The Quickest Ways To Dry Your Washing Indoors In Winter Without Using The Tumble Dryer

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Speed up the drying time of your damp clothes – without resorting to the dreaded tumble!

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Despite the introduction of the energy price cap at the start of October last year, running a tumble dryer for just one hour is still setting UK households back by as much as £2 every time. Understandably – as well as turning down the thermostat – many of us are also therefore avoiding using the tumble for the foreseeable future.

But after waiting for over two days for my favourite pair of jeans to dry naturally on an airer, I’ve decided that I’m definitely going to need to find some other ways to speed up the process during the cold winter months.

Are you also sick of waiting days for your damp clothes to dry? From cost-efficient dehumidifiers and heated airers, to handy hacks for your washing machine and clothes horse, these reliable solutions are well worth considering.

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Use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air

Capable of removing up to 450ml of water from the air a day, this dehumidifier will speed up the drying process of any damp washing when placed nearby, and take away any horrid damp smells. Far more cost effective than your tumble dryer, it costs under 4p per hour to run.

£49.99 from Amazon

Amazon

Swap your standard clothes airer for a snazzy heated one

Costing less than 4p per hour to run, this heated airer is a worthwhile investment if you’re sick of having damp clothes hanging around for days at a time. Super convenient to use and store, it’s got space for up to 10kg of wet laundry, is easy to carry, and collapses completely flat when not in use.

£67.99 (was £95.99) from Amazon

Amazon

And pair it with this cover to ensure as much heat is retained as possible

Want your heated airer to work even harder? Designed to fit a winged airer, this cover will ensure that all heat is retained, and therefore your clothes will dry even quicker.

£16.99 from Amazon

Amazon

Use this clever mini airer to make the most of a warm radiator

If you happen to have the heating on, then be sure you’re making the most of the heat by using this clever radiator airer to quickly dry any smaller items.

£11.99 from Amazon

Amazon

And speed up the process even more with a drying pod

Another great hanging solution, this tripod airer has space for up to twelve items on hangers, and also circulates hot air around them to both speed up the drying time. It’s also great at reducing wrinkles and creases in clothes, and costs just 34p per hour to run.

£99.99 from Amazon

Amazon

Safely dry cashmere and wool items without stretching them out

When left to dry on hangers, merino wool and cashmere items can often lose their shape and become stretched. But rather than draping them over your airer, dry them flat on these breathable mesh shelves.

£20.65 from Amazon

Amazon

Spread out trousers and towels on an extra large winged airer

The more you can spread out your towels, the quicker they will dry. Providing you with 30 metres of drying space when fully extended, this winged airer has more than enough surface area to accommodate any larger items you may want to lay flat.

£69.99 from Amazon

Amazon

Hang socks separately to save space on your airer for larger items

Allowing for far better air circulation — and also ensuring you’re not unnecessarily taking up any precious clothes horse space – this octopus hanger is a far more space-saving solution for anyone looking to dry their underwear as quickly as possible.

£12.59 from Amazon

Amazon

Hang shirts and tops to maximise airflow, and help them dry quicker

To ensure I don’t overcrowd the airer, I try to dry shirts, tops, and skirts on hangers wherever possible. Plus, I’ve noticed that they seem to dry far quicker this way, as they can benefit from maximum airflow. If you don’t like the idea of hanging them from door frames, then how would you feel about installing this wall-mounted rail?

£20.99 from Amazon

Amazon

Use these big beach towel clips to hang bed sheets over the curtain rail

Bed sheets, duvet covers, and blankets take up a lot of room when drying, so instead of using my airers, I hang them over my curtain rails. All you need to keep them held in place are some big beach towel clips like these.

£5.99 from Amazon

Amazon

Give damp clothes a blast of hot air with this fan heater

Albeit a little pricier to run than a heated airer, this fan heater will set you back roughly 68p per hour when used on the highest setting. However, it’s still far less expensive than a typical tumble dryer cycle, and is great for when you need something dry ASAP.

£36.99 from Amazon

Amazon

And if you do end up using your tumble, use these balls to shorten the drying time

But if you do fall into the dreaded tumble dryer trap, give yourself the upper hand by throwing these handy drying balls in, too. Designed to lift and separate laundry so air can flow more freely, they’ll significantly reduce the amount of time (and money) you spend tumble drying.

£18.70 from Amazon