Washing and drying clothes is one of the most energy consuming household tasks and it’s made even worse when the cold weather rules out the option of drying your items outside.
With temperatures now falling below zero and energy prices still sky high, most households are now looking at ways of drying their clothes inside – without having to whack up the thermostat or use their tumble dryer.
The average tumble dryer uses 3kWh per cycle – costing almost £1.03 a load under the current energy price guarantee.
Households that dries two loads of washing a week in an average tumble dryer will run up a £106 a year energy bill on that alone.
So what are the best alternatives? i, with the help of Uswitch.com and Compare the Market, take a look.
Dehumidifiers: Ditching the tumble dryer altogether and drying clothes on radiators and racks will save money on energy, but will result in increased condensation in the home, which can lead to mould.
Dehumidifiers remove the extra moisture from the air and wet clothes, which helps dries out your clothes.
An average dehumidifier costs £150 and will use 185W and will cost 25 pence if used for two hours. Doing this for every load of washing would save £93 in electricity costs over a year compared to a tumble dryer.
If you are in a rented property, it could be worth asking your landlord to provide one if mould is an issue. For homeowners, prices start at around as little as £20 but the more you pay, the more you are likely to get a bigger and more effective product.
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Heated airers: Heated airers are drying racks with a heating element that helps speed up the process. They typically use 300W, which will cost 10 pence an hour, and adds up to a £84 saving compared to relying on a tumble dryer.
They start from £80 for a family-sized one but can go into £200 for the sturdier ones from Lakeland. These work best if they have a cover – this doesn’t have to be bought, instead you can throw a sheet over the top.
Another incarnation is the “heating pod”, which are rounder and look a bit like a boiler. These pods tend to hold fewer clothes and are more compact – so better for smaller homes. They also use more power, typically around 1kW of power, which will cost 34 pence per hour. Based on using a drying pod for an hour with each load of washing, a household would save £70 a year compared to a tumble dryer.
Pods can be bought for £80 on Amazon and the Lakeland version is £99, and the cover is not extra (unlike the heated airer).
Spin cycle: Make the most of the spin cycle as the more water you can remove from your clothes before hanging them up, the faster they will dry. Use your washing machine’s spin cycles – or make the cycle faster.
Be careful how you put your clothes in: Untangle your clothes before putting them in the dryer to let the warm air circulate better.
It is also a good idea to avoid overloading the machine as this will leave them damper at the end of the wash.
Hang your clothes up straight away: The longer you leave your clothes in a washing machine after a cycle is finished, the more likely they will become smelly and possibly even mouldy.
When hanging them up, make sure you do so evenly and avoid them overlapping as this can delay drying.
Clean your machine: Clean the lint filter each time you use the machine to allow the heat to circulate properly.
Avoid drying on radiators: While many people opt to put their clothes to dry on radiators, this could actually be a bad idea as it increases moisture in the air which can lead to damp conditions where mould thrives.
It could also hike up your energy bills due to the increase in power consumption with the boiler having to work harder to produce more heat.
Clothes airers: Most people own a clothes airer, which can be bought from as little as £10. It could be worth positioning them near a radiator or in the kitchen, after using the oven, with the door open, to help your items dry as quickly as possible.
