Step away from the thermostatDon’t you just love when you take your clothes off the radiator and they’re all cosy and warm? The feeling of putting on freshly washed warm pyjamas before getting into bed can not be understated.
And it seems like we’re not the only ones who enjoy putting our clothes on the heater to dry off or warm up. There has been a 170% increase in searches for ’drying clothes on radiator’ in the past 90 days according to UK search data from Google Trends.
However, new research has found that drying your clothes on the radiator might not actually be the best idea.
“While hanging wet clothes over your radiators will dry them, this could cause excess condensation in your home. This will lead to mould which can create all kinds of damage including staining paintwork, not to mention the allergens that mould can produce,” Owen Whitlock, Interiors Expert at Beanbags.co.uk says.
And as most of us know we could also be increasing your energy bills by keeping the radiator on.
“As well as this it could increase the cost of your heating bill. Hanging clothes over the top of your radiator will prevent it from heating your house, which means the boiler will need to work harder than it needs to, therefore increasing its running costs,” Whitlock says.
Owen has shared six tips to help dry your clothes quickly indoors without spending a fortune on tumble dryer costs.
Wash your clothes early to take advantage of any sunlight
During the dark winter months, instead of washing clothes in the evening, you should do your washing as early as possible to take advantage of any sunlight during the day to dry your clothes.
Of course, don’t put your clothes outside on the washing line when it is cold.
However, you can place your clothes airer in a spot inside your home where natural light is projecting onto them to help your clothes dry quicker.
Always turn over your clothes when they’re hanging on the airer
Many people make the mistake of hanging their washing to dry over the airer and not moving them until they are dry. However, as the clothes are drying you should turn them over every couple of hours to help them dry evenly.
Dry clothes directly on hangers and reduce the need to use an iron
Leaving your clothes to dry on a hanger will result in them having fewer creases reducing the need to use the iron on them. This is a great hack for school jumpers and trousers saving you both time and money on ironing.
Put lavender oil in fabric conditioner to help combat any unwanted smells from drying clothes indoors
Add a few drops of lavender oil to your fabric conditioner or laundry detergent, this should give your clothes a long-lasting smell to help to neutralise any damp smells that can happen when you dry your clothes indoors.
If you don’t have lavender oil add a cup of vinegar to your washing load
If you don’t have lavender oil, you can try adding a cup of vinegar to your laundry routine instead. Simply pour it into the fabric softener compartment, this should soak up any unwanted odours during the wash.
Wash fewer clothes per load
If your clothes airer is overcrowded the clothes will take longer to dry which can result in them smelling damp and musty. To get rid of this smell you may end up having to wash them again.
Not only this but having too many clothes in your washing load will result in the clothes being damper when they come out of the washing machine.
Instead washing fewer clothes per load will allow for more space in your washing machine and your airer so they will dry quicker and avoid having a damp smell to them.