Laundering clothing can be tiresome enough, but drying them during winter presents an even greater challenge. With plummeting temperatures making outdoor line-drying impossible, households across Britain are grappling with the dilemma.
Many find their properties cluttered with damp clothing, bedding and towels whilst juggling tumble dryer sessions and overloaded radiators. This creates the additional headache of freshly laundered items developing a musty, unpleasant odour as they languish for hours attempting to dry.
Furthermore, with the persistent cost of living squeeze, numerous families are steering clear of tumble dryers and central heating.
Fortunately, there’s a remedy for drying laundry indoors this winter within just a few hours, without any stale smell. One individual sought guidance on the popular Mrs Hinch Made Me Do It Facebook group, searching for an alternative to their tumble dryer.
They enquired: “Best way to dry clothes in winter with no tumble dryer?”
Group members swiftly offered their recommendations, with one method emerging as the clear favourite.
The most widely endorsed approach was combining a clothes airer with a dehumidifier. One enthusiastic member declared: “Heated airer and a dehumidifier work perfectly, they are a godsend.”
Another contributed: “I’ve got a clothes horse and dehumidifier. When I can I get it outside even if a couple of hours.”
A third person enthused: “Airer and a dehumidifier – it is a game changer! Dries so quick and the clothes smell so fresh.”
A fourth person chimed in: “Agreed! I always do this. Can’t beat the combination. It’s saved me loads of money.”
Another user disclosed precisely how quickly their washing dries using this method.
They said: “Dehumidifier and airer is absolutely the best way, I can 90 percent dry two full loads in around three hours and there are no nasty damp smells left on the clothes.
“We got rid of our tumble and bought an airer and dehumidifier. Best thing we’ve done, so much cheaper and can be packed away when we aren’t using them,” another person added.
Whilst dehumidifiers might seem pricey initially, their running costs are considerably lower than tumble dryers. Typically, a dehumidifier operating in laundry mode consumes approximately 650 watts – a mere fraction of the substantial 4,000 watts required by a tumble dryer.
According to Haier, the yearly running cost for vented tumble dryers stands at roughly £184.44, whilst condenser models cost marginally less at £178.93.