Ditch The Dryer: How to Dry your Clothes Indoors this Winter

If your gas & electricity bills are sending you in a spin, we’re sharing our top tips for drying your clothes indoors without having to switch on the tumble dryer.

We’re encouraging everyone to Ditch the Dryer this winter in a bid to save on their electricity bills amidst soaring costs.

According to Idealhome.co.uk, the average price per kWh of electricity currently stands at 34p. And for those with a 9kg vented tumble dryer, a complete cycle can use 5.34 kWh and approx 636 kWh over the year (if used twice a week). In terms of costs, this equates to £1.82 per cycle and on average, an extortionate £216 per year!

And with less opportunity to hang our washing outdoors now the cold & wet weather has arrived, we’ve found money-saving alternatives to speed up the drying process indoors without causing dampness in your home.

Invest in an Airer

If you don’t know, get to know! A good quality airer is your best friend for drying laundry indoors. Not only are they inexpensive, but can be propped up anywhere around your home. And if you’re tight on space, you can buy slimline airers that won’t take up too much space. There are tons of different styles, shapes & sizes to choose from too!

With an average drying time of 10 hours, simply pop your clothes on before you leave for work or in the evening before bed. However, if the long drying process doesn’t work for you, you could always invest in a Heated Airer.

According to Inthewash.co.uk, heated airers are still significantly cheaper than using your tumble dryer. They predict that a 300-watt heated airer uses 0.3 kWh of electricity per hour. If left on for 8 hours, this would use a total of 2.4 kWh. And with current energy prices at 34p per kWh, drying your clothes this way would cost 82p per load – a generous £1 cheaper than the tumble dryer.

Space your clothes out

Now you’ve got your airer, you’re going to want to make the most of it. And to ensure your clothes are drying properly and quickly, you will need to make sure the clothes are spaced out. It can be tempting to fit as much as you possibly can on at once, but this will only slow down the drying process and could even lead to damp smells.

Try to leave a gap between each garment and avoid any overlaps. You could even use hangers to hang clothing from your airer. This is a great way to both dry your clothes and prevent creases.

Don’t use your radiator

If you’ve got the heating on, you might be tempted to put your laundry on the radiator. There’s no doubt that they can dry your clothes quickly, but using this method can actually increase the chances of dampness in the air.

Many modern homes are better insulated, meaning less air can escape. And when that air becomes damp, condensation and mould can result. So while you’re clothing might be drying quicker, you could be storing up potential problems in your home.

Give the clothes an extra spin

To make sure your clothes don’t still have a build-up of water, try putting them on an extra 10-minute spin to squeeze out any extra moisture. This means they will dry a bit faster and still work out cheaper than using your tumble dryer.

Make the most of Natural Light

Winter might be in full swing, but there’s still plenty of sunlight to make use of. Place your airer in the sunlight to make the most of the warmth that’s coming in, speeding up the drying process.

Don’t overfill the Washing Machine

We understand that sometimes you want to get your washing done as quickly as possible, but overfilling your washing machine can prevent the clothes from spinning properly. This means the clothing will retain water by the end of the cycles, making them harder to dry.

Beware of Damp

If you’re constantly drying your washing indoors, you will need to be aware of dampness. Whichever drying method you choose, this is something you will need to keep an eye out for, these methods are typically safe! Keeping a door or window open (if possible) is a great tip for increasing airflow and preventing any dampness from forming.

If you really want to be on the safe side, a dehumidifier is great for removing water & moisture from the air.