Article by Dylan Costello
Drying your clothes outdoors over the winter months can be difficult, especially with the Irish weather that we are all used to. While many of us would have turned to the tumble dryer, its high energy usage means it might not be the most viable option this winter. Running your tumble dryer for an hour can cost
€1.30, making it one of the biggest energy users in the home. We’ve put together some helpful tips to help you dry your clothes indoors on those rainy days.
1: Hang your clothes up straight away
Hanging your clothes up straight away can prevent them from getting musty. Making sure to hang t-shirts, shirts and dresses onto coat hangers as soon as they are out of the washing machine can also help cut down on the amount of ironing! It’s also a good idea to give each item of clothing a quick shake before hanging it up, this can help reduce the number of creases.
2: Keeping a window open
While the temperatures are dropping, opening a window for 15 minutes while drying your clothes can make the world of difference. Good airflow can help your clothes to dry quickly while making sure to prevent any moisture damage.
3: Find the perfect drying area
Find a spot in the home that has as much sunlight as possible, this can help to get your clothes dried as quickly as possible. It’s a good idea to avoid drying your clothes in a bedroom, this will help to avoid any mould or mildew forming in rooms that you may spend a lot of time in.
4: Keeping your clothes spread out
By keeping your clothes spread out when drying, this can help reduce your drying time as well as avoiding the damp smell that can come about when we have too many items on our clotheshorse. This can also prevent your clothes from becoming too creased.
5: Avoid the radiator
While it might seem like an effective option for drying your clothes, using the radiator can cause dampness and mould in your home. A layer of clothes over the radiator can also cause it to be less effective at heating the house and can have an impact on your heating bills.
6: Consider a dehumidifier
A dehumidifier can be a worthwhile investment when looking to dry your clothes indoors. Reducing the humidity in your home reduces the risk of dampness and mould. Placing the humidifier in your drying area can also help to dry your clothes quicker and is a far more cost-effective option compared to the tumble dryer.
7: Being smart with your tumble dryer
While it might not be the most energy efficient solution, we understand sometimes we need to dry our clothes in a hurry. If you are using the tumble dryer, make sure to untangle your clothes while going along to ensure the drying process is as effective as possible. You can also use a dryer ball or tennis ball to reduce your dryer time by 25%.
While some may be hoping for a white Christmas, this also means that outdoor drying will simply not be an option! Nobody wants the hassle of defrosting clothes on top of drying! Saving time on your drying can leave us more time to spend with family and friends over the Winter period. We hope these tips can help you with drying your clothes indoors over the festive season and help to avoid any unnecessary headaches in a period when most of us will be searching for the perfect Christmas tree or some last-minute ingredients for our Christmas dinner.
To find more helpful information and tips, visit our Winter Ready section