I’m a laundry expert – cheap ways to dry clothes without creating mould and why a £6 gadget is key
AS temperatures drop, many of us are looking for the best ways to dry laundry inside without sending energy bills through the roof – and creating damp.
Humid conditions and saturated surfaces are a breeding ground for mould, which can decay your home’s structure and cause health problems.
But even when it’s frosty, there is lots you can do to get clothes dry quickly – from popping on an extra spin cycle to using the washing line.
Lynsey Crombie, TV’s Queen of Clean, shares her advice.
REDUCE EXCESS WATER
FIRST give your clothes an extra spin in the washing machine to get rid of any excess water, home expert and Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie advises.
She adds: “For heavy items like jeans, bedding or towels, you could even do two or three spins.
“This helps get moisture out of laundry and speeds up drying time.”
KEEP WINDOWS AJAR
AS the bathroom is usually used less during the day, it can be a handy place to hang your wet laundry.
Clothes will dry much faster if they are well ventilated, so close the door and keep windows open to create a breeze and remove excess moisture.
You can use a draught excluder at the foot of the door to stop the chill going through the rest of the house.
Or pop a fan on to help speed up the drying process.
The Sun loves: Tower Scandi metal desk fan, amazon.co.uk £34.99.
This Scandi-style fan is a bit of a faff to put together, but once done, it’s wonderful.
The carry handle makes it easy to move around so you can position it wherever your clothes are drying, and it has three speed settings.
Plus, it costs just 1p an hour to run. Result!
HEATED AIRERS
HEATED airers can be useful for getting clothes dry, but you must invest in a decent one.
“Cheaper models often take absolutely ages to dry clothes, so if this is something you want, it’s worth looking at a higher end model,” Lynsey says.
Experts at Which? estimate that if you dry three 2.15kg cotton loads a week, it will cost you £55 a year on a heated airer — which is around £37 cheaper than a tumble dryer.
The Sun loves: Dry Soon Drying Pod, £99.99, amazon.co.uk and lakeland.co.uk
The Drying Pod does a great job of drying clothes fast and efficiently.
It will only hold around 12 items on hangers, but most fabrics dried within two or three hours — and they didn’t need ironing afterwards, which was a bonus.
Argos Home 3 Tier Heated Airer, £105, argos.co.uk
This airer will use far less energy than your tumbler and has plenty of room for clothes.
They were generally dried overnight and it heats the room a little too. Very cost effective.
HANG IT OUTSIDE
AS long as it’s not raining, your washing can go outside to dry, Lynsey insists.
“My washing goes out even if there is frost on the ground,” she says.
“It has to be well spaced and pegged, with only a small part touching the line, so wind can blow through it.
“It will feel cold when you bring it in, but that’s cold, not wet.
“After just five minutes indoors, it will feel dry.”
USE COAT HANGERS
COAT hangers could be useful for drying washing too — plus you will eliminate the need for ironing later.
Hang from a drying rack to better space out garments and shorten drying time.
You can also hang from curtain and shower rails.
KEEP DRYER CLEAN
STICKING your clothes in a tumble dryer is one of the more costly options.
You can help your machine run more efficiently and speed up drying time by removing lint after every use and cleaning the filter.
Lynsey says: “Many people forget to clean their filters. Use a vacuum cleaner to do this or soak them in the sink.”
USE BALLS
MOST tumble dryer balls can speed up drying time by around 20 per cent.
“I’d avoid the plastic spiky ones, which are noisy, and choose balls made with New Zealand lambs’ wool, which suck up moisture from clothing and are eco-friendly,” Lynsey advises.
Lakeland All Natural Wool Dryer Balls, £6.99, lakeland.co.uk
These wool balls, below, don’t make any noise in the tumble dryer. Towels dried faster and clothes came out with fewer creases too.
AVOID RADIATORS
HANGING wet clothes over the radiator will bump up your energy bills and create moisture in the air — leading to damp and mould.
If you do dry with the radiator, use a rack so wet laundry is not directly touching it.
Natalie Hitchins from consumer watchdog Which? says: “Cold and wet laundry on your radiators acts as a barrier between the heat your radiators give off and the temperature of your home.
“Your radiators will think your home is the temperature of your clothes.
“This will make the radiators work much harder than they need to, as they’ll ramp up the heat to try to remedy such a drop in temperature.”
The Sun loves: Fold-out radiator airer, £5, dunelm.com.
This is small and easy to store, has fold-out wings so you can increase drying space and adjustable arms to fit any radiator.
It was useful for quickly drying socks and underwear.
BEWARE OF DAMP
WHEN drying clothes indoors, all that extra moisture can lead to damp in your home.
Look for signs such as wet patches, peeling wallpaper or flaking plaster.
You might also notice musty smells, rotting wood on skirting boards or mould and mildew on walls, floors or ceilings.
“If you think your home is at risk and it’s too cold to ventilate it by opening windows, it might be worth investing in a dehumidifier,” Lynsey says.
Small ones that you put on your windowsill are a cheap way to manage damp, while window vacs can be great for getting rid of condensation.
The Sun loves: Unibond Aero 360 Moisture Absorber, £8, Tesco with a Clubcard.
This top-notch product has a unique design that stands out from rivals.
It’s easy to use and did a great job of removing excess moisture from the air.
Silent and simple to shift around, it’s also eco-friendly as it doesn’t need electricity.
And it has two refills included. Each tablet should last around three months.
Best of all, we noticed a huge difference in the home’s air quality after a few days.
Salter Window Cleaning Vac, £24.99, therange.co.uk
Simply turn it on and this vac sucks up any dirt and condensation.
It has 30 minutes of power and takes a while to recharge afterwards, but we found it convenient, light to hold and easy to use.
Windows and mirrors were left sparkling and streak free — great for the price.