I usally dry them the dryer. Is that bad?
How long does it take to air dry them?[/quote]
The manufacturers generally advise against machine drying the carriers. Supposedly the heat melts the little hooks & loops on the velcro fasteners and causes the velcro to lose its holding power. At least that's what we have been told.
As for washing the panels, you will probably void any warranty on your vest, since the instructions usually say to wipe them down with a damp cloth & not to wash them. I think the problem is mostly with the repeated wetting & drying of the Kevlar/Aramid/whatever panels. Some NIJ tests showed that the ballistic protection degraded faster the more often the panels were soaked.
It may not be a real issue for the reliability of the vest, but I try not to take any more chances than I have to. Wiping the panels down with a cloth dampened with water & baking soda has always worked for me. Spraying the panels & the carrier with Febreze (Sp ?) & air drying them has been enough to keep them odor-free (at least at the beginning of a shift).