For many, drying clothes indoors is the only option. Whether this is because you don’t have an outdoor space, room for a tumble dryer, or the weather is bad, drying indoors can be a necessity.
But due to high energy bills, it’s fair to ask, will clothes dry in a cold room? This is what we’ll look at in this article, along with some tips for getting it done.
Will Clothes Dry in a Cold Room?
The short answer is that clothes will dry in a cold room.
However, it might take a few days, meaning the clothes can start to smell musty due to the lack of evaporation.
Plus, as many people will know, drying clothes in a cold room can also lead to damp issues.
To dry clothes, we need heat and airflow. A cold room is lacking in both of these things.
The ambient temperature of your home will eventually dry clothes, but it can take a few days.
By this time, bacteria growth will have caused a musty smell, which isn’t too pleasant.
Along with the effect it can have on the cleanliness of your clothes, drying them in a cold room can also cause a backlog in your laundry cycle. After all, you can’t exactly wash more clothes if you still have a load drying!
How to Dry Clothes in a Cold Room
Luckily, there are some options for drying clothes in a cold room that don’t involve turning the heating on. While this can help, it’s often not a viable option due to the cost of running a central heating system.
As such, some less expensive options for drying clothes in a cold room include:
1. Run an extra spin cycle
A good place to start is by running an extra spin cycle in the washing machine. This helps to remove as much water as possible, meaning your clothes should take less time to dry, even in a cold room.
Of course, you’ll want to combine this with other options because it won’t make enough of a difference on its own.
2. Use a dehumidifier
Arguably the best option for drying clothes in a cold room is to use a dehumidifier. They suck moisture out of the air and condense it into a reservoir.
Drying the air out can increase the evaporation of moisture off the clothes, even in cold air.
Better yet, a dehumidifier can help reduce the chance of damp problems and condensation in the room.
Finally, dehumidifiers can be very cheap to run.
3. Invest in a heated airer
A heated clothes airer is pretty self-explanatory. They’re electric and have a very small heater, which warms a metal frame to help clothes dry faster. Despite being electric, most are quite energy efficient, too.
Ideally, you should pair it with a dehumidifier to combat the excess moisture in the air.
4. Reduce your washing load size
As with the extra spin cycle tip, this one should be combined with others to make it more effective.
Reducing the size of your laundry load will mean fewer items to dry at once. In turn, you can space them out more effectively on a clothes airer, which improves airflow.
Similarly, keep your clothes airer away from walls and furniture, if possible, as this also helps with airflow.
In short, do anything you can to help create space around the clothes to improve evaporation.
Final Thoughts
Drying clothes in a cold room is possible without any extra help, but it’ll take a while. If it’s your only option, consider the tips above to make it more efficient.
The best move is to use a dehumidifier, although combining several tips will make the process as efficient as possible.
Jacob is a freelance writer based in Wales, where he lives with his partner and two dogs. All his work is fuelled by extensive research and buckets of coffee.
