Drying your Laundry over the winter months
Getting your laundry done when you no longer have the facility of the washing line in the winter can be a real pain. Who really wants to go out in the freezing cold and hang out there washing when the chances are it probably won’t dry.
Indoor Drying Solutions
We are left with not many options and one is to dry our clothes indoors, which to me can be really unhealthy and potentially cause mould and mildew. I have put together some solutions that will hopefully help you out.
Extra Spin
When your laundry cycle has finished do an extra spin. You will be surprised at how much this can help with the drying time and how much more water is removed. The washing machine uses less energy than the tumble dryer!
Tumble Dryer
Running a tumble drier can be expensive so I highly recommend adding in wool tumble dryer balls. These will speed up your drying time and reduce static. Add 3 for small loads and 6 for larger loads.
Optimising Your Space
- Create a drying space: If you are lucky enough choose a spare bedroom for your drying racks. Keep the room well ventilated—open the windows and shut the door so the fresh air can circulate.
- Hang garments: One of my favourite drying tricks is to hang clothes on coat hangers and then hang them on the curtain rail with the window ajar. Good non slip hangers are essential to keep your garments in shape.
- A Dehumidifier: A DEHUMIDIFIER is another great option to help dry cloths. Setting it to drying mode can remove excessive moisture from clothes and keep them dry and clean.
Radiators and Outdoor Airing
Don’t hang clothes on the actual radiators as this will make your boiler work harder. Instead opt for Radiator airers and you will find the clothes crease less too. I still believe the best way of drying clothes is outside. On a cold sunny winters day, light items like shirts and bedding will dry if they are outside for the majority of the day.
By drying our clothes outside we keep them fresh and well aired. This avoids moisture being trapped in the fibres encouraging musty smells. Plus, the sun is also a natural disinfectant and bleaching agent!
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo
