Dry wet washing in a few hours with the best budget heated airers that cost 3p to run – and they warm the house
LOOKING to switch off your tumble dryer and turn on a heated airer? Here are the cheapest models to run.
Money-saving whizz Liz Edwards, editor-in-chief at personal finance site finder.com, revealed the best bargain heated airers on the market, and the must-have laundry accessories to try this winter.
Aldi and Lidl heated airers: 7-8p per hour
Aldi and Lidl are going head-to-head this year in a battle of bargain airers, according to Liz.
She says: “The heated airers from these discount supermarkets are a similar size but Lidl’s is slightly more expensive and claims it can take more laundry (16kg vs 12kg for Aldi).
“Both fold flat so you can store them easily,” when they’re not being used.
As for how quickly they will dry your washing, Sarah continues: “Heated airers take four to five hours to dry a small cotton load, according to tests by Which?”
Cost-wise, the expert adds: “All the models I’ve seen claim to cost around 7-8p an hour to run, so around 40p a load max.”
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But are heated airers cheaper than using a tumble dryer?
“A condenser tumble dryer will cost you around £1.30 for a cycle, but you’ll probably be able to dry more in a tumble dryer,” Liz says.
Aldi’s ‘Easy Home Winged Heated Airer’ – which sold out last year -costs £39.99 and is available in stores.
Liz explains why it’s a good airer to consider buying: “Aldi says it costs less than 7p an hour to run.
“It has 18 bars so should be able to handle one load, and Aldi says it can take 12kg.”
Lidl’s £44.99 ‘Minky 12M Heated Airer’ is also available to buy in Lidl stores.
The expert says: “Lidl says it has 12m of drying space, or one wash load, and can take 16kg.”
Compared to a similar “model direct from Minky, it’s £69.99, so the Lidl price is a bargain”.
Dunelm radiator airer: 3p per hour
Dunelm also has a heated airer – the ‘Heated Ladder Airer’ – but it’s £40.
“It’s got a score of 4.1/5 from 187 reviews on the Dunelm website. The downside is that it can only take 5kg of washing at a time,” Liz says.
“However, you can get this one delivered [to your home] (for a small fee) unlike the others.”
This particular heated ladder airer features a vertical design that is compact and slimline, perfect for saving valuable space in your home, and it only costs 3p per hour to run.
Non-heated airers and accessories
If you don’t want to fork out for a heated airer, you can spend a few quid on efficient accessories.
Liz explains radiator airers are a step up from drying your clothes directly on a radiator.
However, she warns that they’ll still obstruct the heat coming from the radiator to some extent, so advises using sparingly.
The money-saving whizz points out that The Range is selling the ‘Addis Radiator Airer’ for just £6.99, while Amazon are selling the ‘bargains-galore 2 fold clothes airer drying rack,’ which is freestanding, basic, no-frills airer, for under £10.
Liz adds: “If you have an Ikea nearby, then the basic ‘Jall drying rack’, at £8, is also worth considering, although it’s not huge.
“It scores 4.8/5 based on 281 Ikea customer reviews.”
Alternatively, if you’re looking to really max your drying space, the money whizz points out it’s worth considering B&M’s ‘Addis Mobile Airer,’ which will give you 16m of space.
It’s half price at £13.50 from B&M Stores.
“At the other end of the scale, we found this ‘travel clothesline’ on Amazon for 89p” she continues. “It’d be perfect if you’re travelling and just need some clean pants!
“With all airers, you can maximise space by using hangers and pegs. I love Amazon’s clever £2 ‘sock buddy.’
“It hangs off an airer to dry plenty of socks without them overlapping.”
Why you shouldn’t use a radiator to dry wet clothes
While it’s tempting to put damp clothes on a radiator, and doing it occasionally isn’t an issue, there are two reasons not to do it regularly.
Firstly, Liz says it makes your boiler work harder, which will drive up your energy bills.
“This is because the clothes stop heat from being released into the room so it takes more energy to keep the room warm,” she explains.
Second, she says it can create a lot of condensation, which could lead to damp problems, or mould, in your home.
“If you have a heated towel rail, that’s a better option because they’re designed to cope with having wet fabric on them, and won’t go into overdrive,” she explains.
“And since they’re in a bathroom, there should be ventilation in the room already. But unless you have a house stuffed with large towel rails, you’re probably going to need some back-up on laundry day.”
She concludes: “If you’re buying online, always check for discount codes before you check out.
“And if you’re a regular shopper at a physical store and you have a loyalty card, it’s worth checking to see if you can use points or can get a deal on these items.”