Drying laundry cheaper and quicker
7th Feb 2024
Consumers are increasingly looking for alternatives to expensive-to-run tumble dryers for drying their washing indoors. They typically demand a lot of energy, which is hard on the environment, let alone on consumers' pockets. They also need dedicated space and for smaller homes this is a big issue. Additionally, the tumble dryer can be harsh on fabrics and not suitable for all materials. Drying washing on radiators means paying for the cost of running them without any cost saving, and really, one should never dry washing on an electric radiator as it's a serious fire risk.
So how else to dry laundry indoors?
For so many this simply means hanging damp clothes around the house and waiting for them to dry naturally. Some choose a heated airer and others set up elaborate drying rigs over a radiator with a bed sheet over the top to create a drying tent. All these solutions are problematic however, as none of the options deal with the moisture that comes off the clothes during the process.
Moisture build up makes it worse
Drying clothes indoors quickly results in the the build up of moisture in the air and along with that, potential mould and condensation problems. Repeated indoor laundry sessions just make the moisture increase more, making it that much more difficult to dry subsequent washing. This eventually leads to smelly, damp clothes. Damp also has a big negative health impact for those using the room, plus on the room and its contents which can become stained at best, ruined at worst.
Drying clothing indoors in winter
In winter you could tackle excess moisture when the outside air temperature is colder than the internal room temperature by opening a window and letting the cold air in. But introducing that cold air isn't pleasant, and there is a hidden cost involved because you will have to heat all of that incoming cold air up, and the air in the house that you have already paid to heat will escape out of the house. You'll basically be throwing money out of the window.
The dehumidifier solution
Consumers who have suffered from the above problems have learned that using a dehumidifier was a great solution and would prevent mould and damp problems while drying clothes. Using a dehumidifier to dry your clothes might be a new concept for the Brits and Irish but in many countries worldwide, it is a daily ritual. For example in Switzerland, apartment blocks are built with large communal drying areas in the basement with large industrial dehumidifiers blowing air across a washing line allowing the residents to dry their clothes quickly and efficiently.
Meaco dehumidifiers to the rescue
In 2022, as the British public became desperate to find a cheaper, safer solution to the tumble dryer, word spread across social media and the national press that a dehumidifier could be a feasible solution. Meaco was inundated with calls of interest and the company was in a great position to provide much sound advice on how best to dry laundry effectively using their dehumidifiers.
Here are some of Meaco's tips for laundry drying:
- Use the rinse cycle on your washing machine to remove as much water as possible before removing the clothes from the machine.
- Place the washing on a clothes rack with the smaller items on the bottom and the large items at the top.
- Don’t overload the rack by having clothes layered on top of each other.
- Place a dehumidifier at the open end of the rack.
- Place a Meaco fan at the opposite end of the rack letting it oscillate up and down.
- Turn the rack around at the halfway mark of the drying process.
- Do all of the above in a smaller room (but larger than 4 square metres)
- Keep the relative humidity down in the house using the dehumidifier between loads so that you start off drying with a reasonable relative humidity in the first place.
What not to do:
- It is important to not use the dehumidifier in a very small room that is less than 4 square metres (and not in a cupboard); the dehumidifier could just overheat and turn off in the space.
- Never allow water from the clothing to drip into the dehumidifier.
- Don’t allow clothing to fall onto the dehumidifier.
- Never block the air flow in or out of the dehumidifier.
- Always keep the air inlet filter clean.
Here's to dry and soft clothes and a healthy indoor environment that protects you, your home and your possessions!