Drying clothes in winter is my pet peeve and a household headache that I can never get used to, and sometimes we're left to wait a few days for our laundry to dry properly.
My knitwear is the worst culprit. It's thick, slow-drying and prone to that musty smell the longer it takes to dry. And one of the biggest winter annoyances is not just that the washing takes ages to dry, but that we panic about the cost if we switch on a tumble dryer or crank up the heating.
That's what made me want to try the budget-friendly Addis Heat Pod and Cover, £39.99 from Wilko that's quietly making waves online. It's a simple but surprisingly effective way to speed up drying without sending your energy bills soaring the process.
It promised fast drying without the bulk or energy use of a tumble dryer or one of the best heated clothes airers. And I have to say, I'm impressed.
It's a clever add-on that transforms an ordinary airer into a compact heated drying system. It's a small tweak to my setup, but one that quietly made a big difference to my energy bills and my sanity.
You attach the small heating unit to the base, zip the cover around your airer, and warm air circulates through the enclosed space, drying clothes evenly and efficiently.
It's designed to cut drying time, reduce creasing and prevent heavy, musty smells that often linger on laundry left hanging for days.
After a few weeks of use, I can safely say it's made drying clothes in my house much easier. The things that always take forever to dry, like my chunky knitwear and heavy jeans, are now ready in around half the time they usually take on an unheated airer.
Running costs are reasonable, too. The Heat Pod uses roughly 850W of power and costs roughly 25-30p per hour to run, putting it in the same energy-saving bracket as some of the best heated airers.
Addis says it's compatible with most three-tier airers, so you don't need to buy a whole new frame. It fits mine, so all I had to do was fit the heat pod and cover to the one I already had. Bonus.
AT £39.99, it feels like one of those practical winter buys that genuinely earns its keep.
It's compact, energy-conscious, and helps me stay on top of laundry without heating the whole house just to dry a few much-needed jumpers.
If you, like me, are fed up with damp clothes hanging about the house, this could be the upgrade that finally makes winter laundry manageable again.
If I haven't convinced you on this Addis model, here are three others that have great online reviews, too.
Shop these alternative heat pods
Simple, affordable and genuinely useful, the Addis Heat Pod has earned a permanent spot in my winter laundry routine. Now all you need is a winning dehumidifier to make drying even quicker.
