The dark evenings are setting in. The trees are changing colour and dropping their leaves. Winter is on the way. One of the things we’ve loved about the long dry summer has been being able to dry our washing outside. It costs nothing to put our clothes on the line outside. Rather than paying for energy to dry our clothes, we use the free energy of nature – sunshine and wind. Lined dried clothes are fantastic! How do you dry your clothes during the cold months though? Let’s have a look at how to dry clothes in winter.
Continue To Dry Outside
As long as it isn’t raining or snowing, you can still use your outdoor clothesline. A bit of winter sun will help the situation too. The key is dry air and plenty of wind. This will dry your clothes off. Whilst it might take a bit longer without the summer sun, it will happen.
You can even construct something over your line to keep any rain and snow off your washing. A gazebo can work well as it stops the rain whilst still allowing the air to flow. Think about where you can put your washing which has good cross ventilation. This could be a greenhouse, polytunnel, garage, or porch.
Another idea is to have your clothes already washed and ready to be hung up first thing in the morning. This means they will be on the line as long as possible during daylight hours.
You might think you need to keep an eye on the temperature, in case of freezing your sheet into sheets of ice. However, clothes can still dry in freezing temperatures. You might get odd-shaped garments, however, if you leave them outside, the ice will turn directly into vapour (rather than melting into water.) They might need a bit of time on an airier when you bring them in.
Use Your Machine Properly
Don’t overfill your washing machine. If you do, you aren’t giving your clothes room to move and wash properly. Also, they won’t benefit from the spin cycle. An extra spin on the fastest speed at the end of the wash cycle will help to get rid of more water from your garments. You could run this a couple of times to help lessen the drying time of your load.
Keep Damp Smells At Bay
What do you use to wash your clothes with? Washing powder will clean your items but sometimes don’t leave them smelling that good. Fabric conditioner is one way to deliver freshness after the wash has finished. A washing cleanser kills viruses and bacteria that cause unpleasant smells. These are worth buying.
Tumble Dryer
If you own one, a tumble dryer can be a good way to dry clothes in winter. You need to check in your items can actually be tumble-dried because so many cannot. The issue with a tumble drier is electricity consumption. It takes a lot of energy to operate a tumble dryer so your energy bills will skyrocket.
Buy A Maiden
A simple way to dry your clothes is to buy a clothes maiden. You can get one of these for just over £10 and they usually have plenty of drying space for your load of washing. The heating in your home will help to dry clothes in winter. You could put this near a radiator or if you have a utility room with a couple of windows, you could open them to encourage airflow. A wall-mounted one is a great idea as it isn’t in your way and you can position it close to a window with decent airflow.
Heated Rails
You can also buy plug-in maidens which get warm. There are mixed reviews of these. Some people swear by them. Others say that only the bit of the clothing touching the rail dries. So you only get dried lines on your t-shirts. These heated rails might be worth looking into and reading up on. Check reviews from people who have actually bought them.
Think About The Moisture In Your Home
When you dry clothes in winter, it is important to keep an eye on the moisture levels in your home. It is said that moisture levels can increase by as much as 30% when we dry clothes indoors. You need to keep windows open and ensure there is good ventilation, otherwise, you will encourage mould to grow. You can invest in a dehumidifier to help keep moisture levels down and actually dry your clothes too.
Finding ways to dry clothes in winter can feel tricky but if you put the effort in, it can work fantastically. It might take a little more time and you might find yourself shouting at the sky when the rain decides to unexpectedly start. However, when you have lots of loads of washing to dry, you need to stay on top of it and using these top tips throughout the cold months will help.
