FASTEST DRYING = ENVIRONMENT+TOWELING+PRODUCTS+DRYER+TECHNIQUE
ENVIRONMENT. The environment in your grooming area is probably the factor that most effects drying speed other than the dryer itself. There are three environmental factors that will affect the speed and efficiency of drying: Relative Humidity, Temperature, Air Movement. The humidity level around your table and drying area is a factor that will greatly affect the ability of the air to accept more moisture. I like to think of this as the "moisture load" of the air. One drying educator told me, "Many groomers fail to appreciate that the capacity of the air in a given space to absorb water is finite. Unless saturated air is treated to remove the excess humidity or replaced with less humid air, the drying rate will become sluggish regardless of the dryers used." Anything over 60%RH will impair drying. The ability of the air to absorb moisture improves with warmer air and air movement. Of the three environmental factors, air movement is likely to be the one over which we have the most control. Get creative with fans! The size of the grooming space is also important. A small enclosed space, such as a grooming van or trailer is going to more rapidly load the air with moisture. Having a fresh air source and or an exhaust fan is valuable. In humid climates a dehumidifier can be very helpful. In the winter, warming the air in the grooming area before drying can make a difference and will increase the moisture capacity around your table. From a technical report about grain drying, we learn that, "As a general rule of thumb, increasing the air temperature by 20 degrees F doubles the moisture-holding capacity of air and cuts the relative humidity by half."
TOWELING. The more moisture you manually remove in towels the less you have to remove with the dryer, AND the less moisture load for the air around your table. Toweling should be done without rubbing. Even though some dogs love the rubbing of towels, it can contribute to coat damage. Fluffy terrycloth towels, microfiber, or PVA polypropylene (AKA Absorber towels), what matters is collecting moisture so that it need not evaporate and raise the humidity. One of the biggest mistakes that groomers can do is to take a soaking wet dog and immediately start blow drying. Placing towels on the table can also help to improve drying efficiency. Using a hand towel to capture some of the spray from a high velocity dryer and to protect an area you have already dried from being re-wet is a great speed tip.
PRODUCTS. The products you use, especially conditioners, can have a huge impact on the drying time. Heavy conditioners are designed to hold moisture to the hair shaft and humectants actually draw moisture to the hair and skin. The more oil ingredients in your shampoo and conditioner, the longer it takes to dry the coat. On the other hand, silicone ingredients encourage faster drying by creating a slick surface to the hair shafts. A silicone-based rinse through conditioner or spray will speed up drying and also protect the coat from damage from heat and tools. The key here is to know your products and chose with drying time in mind as well as value to the skin and coat.
THE DRYER. Velocity vs. Evaporation. Prior to the arrival of high velocity (HV) dryers, groomers would dry dogs with more diffuse air from a stand dryer with a heating element and an arm you could move around the body of the dog on the table for focused drying. These dryers allowed us to brush and stretch the hair while drying through evaporation using heat. While achieving beautiful results, they took FOREVER. Like so much of pet grooming tools and equipment, HV dryers originated in the barn to dry livestock. Their immigration to the grooming salon was a game changer! Nowadays HV drying is the standard method and arm dryers on stands have been largely replaced. Groomers search for the most power. These dryers have names like "Master Blaster" and "Mighty Wind" that suggest enormous air flow. HV dryers literally force the moisture off the coat with air. However, more force may not translate to faster drying, especially if you are in a small space without air exchange. Also, the most powerful dryers usually require a dedicated 20amp power source. This is a deal breaker for most mobile groomers. A cold, damp grooming area might do best with a dryer that creates some heat to reduce the moisture load as you work.
TECHNIQUE. You can have the most powerful HV dryer in the world, but if you are moving moisture from one part of the dog to another and BACK, you do not have efficient drying. Technique matters! Mindfulness matters! Random waving of the HV hose through the coat, moving around and around (and around) the dog will ultimately dry the coat, but will take more time than being systematic and focused. We recommend that you first sweep the water off (a narrow flat nozzle works best) moving from top of the dog down, front to back. Catching some of the spray in a towel and using toweling on the table is a good idea. Once the spray stops, go back over again, more slowly, front to back, top to feet, close to the skin to dry at the skin and straighten the coat.
HOW TO USE OUR EQUATION: Assess how each of the above factors works in your grooming space. Do you have any means of air exchange? Is bathing staff utilizing toweling in a meaningful way and drying with good technique? Have you tried conditioning shampoos and/or leave-in conditioning/drying sprays as an alternative to rinse-through conditioners? Does your dryer suit your space? All of our factors need to be considered individually and as a whole. Improving on one or more of these areas might make a greater difference in drying time than simply upgrading the force of the dryer itself.
The picture below demonstrates some of our factors in action. A box fan behind the dog is drawing air from the back of the room to the table area. The blue arm dryer is available for focused drying and is providing some warm air. An air mover dryer is at the front of the dog moving the long, heavy coat. A silicone spray is helping the groomer brush the coat and has helped move the excess water off the coat (previous to the photo). A terry table cover has been used to capture water and excess spray as the drying occurs. The photo serves to remind us to be mindful of multiple factors in order to achieve the most efficient drying.
Click HERE to go to The GroomPod Episode 308 where Susy and I discuss this "equation".
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