How to dry laundry indoors quickly and without musty smells

Washing clothes can be tedious at the best of times, but drying them during the winter months poses an even bigger problem. With freezing temperatures making it impossible to hang items outside, people up and down the country are struggling to find solutions.

Many are left with homes full of soggy garments, bed linen and towels while trying to balance tumble dryer cycles and overcrowded radiators. This brings the added frustration of freshly washed items acquiring a stale, unpleasant smell as they sit for hours trying to dry. What’s more, with the ongoing cost of living crisis, many households are avoiding tumble dryers and central heating altogether.

Thankfully, there’s a solution for drying washing indoors this winter in just a few hours, without any musty odour. One person turned to the popular Mrs Hinch Made Me Do It Facebook group for advice, looking for an alternative to their tumble dryer.

They asked: “Best way to dry clothes in winter with no tumble dryer?”

Members quickly shared their suggestions, with one particular method standing out as the most popular.

The most highly recommended solution was using a clothes airer alongside a dehumidifier. One delighted member said: “Heated airer and a dehumidifier work perfectly, they are a godsend.”

Another wrote: “I’ve got a clothes horse and dehumidifier. When I can I get it outside even if a couple of hours.”

One individual shared: “Airer and a dehumidifier – it is a game changer! Dries so quick and the clothes smell so fresh.”

Another person agreed, adding: “Agreed! I always do this. Can’t beat the combination. It’s saved me loads of money.”

A different user revealed just how rapidly their laundry dries using this technique.

They explained: “Dehumidifier and airer is absolutely the best way, I can 90% dry two full loads in around three hours and there are no nasty damp smells left on the clothes.

“We got rid of our tumble and bought an airer and dehumidifier. Best thing we’ve done, so much cheaper and can be packed away when we aren’t using them ” another person said.

While dehumidifiers may seem costly at first glance, their operating expenses are significantly lower than those of tumble dryers. Typically, a dehumidifier running in laundry mode uses about 650 watts – a mere fraction of the hefty 4,000 watts consumed by a tumble dryer.

According to Haier, the annual running cost for vented tumble dryers is approximately £184.44, while condenser models are slightly cheaper at £178.93.