Top 5 laundry drying hacks
Take a load off your mind with our time-saving clothes drying tips.
There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly washed laundry, or snuggling down into clean sheets, but with the average person doing 1-3 loads per week, it can pile up in no time. Whilst we go about our busy lives we also have to manage the mental load that comes with getting the washing sorted. We have to ask ourselves: What needs to go in the wash today? Is it going to rain? Will it dry quick enough? Are they SURE this can’t be tumble dried?
Before you throw in the towel, take a look at our top 5 laundry hacks to help you break out of the cycle.
Set timers
We’ve all done it. Put a load in first thing, feeling pleased with ourselves that we’re being productive and getting it out of the way, only to get distracted and forget all about it for hours, or days. Whilst the timers on washing machines aren’t always the most reliable, it’s always worth setting a ballpark timer on your phone or smart home device. That way even if the timer goes off a little early, you can just reset it for a little longer. Do the same again when it comes to drying, this is especially beneficial if you’re tumble drying, as getting your clothes out and hanging or folding when they’re still warm will make them less likely to crease.
Spin it again
It’s a simple concept, the less wet the garment is, the quicker it will dry. By putting your washing through an extra spin cycle once the wash has completed even more water will be rung out, taking a load off the drying time in a matter of minutes.
Let it all hang out
Wherever possible, hang your clothes out on hangers to maximise hanging space and save time when it comes to putting it all away. When using a rotary washing line, you can hook your hanger through the holes in the metal arms, or you can purchase universal hanger hooks like these that clip onto the washing lines. If you’re using an indoor airer, you can use sock hangers like this one to hook your hangers through to air more items at once. Always remember to leave a gap between garments to allow for air circulation and avoid that fusty smell.
Throw in the towel
Throw a dry towel into the tumble dryer along with your damp washing to cut down on drying time. The dry towel absorbs moisture from your clothes, meaning it takes less time for them to dry. If you’re only drying a few items, take the towel out after 5 minutes. For a full load, leave for 15-20 minutes before removing the towel and leaving the rest of the washing to complete the drying cycle.
Get an airer upgrade
There are plenty of options on the market for heated airers these days. From mini hanger mounted appliances that dry one garment at a time to full sized wing airers, these can cut your drying time down by hours. This can be particularly useful when trying to avoid that notorious fusty smell that can come from washing taking too long to dry in the winter months. Look out for airers with the best energy efficiency to keep costs down, such as this budget-priced Minky Heated Airer which costs around 8p per hour to run.
Switch up the cycle
Sometimes it only take a few small tweaks to your drying routine to save time and reduce the faff.
It’s easy to get set into a routine, especially with basic daily tasks. So much so that it can be surprising how little changes can make our actions that much more efficient. Do you spend far too long trying to hunt down a pair of socks first thing in the morning, but you don’t have time to pair them up as you’re putting the washing away, for instance? Leave your socks until last as you hang your washing out, this makes them a lot easier to pair. Plus, if you hang them together by their toes, you can roll the tops down once they’re dry, then they’re paired before they make their way back to the basket. Also, if you like to keep your pegs out of the elements, don’t put the pegs into their holder after you unpeg each garment, leave them on the line until you’re finished, and you can collect them all in one go.