As we enter the rainy season outside of Eretz Yisroel:

1. If one’s clothes became wet, he can continue to wear the wet clothes (if he has no other clothes, he can even put them on to begin with). The Mishne Berurah (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 301, seif katan 162) explains that the gezeira of sechita of something wet does not apply to clothes that one is wearing.

2. One may not spread out wet clothes to dry on Shabbos because of Maris Ayin--raising a suspicion or giving an appearance that he washed them on Shabbos.

3. One may not spread out wet clothes even in a private room ("Chadrei Chadarim") where no one can see them because, in a situation when one could be suspected of performing an Issur D’Oraysa when seen (such as the Melacha of Melaben--cleaning clothing--by putting them out to dry after ostensibly washing them), it is also forbidden to put them out to dry even in one’s private room where in fact no one else will see them.

4. One may put out clothes to dry before Shabbos, and does not have to remove them before Shabbos, because one will not be suspected of washing on Shabbos, as they have already been out to dry since Erev Shabbos.

5. One cannot stand wearing wet clothes near a hot stove where the effect will be to dry the clothes, even if the intent is only to warm himself [Bishul and Melaben issues].

6. With regard to these Halachos, the Sefer The 39 Melochos by Rabbi Dovid Ribiat, Shlita, (Volume 3, p. 719) and The Shabbos Home by Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen, Shlita, (Volume 1, p. 189) write that while one may not put wet clothes out to dry on a clothesline, indoor laundry room, or bathroom over a shower, one can hang a wet garment in a closet, on a wall hook, or on the back of a chair or door knob, because wet laundry is not ordinarily hung in this manner. Similarly, according to this reasoning, while one could not hang a towel wet from use in the laundry room on Shabbos, one could hang it on a hook, towel bar, or place it on the back of a chair. One should consult with his Rav or Posek for his own P’sak in this area.

7. There is a Machlohes Haposkim whether clothes that are ordinarily dry cleaned (such as a man’s suit or a woman’s Shabbos dress) can be put out or hung to dry. Those who are lenient maintain that no one could suspect that the garments were cleaned on Shabbos, and are now being put out to dry, since wet laundering could ruin the garments. It is reported that Harav Elyashiv, Shlita, does not agree with this leniency, and prohibits putting suits and dresses out to dry, as well.

8. A wet *raincoat* may be hung out to dry in the shower or laundry room, because it is obvious that the coat is drying from the rain, since one does not wash his rain coat in this manner. (Shmiras Shabbos KeHilchasa 15, footnote 119)