1. Drying on an airer inside
This is the method most people probably use to dry their laundry, and while this is a great method in the summer months, it can take days for clothes to dry in winter.
Airers tend to have multiple layers to them, which is great for fitting lots of clothes onto them, but not so great when it comes to drying because it needs adequate ventilation.
Positioning it close to a radiator can help to boost drying time, or putting it in a small room with the window open is also a good option.
However, with no heating on at all, it is unlikely that clothing will dry at all, and they may even begin to smell damp.
Being positioned in a small room close to a radiator meant my laundry dried in two days, but even then it felt slightly damp.
I make sure to put the clothing onto the rack appropriately too, with longer heavier pieces towards the bottom, and lighter small pieces to the top.
2. Drying on a heated airer
I purchased my heated airer from Aldi a couple of years ago for around £40, and while they may seem like a great idea, they don’t work that well.
Only the area of the clothing touching the heated airer dries, meaning it needs to be rotated often, which can be a pain.
Most heated airers come with a cover nowadays to help keep the heat in, or a bedsheet hack can also work too, but I opted to try without either of these.
My laundry dried in around a day on this heated airer when rotated regularly, but I think there are better alternatives to drying wet clothing.
3. Clothes on airer with dehumidifier
I have a Meaco dehumidifier which has a specific laundry setting to help wet clothing items dry, it works harder to suck all of the moisture out of the clothes and is set to a six-hour timer.
This device has been a lifesaver throughout the past two years, and not only in winter either, it can also be helpful in the summer months.
A dehumidifier helps to collect moisture, and this device did exactly that. It also felt slightly safer to leave on for longer periods than the heated airer and my laundry dried within six hours.
When using a dehumidifier, it is important to make sure the door to the room is closed so it can specifically target that room.
This is my preferred way of drying washing in the winter months, and they can cost as little as 5p an hour to run.
What’s more, using this nifty device can help to prevent window condensation, damp and mould within the home.
There are many dehumidifiers on the market, ranging from as little as £30 to over £200.
