How does an air dry work?

air drier than wet pants = evaporation

@smudges Thanks. I was wondering about weird stuff like, bacteria absorbing the water, and stuff.

Obviously some leaves from gravity as well. Dripping.

Air drying in some places, is how people aquire “bot flies.”

Water is a near volatile organic compound. It has a relatively high vapor pressure and relatively low boiling point. It will evaporate at room temperature, just not as fast as other VOCs

As was mentioned, the water evaporates. Difference in humidity between the air and the clothing will result in the water moving location, so to speak. If you have a hot, steamy bathroom, your clothes will not dry as quickly.

If you hang your clothes outside on a clothesline, you get the added benefit of the sun warming the clothes and the wind blowing the evaporating moisture away.

But if you are in the habit of drying your clothes in the bathroom, you do need to also understand that bathrooms are notorious for mold and mildew build up. Your clothes could develop a sour smell in the wrong environment.