How can I speed up drying my clothes? 6 ways to try

During the colder months and spells of heavy rain, clothes can take a long time to dry indoors, even if you’re using every radiator around the house.

If you do have a tumble dryer, you might be considering using it less this year due to the cost of energy bills, but where can you dry the likes of your work uniform, pyjamas and jumpers instead?

Energy company OVO has revealed some ways you can dry your clothes quicker, for when you can’t hang them outside to dry or you want to be energy efficient – here’s what the experts said.

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How to dry your clothes quicker inside

Using a high spin on your washing machine

“Using a high spin setting on your washing machine gets rid of as much water as possible from your clothes, before they’re even ready to dry. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the energy used to do this is far less than the energy needed to run a tumble dryer.”

Two towel tricks to remove excess water

Once your clothes are out of the washing machine, OVO recommends households try either of these “towel tricks” to remove extra moisture:

Towel trick 1

• Put a large towel down and lay the item of clothing on top
• Roll up the towel into a sausage (garment inside)
• Twist it tightly, starting at one end, working your way along, until the entire sausage is twisted
• This squeezes excess water out of your clothes and into the towel

How you can reduce your energy bills

Towel trick 2

• Try putting your garment on an ironing board, as if ready to iron, but lay a thin towel over the top of it
• Try pressing the towel using a high heat, stopping to turn the garment over so both sides are pressed

“This warms the garment without causing damage.”

Giving your clothes room to dry

“Line-drying outside is your best bet for drying items in a hurry. But that’s not always possible – if you don’t have outdoor space or it’s raining. Indoor drying racks are the next best thing.

“Hanging items individually and leaving space for the air to circulate between them will allow clothes to dry faster. Another tip: placing items over two bars instead of one allows extra air flow, so they should dry quicker.”

Choosing the right drying location

“Placing your drying rack near a source of warmth (like a radiator or a boiler, for example) makes perfect sense. But putting it wherever there’s movement in the air – perhaps near an open window or by a fan – also works surprisingly well.

Will you be using your tumble dryer less this year to save money on energy bills? (Image: Getty)

“Taking items off the radiator as soon as they’re dry will also mean they don’t block heat from the rest of your room. 

Rotating clothes for extra air flow

“Rotating your garments regularly means the whole item will get contact with the air. And air flow is really important for drying, so this will help speed up the process.”

Using a hair dryer

“If time is really of the essence and you need to get one or two items dry really quickly, giving them a very quick blast with a hairdryer should help.

“Hang the item up and rotate it frequently, “airing out” pockets, sleeves, and collars as you go.

“You needn’t use a particularly high setting, either – warm is fine. It’s all about air flow rather than heat. Although you’re still using electricity, it’s far less energy than the tumble dryer.”