Energy bills are continuing to rise and many families are scrambling to find ways to cut costs so they can minimise their bills heading into the winter months.
One of the most expensive appliances to run in the home is the dryer - with the level of energy it uses up on each cycle - and as weather conditions change fast, it won't be long until the outdoor clothesline is out of use.
Although radiators are the next best thing, having clothes constantly using the heat to dry means your home isn’t being kept as warm as it should.
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So, in a bid to find the most time-efficient and pocket-friendly way to dry clothes, Express.co.uk tried out four methods to reveal the best one.
Method 1: A clothes horse inside
First off they tried the age-old method of using a clothes horse, given that most households will have one - and if not, they’re relatively inexpensive online and in stores across Ireland.
They found that “while this is an ideal method in summer, it can take days for clothing to dry in winter.”
It took a whopping four days for the clothes to dry in a conservatory, with no heat on - given the time of year.
But with the seasons changing, and as things get colder, those four days will likely be extended with the colder temperatures.
However, they did agree that “it is definitely the cheapest way to dry clothing, as it requires no energy whatsoever” and it did eventually dry the laundry.
Method 2: A heated clothes horse
Next up was a heated clothes horse. These can usually be found in Aldi’s middle aisle at times during the year - but you can check their website to see if there are any arriving in store anytime soon.
On the Aldi website, it states: “This Easy Home Heated Airer is great for those rainy days and colder months when the washing line is out of action.
“All 20 bars of the airer are heated for quality drying of clothes, towels, and bedding. Its lightweight foldable design means that it can be stored away easily in-between uses.”
They said although it is definitely a faster method of drying the clothing, it involves a lot more effort as you have to keep turning and moving the clothing if you want the whole item of laundry to dry.
This is because it is the bars that are heated, but if you have towels or long items of clothing, they remain wet for a long period of time.
Using this method, the laundry dried within three hours, but each item did have to be turned regularly during the process.
It is also limited in where you can place it around your home because it has to be near a plug socket.
Method 3: A clothes horse with a dehumidifier on
The next method involved taking back out the standard clothes horse and switching a dehumidifier on in the room where the clothes are hung.
Although a dehumidifier can be costly if it worked it could be seen as an investment as it would still be cheaper to run than the dryer.
In any closed space where you’re drying the clothes, the air quickly fills with moisture, and if there is nowhere for it to go, it can turn into mould and dampness.
A dehumidifier helps to collect the moisture, and according to Express “this device did exactly that.”
The laundry was dried within one day in the same conservatory used in the first method, and the reporter “was thoroughly impressed and will continue to use it all winter long.”
Method 4: Outside on a clothes horse
Although Ireland’s weather during the winter months consists of rain, wind, and the odd storm, there are a few clear days or at least mornings that appear.
On the day I decided to dry my laundry outside, the weather was sunny but with some clouds and my clothing didn’t dry all day outside.
Even though they admitted it “is definitely an ideal way to dry clothing in the summer months, but autumn not so much.
“I had to bring it back inside because the weather was showing signs of rain, but I don’t think I would try drying it outside again seeing as I have a dehumidifier and heated airer.”
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