10-minute laundry trick dries clothes quicker to prevent mould build-up in home

04 January 2024 , 16:41

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Drying clothes indoors doesn't have to take forever (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images)

One 10-minute addition to your laundry routine could stop your damp clothes from causing mould in your home.

We all know how much of a pain it can be to try and get washing to dry when it's pouring down with rain outside. We have no choice but to pile our laundry onto clothes airers, but this can take days to fully dry without investing in dehumidifiers, heaters, or fans that have been praised as significantly speeding up the drying process. What's more, leaving damp clothes around your house can create a breeding ground for mould, which can be a nightmare to get rid of.

However, according to home experts, there's a 10-minute step you can add to the end of your laundry routine to make sure your clothes dry faster. You won't even need to buy anything to make the trick work, as all you need is your washing machine and a bit of patience.

Experts at Online Bedrooms said all you need to do is add an extra 10-minute spin cycle on your washing machine once your normal wash has finished. Doing so will remove excess moisture from your clothes, so they're already drier than normal when you put them on your airer. The home gurus said: "It will remove extra water build-up meaning not only will the clothes dry quicker, but you won't be hanging soaking wet clothes in your home."

And that's not the only method you can use to speed up the drying process. Experts also suggested using the "burrito method", which involves wrapping your clean but damp clothes in a dry towel to remove excess moisture. They added: "Rolling the garment tightly into the towel like a burrito before wringing it out will significantly speed up the drying process."

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You should make sure that any clothes you put on your airers are well spaced out so that air can flow between them easily, and you should place your airers in a well-ventilated room, preferably with a window open so that your house doesn't begin to smell damp and musty.

What you should never do, however, is put clothes directly on a radiator. Experts even said to stay away from heated airers, as they explained: "Sticking clothes on radiators and heated airers may seem tempting but when the wet clothes come into contact with the warm heat, it lets off more moisture into the air which could eventually cause dampness and mould."

And while drying clothes outside in the winter might seem impossible, it can be done - as long as it's not raining. The experts said that if the ground is dry, your laundry should dry too, even if the sky looks grey. Just make sure to check the weather forecast so your clothes don't get caught in a sudden downpour!

Zahna Eklund