What Is The Best Way to Dry Your Clothes in Winter?

Wed, Jan 15, 2025 03:06 CET

During the recent cold spell, daytime temperatures barely hit 5°C, making it much harder for us to get our clothes dry. This issue has prompted many of us to look for alternative ways to dry the laundry. But what methods work best and what appliances should we invest in?

To help you solve this conundrum cleaning and laundry expert Sarah Dempsey at MyJobQuote.co.uk explores the different drying methods and explains what makes them the best option. Take a look at Sarah’s suggestions below…

What You Need to Consider

There is some debate over the best way to dry your clothes in winter. Some claim a tumble dryer is essential while others swear that using your dehumidifier is the way forward. But what method is best really depends on the type of laundry you’re drying, how much space you have and whether it’s more important to save money or make life easier.

Best for Speed and Ease

If you’re simply looking to get your clothes dry quickly and easily and you have the space to install one, a tumble dryer is the best way for you to dry your clothes in winter.

The fastest tumble dryers can get your clothes dry in just a quarter of an hour but even standard cycles can dry clothes within a couple of hours. Some models come with a steam function to also save you the bother of ironing, while others make use of heat pumps, sensors and AI to reduce running costs. So, for busy households, a tumble dryer is the best way to dry clothes in winter.

Best for Saving Time and Money

If you’re looking to save time but don’t have the budget to buy and run a tumble dryer, then a heated airer is the best way for you to get your clothes dry in winter.

Heated airers cost from around £60 to buy and between 5p and 20p an hour to run whereas a tumble dryer will set you back at least £350 and will cost you between 50p and £1.20 per hour to run. The only drawback is that laundry does take a little longer to dry on a heated airer than in a tumble dryer and you may need to rotate your clothes to help them dry evenly.

If you don’t have time to rejig your clothes as they dry, the covered or pod-style heated airer is going to be your best option. It should also speed the process up a little, so some items may be done in a few hours.

Best for Saving Energy and Money

You may think that it’s impossible to dry your clothes outside in the winter but if the sun is shining and there’s a slight breeze, you should be able to get your clothes at least partially dry. This is the best method if you’re keen to save energy and lower your bills. It’s also one of the best methods to use if your home suffers damp when you dry clothes indoors.

Ideally, you’ll want to get your clothes hung out as soon as the sun is up, to maximise your drying time and you’ll need to take them back in before the temperatures start to dip. To give your clothes a head start, you could give them an extra spin in the machine after you’ve finished washing them. Alternatively, roll your clothes between two dry towels and give them a squeeze to remove some of the excess water. If your clothes haven’t fully dried on the line, transfer them to an airer or drying rack to finish off.

Best for Minimising Damp

If the weather is no good for line drying or you don’t have a garden, the best way to get clothes dry and minimise damp is to use an airer and dehumidifier.

Dehumidifiers serve two functions when it comes to drying clothes inside. Firstly, they reduce the moisture content in the air, creating the perfect environment for drying clothes. Secondly, they soak up the moisture from your laundry, preventing condensation and damp forming on your walls.

As the dehumidifier simply needs to run in the room where your clothes are drying, it can handle more than one airer at a time. It can cut drying times by about a third. So, it’s particularly useful for households that go through lots of washing.

Best for Drying Bulky Items

Whether you’re line drying or using an airer, big jumpers and coats, along with towels and bedding, can take a long time to dry during the winter. So, you may find it quicker and easier to take bulky items to the laundrette.

You can still wash your items at home if you wish, to save yourself some money. If you’re only using the dryers, then it should cost you somewhere between £1 and £4 to get one load dry. This may seem quite pricey but commercial dryers have a much bigger capacity than domestic machines, so you may be able to get everything done in one go and on a much shorter cycle. This can also be the best way forward if you live in a small flat or don’t have the floorspace for an airer or a tumble dryer.

Best for Saving Space

Going to the laundrette isn’t the best space-saving option for everyone of course. If it’s a bit of a trek to the nearest laundrette or you don’t fancy hauling your soggy clothes across town, then using a pulley airer is the best way to dry your clothes in winter.

A pulley airer is mounted on the ceiling and has ropes, so you can lower it to get your clothes on and then raise it out of the way. This means it can be used in compact rooms or in otherwise dead spaces such as at the top of the stairs. It’s also more effective than standard airers because it’s able to make use of the warm air that rises from our central heating.

Other Ways to Get Your Clothes Dry in Winter

If you’re struggling to dry your clothes indoors over winter and don’t want to splash out on new appliances, improving the airflow around your home can help. Try opening your windows for short periods while your clothes are drying or use your desk fan to get air circulating better.

Another way to help your clothes dry in winter is to mimic the effect of a pod-style heated airer by lightly covering your drying rack and radiator with a clean bed sheet.

SARAH DEMPSEY: Sarah Dempsey has worked in the cleaning industry for over twenty-five years. Sarah specialises in domestic cleaning and laundry. She also works closely with MyJobQuote to provide expert cleaning knowledge to homeowners, tradespeople and news outlets. Sarah has been featured in several well-known publications, including Daily Express, Ideal Home, and Homes & Gardens.

MyJobQuote is one of the UK's top trades matching sites that helps individuals find a reputable tradesperson in their local area.

MyJobQuote also has a wide range of experts with extensive knowledge in interior design, cleaning, gardening, property, construction and more. MyJobQuote's experts have been featured in over 700 publications, including Woman and Home, The Times, House Beautiful, BBC News and more.

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