While it might appear logical to use a tumble dryer during autumn, these appliances consume substantial electricity, and frequent usage can result in elevated energy costs when households may already be concerned about heating expenses. Nevertheless, Wendy Graham, a sustainability specialist and founder of Moral Fibres, has shared that there’s a laundry technique for hanging garments indoors without “driving up your energy bills”.
When drying clothes indoors, it’s tempting to squeeze as many wet items of clothing onto your radiators to speed up the drying process if you’re not using a tumble dryer. However, drying clothes on a radiator is not energy efficient either. Hanging wet clothes on your radiator makes your boiler work harder to get your room to your desired temperature. It, therefore, takes longer and uses more energy to heat your home, ultimately meaning it costs you more money.
Instead, Wendy’s go-to approach is to use a clothes horse to dry your clothes indoors, but focus on one key thing – ventilation.
Damp laundry can contain up to three litres of water, which needs to evaporate. Inadequate ventilation can cause condensation on your walls and windows when you dry your laundry. If this condensation isn’t vented out, then it can cause damp and mould growth in your home.
An easy way to avoid condensation is to close the door and open up a window in the room in which you are drying your laundry.
Allowing fresh air to circulate whilst your laundry dries really helps to “speed up the process” and reduce moisture levels, meaning the risk of dampness and mould in your home is significantly reduced.
To add to this, Wendy said, “I would avoid drying your laundry in your bedroom and the living room if possible. If you can, use your hallway, bathroom, or kitchen to limit potential allergic reactions to dampness, dust, and detergent.”
If it’s too cold, wet, or windy to open your window for an extended period, she said, “If you can dry laundry in your kitchen or bathroom, then running the extractor fan, if you have one, will also help.
“The extractor fan uses very little electricity, so it won’t drive up your bills, like a tumble dryer would and will help to dry your clothes faster.”
It might sound obvious, but taking care to ensure that you hang your clothes neatly and spaced out on an airer – pulling trousers, sleeves and socks straight – really “speeds up the drying process” too.
Wendy’s other top tip is to spin your clothes at the maximum spin cycle your washing machine allows. Some washing cycles don’t spin on the maximum spin cycle, so a final spin cycle on the maximum setting removes any excess moisture.
She said: “This makes it quicker to dry your clothes, meaning they are less likely to smell musty too.”