When summer arrives, doing laundry can be a breeze, thanks to the sun and wind. However, drying clothes in winter is a different story altogether. Whether you’re looking to reduce your energy bills or do laundry without a tumble dryer or heating, drying clothes indoors can be a tedious and time-consuming task that may lead to condensation and mould in your home.
After trying out a heated airer and a dehumidifier, one woman shared her preferred option on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook page. Bryony Slater said: “This is my dehumidifier I got from Scewfix £109. Best thing I ever bought. Absolute game-changer.
“It dries our clothes, in a house of five in three hours. We always had steamy windows and a few mould spots were coming.
“Not a bit of condensation since we’ve had it and it’s very cheap on the electric. It says it’s 3p an hour and it really hasn’t affected my electric usage.
“Highly recommend switching to a dehumidifier after using a heated airer for some time. Just look at the water this thing picks up. I’ve had three tanks in the one day before.”
Bryony shared a photo of her dehumidifier water tank, which had collected 20 litres of water. For the dehumidifier to effectively dry laundry, it should be placed near the clothes airer and rotated regularly.
Bryony offered some savvy advice on how to effectively use the appliance, they said: “When you first get the machine run it 24 hours a day for about two weeks.
“After that use it to dry clothes and for a couple hours after a shower etc. By the way, it doesn’t work as well if the windows are open. Windows have to be closed.”
In the group’s communal space, other participants pitched in with their views on dehumidifiers. Lou Carter said: “I’ve used a dehumidifier for the last 20 years to dry clothes. Absolute life saver.”
Dawn Rouse said: “I’ve got one, they are amazing, put it on auto overnight and washing is lovely and dry by morning.”
Meanwhile, Emma Routledge recounted her struggle with dampness, she said: “We had a huge problem with condensation in our loft. Bought a dehumidifier (a different one) and it’s now dry as a bone.
“When we are drying washing indoors we can empty five litres of water out of it every one to two days! I’m always amazed at how much comes out! No wonder we had damp and mould problems.”