Dehumidifiers are the latest must haves to keep condensation at bay while keeping heating costs low - and it turns out that they can also dry a full load of laundry.
The appliance sucks up moisture and requires very little energy to run. As the cost of living crisis continues, Brits are looking for any way to keep bills low.
I recently purchased a dehumidifier - the Argo Dry Pury 13 I picked up on eBay for £40 - for my two bedroom flat. I'm happy to report that it works wonders on single glaze windows that stick shut every winter, and even keeping it on for an hour even makes a difference.
Following the success, I wondered whether the device could suck water out of fresh laundry. So, I decided to dry my next load of washing with the device.
I included different fabrics in the next wash. Among them were a fitted sheet, a pair of denim jeans, a jumper and a bath towel.
I was very excited to try this as I am often forced to leave a large clothes airer up for days, which takes up valuable floor space. The process is further dragged out by our flat's high moisture content.
Dehumidifiers come in different sizes and one I own has a 13 litre capacity, meaning it can run for a long time before the reservoir fills up.
After hanging my cleaned laundry on two clothes airers, I switched the dehumidifier on, started a timer and went about my usual tasks.
I didn't leave house as I don't feel comfortable leaving appliances running when not at home. However, dehumidifiers are designed to turn off automatically when the water tray is full, so it is technically safe to leave them running while out and about.
According to my phone, I returned eight hours and forty minutes later and my clothes were considerably drier, but still felt damp. I left the clothes overnight to see how much more they could dry.
The next morning, I was surprised to find that all items were ready to put away, as I thought I would have to give the dehumidifier another go. This is an incredible difference from the usual four to five day waiting period I have to endure.
Because of the dehumidifier, I could pack up the bulky clothes airers less than 24 hours after I first put them up. For full transparency, I must admit that the central heating was on during this time for one and a half hours - but even with the boiler on, it can still take days before my clothes are ready to wear.
I calculated the cost of running the electric appliance for such a long time. According to its description, this dehumidifier consumes 180 Watts of power.
Using the electricity cost calculator, I found that running this particular model for the entire eight and a half hours cost a mere 52 pence. I was shocked to see how cost efficient a dehumidifier can be, even if left on for over several hours.
There are factors that will influence the outcome for different households. Drying a larger load of washing will likely take longer, but it will still greatly reduce hanging time.
Dehumidifiers can start from as little as £40, while some can go for a whopping £300 or higher, so buying one is most certainly an investment. But after seeing what a difference the device can make, it's one that I'm very happy I made.
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