Drying clothes indoors for less (Picture : Getty Images)

With the cost of living crisis, we’re looking to save money wherever we can – and that includes when running our household appliances.

And while the humble tumble dryer might be the quickest way to dry clothes, it’s also expensive.

In fact, it can come in at around £2 per cycle to use.

An alternative to drying your clothes with this expensive appliance is by using a dehumidifier.

While it doesn’t match the speed and efficacy of using a tumble dryer, dehumidifiers can produce the same, or better, results for clothes.

Not only is it a cost-efficient way to dry your laundry, but it also comes with additional benefits for the quality and condition of your home.

What is a dehumidifier?

To put it simply, it’s an electrical appliance that pulls moisture out of the air.

It’s commonly used in parts of the home with high levels of humidity – places where pollutants, allergens and bacteria can develop and thrive.

These are very popular household appliances (Picture: Getty Images)

This makes it perfect to use to dry your damp clothes inside, instead of a tumble dryer.

Some even have a dedicated ‘laundry mode.’

How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?

These are usually quite cheap to run compared to your larger appliances.

‘A dehumidifier can cost as little as 8p an hour to run, says Chris Michael, managing director of Meaco.

‘This means that with every load you choose to air dry, instead of putting the tumble dryer on, you’re saving £1.50 per load on your energy bill.’

If your dry your washing everyday, using a humidifier could save you up to £45 a month.

What are the benefits of using a dehumidifier to dry your clothes?

Apart from the low costs, one benefit is that this nifty machine is much safer to operate.

‘Over recent years, there have been numerous product recalls and high-profile safety notices against millions of tumble dryers because of various fire reports,’ says Chris Michael.

Tumble dryers are expensive, and pose a fire hazard (Picture : Getty Images/iStockphoto)

‘This made consumers wary of using their machines – drying clothes naturally avoids this risk.’

As well as that, dehumidifiers can keep your clothes in good shape – and extend their wearability.

‘By choosing to air dry laundry, you can help your clothes to last longer too,’ says Chris.

‘Garments are not exposed to the high temperatures from tumble dryers that can damage delicate fabrics. Air drying is kinder to fabrics, making your clothes feel softer.’

When your clothes are dried, you can even use your dehumidifier to protect the rest of the house from excess moisture – this comes from daily household activities such as cooking and showering.

‘The dehumidifier will prevent or reduce the buildup of mould and condensation throughout the house and will make the house cheaper to heat,’ says Chris.

Use an airer indoors with your dehumidifier (Picture: Getty Images/EyeEm)

How do you use a dehumidifier to dry your clothes?

Experts say the best way is to first hang your clothes on an airer in a small room.

Then, switch the dehumidifier on and leave it to run for several hours.

For optimal results, try this with the room’s door closed.

This lets the room achieve a lower humidity level to the rest of the house. and dry the clothes quicker.

Once your clothes are ready, simply switch the dehumidifier off and store for future use.

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