Hanging wet clothes in a hot room can help cool down the immediate vicinity of the clothes, but it may not have a significant impact on cooling down the entire room. Here's why:
Evaporative cooling: When you hang wet clothes in a hot room, the water in the clothes will begin to evaporate into the surrounding air. Evaporation is an endothermic process, which means it absorbs heat from the surrounding environment. As the water molecules evaporate from the clothes, they take away some heat energy, thereby creating a cooling effect in the immediate vicinity.
Localized cooling: The cooling effect from the evaporation of wet clothes is typically localized. It cools down the surrounding air near the clothes, but the overall impact on the room's temperature may be minimal. The size of the room, air circulation, and other factors can influence how far the cooling effect spreads.
Humidity increase: Hanging wet clothes in a hot room will increase the humidity levels in the air. Higher humidity can make the room feel more uncomfortable and may impede the evaporation process over time, reducing the cooling effect.
Heat load: Wet clothes can add moisture to the air, increasing the overall heat load in the room. This increased humidity may make the room feel warmer, especially if there is limited ventilation or no air conditioning.
While hanging wet clothes in a hot room may provide some localized cooling effect, it's unlikely to have a substantial impact on cooling down the entire room. If you're trying to cool down a room, using fans or air conditioning, or employing other effective cooling methods, would be more efficient.