The cold and wet weather has made a return, with snow forecast in some parts of the UK this weekend , rendering the trusty washing line out of action for the next few months. But with the rising cost of energy, many Brits want to avoid using the tumble dryer - a costly appliance that can soon rack up bills.
Some might be tempted to put their clothes on the radiator to dry, but an expert has revealed why this isn’t such a good idea - and that there are better ways to dry your clothes indoors.
Frugal experts are encouraging Brits to ensure they have a suitable airer for the winter months to efficiently dry their laundry, as well as not overfilling the washing machine
Rebecca Bebbington, consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes said: “There’s going to be less opportunity to stick our washing out on the line now that the cold is here and this year less people will be wanting to put on their tumble dryer with the soaring energy prices.
“There are a few things you can do to speed up the drying process indoors as well as ensuring you’re not causing any dampness in your home. For starters never put your laundry on a hot radiator, I get why people do this but it actually increases moisture in the air which isn’t good.
“Instead, try putting the clothes on an extra spin, space them out on the airer and make use of any natural light coming in.”
Other ways to dry your clothes faster at home include spacing out the clothes, avoiding overlaps, to help clothes dry properly without a lingering damp smell. Brits can also give clothes an extra 10 minute spin in the washing machine to remove some of the water build up. This will mean they’ll dry a bit faster and it’s still cheaper than using the tumble dryer.
Speaking of the washing machine, it’s important to fill the washing machine to a reasonable level in order to make your laundry efficient. However, it's easy to overfill the machine too and this can prevent the cycle from spinning the clothes properly, meaning they will retain most of the water by the end of the cycle.
Another way to get clothes dry is by using a suitable airer. We’ve tried and tested a number of heated airers over the past few months and these are some of our top picks :
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Lakeland's Dry: Soon Drying Pod - £99.99 - full review here
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Aldi heated airer - £39.99 - full review here
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The Aerative clothes airer - £75 - full review here
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Lakeland's three-tier heated airer - £209.98 - full review here
Don’t forget to place your airer in the sunlight to make the most of the warmth that's coming in, speeding up the drying process. Though the sun only makes a brief appearance in winter, it still helps to make the most of it.
And finally, constantly drying clothes indoors can increase the risk of dampness, which is why it’s important to open the window slightly to increase air flow. If you find it’s too cold then it’s worth investing in a dehumidifier.
Our reviewer Gareth Butterfield tested he Meaco Arete 20 this week, describing it as a ‘doddle to use’.
He added: “Whether you want one just to clean up the air in your bedrooms, or if you like the idea of drying clothes quicker than ever before, as the winter starts to kick in, I can certainly recommend one. A dehumidifier really does make a noticeable difference.
“Every time we've used it, we've come back to fairly dry clothes within even just the space of an afternoon, and a fairly full waste tank. It's marvellous.
“Drying thick clothes, or large bed sheets, will still take a day or so, but these are the items that can take days to dry with just some central heating, and we now know we're not going to damage our wallpaper or soft furnishings with excess moisture from all the damp fabric sweating away.”
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