carbon Fibre in the microwave

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxqpti_7 ... re=related
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,999
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Would the lycra content not 'melt'
    Why have you put "melt" in inverted commas?
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    Can you dry them in the oven. We have a full cooker in the kitchen at work.
    Whippet
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,999
    suzyb wrote:
    Can you dry them in the oven. We have a full cooker in the kitchen at work.
    Its also possible, theoretically, to cut your toenails with a scythe.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    suzyb wrote:
    Can you dry them in the oven. We have a full cooker in the kitchen at work.

    Just in case anyone fancies a roast dinner in between conference calls?! :lol:

    Edit: FirstAspect makes a good point!
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Sketchley wrote:
    Microwave will heat up the water not the clothes. Even if your clothes survive water getting to 100c

    Will the water stop getting hot at 100C though :? Or will the steam (water molecules) super-heat in the confines of the microwave? :? I've no idea
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,346
    First Aspect wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Would the lycra content not 'melt'
    Why have you put "melt" in inverted commas?


    Cos I'm using melt as a laymans term

    Melt may not be the exact scientific term for the effect of a microwave oven on lycra.

    I have anticipated some smart ar5e telling me that lycra doesn't melt it discomumbulates or some such term.

    I hadn't anticipated some smart ar5e telling me that using inverted commas in this way is a grammatical error.

    I'm now on full alert.

    I've also proof read this post for spelling errors but I think I'm okay.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,999
    TailWindHome wrote:
    First Aspect wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Would the lycra content not 'melt'
    Why have you put "melt" in inverted commas?
    I hadn't anticipated some smart ar5e telling me that using inverted commas in this way is a grammatical error.
    Well now that you mention it, use of apostrophies instead of inverted commas is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    meanredspider wrote:
    Sketchley wrote:
    Microwave will heat up the water not the clothes. Even if your clothes survive water getting to 100c

    Will the water stop getting hot at 100C though :? Or will the steam (water molecules) super-heat in the confines of the microwave? :? I've no idea

    I remember reading some article saying that if you microwave water in a very smooth container it may become superheated, and as soon as you open the microwave and move the container the water will suddenly boil, turn to steam and burn your face off.


    I don't think shorts would do that though.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    First Aspect wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Would the lycra content not 'melt'
    Why have you put "melt" in inverted commas?
    If you quote something that has inverted commas, is it correct that you add another pair of inverted commas?
  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    bails87 wrote:
    I remember reading some article saying that if you microwave water in a very smooth container it may become superheated, and as soon as you open the microwave and move the container the water will suddenly boil, turn to steam and burn your face off

    That would be some office prank!
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,999
    kelsen wrote:
    First Aspect wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Would the lycra content not 'melt'
    Why have you put "melt" in inverted commas?
    If you quote something that has inverted commas, is it correct that you add another pair of inverted commas?
    I've always wondered about that. There is a letter I began in 1987 that remains unfinished until I can overcome this particular impasse.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    bails87 wrote:
    I remember reading some article saying that if you microwave water in a very smooth container it may become superheated, and as soon as you open the microwave and move the container the water will suddenly boil, turn to steam and burn your face off.


    I don't think shorts would do that though.

    Me neither. My thinking is that normally when you boil water in a pan, as soon as it boils, the steam leaves the heat source (the pan) so gets no hotter. In a microwave, it's partailly contained and the molecules will continue to be excited by the microwaves getting them even hotter.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    Dunno about clothing, but I know that if you put an old school filament lightbulb (not sure about the energy saving bulbs) into half a cup of water, with the connection side in the water and the glass bulb out of the water, and then put the cup containing the water and the light bulb in the microwave, the bulb will light up.

    I've done this and it works, but I only did it for a few seconds as I only wanted to prove the concept, I didn't want anything to go bang!

    Don't try this at home, kids!!! (Do it at a friend's house)
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

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  • mossychops
    mossychops Posts: 262
    I saw a guy on tv once who confirmed putting a melon in the microwave and then putting fleshy parts of yourself in the melon burns the skin clean off.

    I couldn't remember how long he'd put it in there for (the melon in the microwave) so I Googled "melon in microwave burn" thinking it would link me to a news site about this guy. Who'd have thought there were that many guides to teach you how to do things to common objects in the house?

    There are some very odd people in the world, and even odder ones that write about it on the internet!
  • mossychops
    mossychops Posts: 262
    Toptip: when microwaving your socks and pants, claim to be cooking cheese on toast to anyone who comes in to see what the smell is.

    Toptip 2: Shift into your highest gear, turn your bike upside down and peg your socks and pants to the rear wheel spokes. Turn the pedals by hand at a rate of roughly 60-70 RPM and within minutes your socks will be dry.

    Toptip 3: Wonder where all the water went from your socks and pants when doing top tip 2? Check the walls and ceilings for a dirty wet stripe.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Why don't you people just ride in with a dry change of cycle kit in your bag? It's hardly rocket science.
  • mossychops
    mossychops Posts: 262
    Good idea, I like it. A small combustion powered rocket could spin the clothes and heat them at the same time.

    To be fair, it's not the most sensible point brought up here today due to risk of burning the crotch out of your shorts and the expense of fuel. Maybe you could come up with some sensible suggestion in future :lol:

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