07 November 2023 , 09:56
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The winter is almost here and temperatures are already dropping fast. This can bring with it a myriad of issues in your home - especially as many of us are concerned about keeping our energy bills down at the moment.
The lower temperatures mean that the likelihood of having condensation in your home increases in the winter, which also brings with it the risk of mould or mildew appearing.
Keeping the central heating on and ensuring air ventilation in your home can help mitigate this risk, but certain unavoidable tasks like drying your laundry will only add to the moisture in the air.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a tumble dryer, or able to afford to run the machine for every load of laundry, so air drying their washing is the only option for many people. Heated air driers were, for a long time, a popular alternative to ensure both that laundry dries quickly and that condensation in the home is kept to a minimum, but some people think that there is a far superior alternative out there: dehumidifiers.
Cleaning enthusiasts and fans of Mrs Hinch reccomend dehumidifiers as a more efficient alternative to heated drying racks - which are electric clothes horses that heat up, acting similarly to a radiator. During a discussion on the Hinch Army page on Facebook, dehumidifiers were put forward as a "game-changing" alternative, the Express reports.
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One woman had asked the group whether she should opt for a dehumidifier or a heated air drier, also noting that the cost for each were pretty similar, when the commenters were quick to advise she go for the former. One responder said: "I've got a dehumidifier with laundry session it's game-changing, would never be without it." Another woman noted her surprise at how well it had worked: "Just purchased dehumidifier and was shocked to the amount of water after two days."
Other people pointed out that the drying time for their laundry was not much better when they had tried using a heated air drier: "Bought a heated airer and didn't find it dried them any quicker just wasted electricity in my opinion."
The reason that dehumidifiers can help speed up the drying time of your laundry is because they work to extract the moisture from the air - and that includes the moisture coming out of your freshly washed clothes. You can purchase an electric dehumidifier, which offer a wide variety of sizes and capabilities - from portable ones you can easily move around your home as needed, to larger models that can draw more moisture from the air, but will likely live in the same spot in your home. Amazon sells mini dehumidiers for as little as £33, meanwhile Argos has small models for £50.
If you don't have the spare cash right now to buy an electric humidifier, you can also grab disposable interior dehumidifiers - which are plastic pots with crystals in that also pull moisture from the air. These can work out as costing about 30p per pot, so they are a much cheaper alternative, although they only work for a few weeks at a time, so you will have to replace them fairly regularly.
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