How to get the most out of your heated clothes airer
With months to go until summer, our freshly laundered clothes need all the help they can get. Damp items will naturally take longer to dry in the cold, and unless you’re lucky enough to own a tumble dryer, it’s easy to encourage mould and mildew in the process. At the very least, it’s a recipe for musty laundry.
That’s where heated clothes airers can come to the rescue. As the name suggests, these handy appliances heat your clothes as they hang to speed up the drying process.
However, there are a few simple rules to follow to make them as efficient as possible and stop you wasting unecessary energy. Follow our dos and don’ts below to make the most of these washing wonders.
Dos and Don’ts of heated clothes airers
Do
Shake items before you hang them – This helps to remove creases and prevents stiffness once the item has dried.
Flatten out creases and bulges – Give the material as much access to the lines, and consequently the heat, as possible. That way the items can dry more efficiently.
Make use of all the space – Hang items across more than one line on your heated clothes airer if you can. This will speed up the drying process and consequently save energy. Make use of every available line while your airer is switched on, but without overloading.
Hang a bedsheet over the top – Hanging a bedsheet on top of your other garments will help contain the heat and dry the items more speedily. There are dedicated covers you can buy for this purpose too.
Move items up as they dry – For tiered dryers, garments at the top will likely dry first. This is because heat rises, giving the top tier the optimum performance. So as these items dry, move others up to increase efficiency.
Use the timer if available – Some heated clothes airers feature timers so the power will only remain on for as long as necessary. Make use of this or alternatively set yourself an alarm so you can keep on top of expenditure and avoid over drying and damaging items.
Ventilate the space – The fact that your clothes are drying faster, doesn’t reduce the level of moisture being released into the room. In fact, by combining heat with humidity, mould and mildew are more prone to grow. Make sure the room is ventilated by opening doors and windows to prevent this.
Clean the airer – Your heated clothes dryer will need an occasional clean. Dust can build up on the lines and in crevices and this will need to be removed to keep it functioning efficiently. Follow your instruction manual on how to do this. If none are given, switch off and unplug the appliance and leave to cool. Then wipe over using a damp microfibre cloth and dry.
Take care as you remove items – The heated clothes airer may still be hot. Only switch it on after you've hung your garments. Once dry, switch it off and let it cool before you attempt to remove the clothes.
Don't
Bunch items up – While you can fit more items on your airer if you bunch them up and overlap them, it deters the drying performance. Air needs to circulate and moisture needs to escape to effectively dry the items. Bunching them up only slows the process, which can lead to musty results.
Place anything on it you shouldn’t – Considering items you hang here are subjected to heat, you need to take care that they won’t take damage as they dry. Fragile materials, such as silk or cashmere, may be unsuitable depending on the temperatures your airer will reach. Consult your manual to see what is and isn’t suitable. It’s generally good practice to avoid garments which aren’t safe for the tumble dryer.
Forget about your airer – Whatever you do, don’t forget about your heated clothes airer. Not only will this over dry your items, which leads to stiff clothes. It will cost you money in unnecessary energy too.
Substitute a radiator – A radiator is not a make-shift solution when your heated clothes airer is full. Depending on the setting, this can get excessively hot and damage your garments. This mistake also encourages mould, and your items will block the radiator from heating your home in the process.
Place sodden items on the airer – They will take longer to dry and may exceed the weight of the airer. Make sure clothes are spun in the washing machine first or wring out the excess by hand.
Images for illustrative purposes only.
You Might Also Like
