Can You Leave a Heated Airer on Overnight?

With many people looking to reduce their energy bills and save on space, heated airers are a great alternative to tumble dryers.

That said, while they are efficient and convenient, heated airers still take much longer than tumble dryers to dry clothes.

Instead of waiting around for clothes to dry, some people prefer to run the airer while they sleep so that their clothes are dry and ready in the morning.

But is this safe? In this article, we find out whether you can leave your heated airer on overnight.

 

How Long Does a Heated Airer Take to Dry Clothes?

Heated airers can take around four to five hours to dry lighter clothes, such as t-shirts, and around ten to twelve hours for heavier items such as jeans and jumpers.

If you’re drying a mix of heavier and lighter items, be sure to remove the lighter items when they’re dry. This will protect against potential damage to the fabric and will free up some space for larger clothes to be spread out.

 

Is It Safe to Leave a Heated Airer on Overnight?

It’s usually safe to leave a heated airer on overnight or while you’re at work because the bars don’t heat up to a dangerous temperature.

However, you should check the user manual before doing so, as some manufacturers recommend against leaving their airers on overnight.

Heated airers are usually quite safe as they are often controlled by a thermostat or a timer, and once the appliance has been hot for too long, it will shut off.

That said, the fire service does caution against running electrical appliances unattended because this can pose a fire risk.

While a heated airer itself wouldn’t cause a fire, a faulty plug or nearby spark could. Simply, appliances don’t catch fire when they’re not plugged in and running.

If you’re worried about leaving an electrical appliance on all night, invest in a heated airer with a timer function and then set it to run for a couple of hours while you sleep.

 

How Long Should You Let a Heated Airer Run?

You shouldn’t leave a heated airer on for longer than 12 hours because once clothes are dry, continuing to heat them may make the fabric ‘crispy’ or even damage it.

In addition to this, while heated airers don’t use a lot of electricity, leaving them on unnecessarily means paying for higher electricity bills.

 

Does Putting a Sheet Over a Heated Airer Help Clothes Dry Faster?

Some heated airers come with a cover because trapping the heat helps clothes dry faster. Rather than dissipating, the heat stays in the enclosed space.

If you already have a heated airer which didn’t come with a cover, some people swear by draping a bed sheet over the top to keep the heat in.

 

Can You Overload a Clothes Airer?

It is possible overload a heated airer but this isn’t a fire risk. The worst that will happen is that your clothes will take longer to dry.

Be sure to hang items up with space between them, don’t double up items on each bar if they’re crumpled up.

You should also make sure your clothing isn’t soaking wet when you hang it on a heated airer because this will cause the airer to have to work harder.

Plus, drying soaking wet clothes on a heated airer will cause more damp to be released into the air, so be sure to spin your clothes before hanging them.