With the cost of energy still sky-high, many people are looking for ways to avoid using the most energy-intensive devices in their home, such as their central heating or tumble dryer.
And one great-grandad has come up with a genius solution to getting clothes "really dry" without having to turn on his tumble dryer - just by using a small electric fan instead.
Graham Prosser explained to Derbyshire Live that he realised cold air can dry clothes quicker, and cheaper, than the hot air generated by a tumble dryer, so he has ditched his energy-guzzling appliance in favour of a 20-watt fan that would otherwise be used to keep cool during the blistering summer months.
The 74-year-old, from Alvaston, Derby, said that to test out his theory, he hung his clothes on an airer in an upstairs room, where the air is less dense and humidity is lower, and switched on the fan. He then opened a window in the room and came back a few hours later, and checked the clothes with a moisture meter.
When checked, the clothes provided a reading of less than 8% moisture, which Graham - who previously worked in electrical engineering - claimed is "very low".
According to sust-it.com's energy calculator, a 20-watt fan will cost 0.68p per hour of use under the current energy price cap, meaning that even if you run the fan for a full 24 hours, you would only be paying around 16p.
He said: "What was most striking to me was I checked the wattage of the fan and it said 20 watts. If you put a radiator or halogen heater on in your room, they probably run at around 400 watts each.
"Instead, you could run a fan at 20 watts for 50 hours continuously before you reached one kilowatt. The fan was underneath the airer at one side and I sloped it so that it blew gently upwards.
"I pressed the moisture meter on the clothing and it gives a reading, and if there is any water in there it gives a reading of what the percentage of moisture in it is. Nylon doesn't conduct electricity, for example, but water does, so if it shows up it means it's still damp. The meter is a small hand unit. I got mine from Aldi."
Graham also said that because we're so used to taking clothes out of a warm tumble dryer, we often associate dry with warm, so cold clothes can confuse our brains and make us think they're still wet - when in reality, cold air can dry clothes just as effectively and is free at this time of year.
He added: "You want your washing really dry, and people feel their garments to see if they're dry. But we're accustomed, indoors, to feeling the warmth of the garments as we often put them on radiators.
"Most people I think will be accustomed to feeling if garments are warm, rather than dry, so if they're cold they think the clothes are still wet."
The man only discovered the washing hack earlier this week, but now wants to share it with others in the hopes of helping them save money on their energy bills.
He explained: "If you find something that can cause people to achieve their real need - not to buy ice cream or something, but to dry clothes - if it could save something that enables them to get what they need, that's it. We are hearing of people being really stuck, choosing between having food and turning the heating on.
"If this can reduce their heating or electricity bill, and I think it would, I think that would save people paying for something they don't need to and be able to get better food or meet the challenges that are in society now.
"There are people who really are worried, and trying to get by, and I think this will even help people who are coping, so I think there is a benefit all around to sharing it."
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