Laundry SOS: How to dry your clothes in winter…
Drying your laundry in winter can sometimes be a real challenge. Indeed, not everyone has a garden, a laundry area in the yard or a balcony. Additionally, the weather is often not good in winter. In theory, a tumble dryer can remedy this, but it increases energy costs and not all textiles can be dried there. What to do now ?
Laundry SOS: How to dry your clothes in winter
If everything goes wrong, all you have to do is hang the laundry around the apartment. What may not pose a problem in summer, however, can lead to high energy costs in winter and increase the risk of mold. So you should avoid these 4 mistakes when drying laundry in winter.
1. the wrong room
Not all rooms in your accommodation are suitable for drying laundry. Rooms without windows, for example, are not a wise option. On the other hand, the largest and most heated rooms possible, which can be well ventilated, are optimal. The principle is as follows: the warmer the room, the quicker the laundry dries. The kitchen and bathroom are therefore less suitable for drying laundry in winter. Indeed, the air humidity is too high in these two rooms due to cooking and showering.
The bedroom is also less suitable for hanging laundry. As we sweat and breathe every night, there is a lot of humidity. If you still hang laundry in this room, the humidity in the air increases further and the risk of mold increases. For drying laundry in the apartment, the living room or – if available – a warm boiler room is particularly suitable.
2. too little ventilation
Freshly washed laundry still contains a lot of water. If you hang wet laundry in a closed room, the air humidity increases by around 30%. This moisture can condense on the walls of the room and cause mold to form. So monitor the humidity in the air using a hygrometer and make sure to ventilate several times a day. A humidity level of 40 to 60% is optimal.
Hygrometer in an apartment.
3. the wrong place
To ensure that laundry dries properly in winter, you need to make sure you leave enough space between clothes when you hang them. Indeed, it is only in this way that the air can circulate well between the different rooms. Also be careful not to place the drying rack directly against a wall or cupboard. For large individual items of clothing, such as dresses or cardigans, it is best to hang them on a hanger to dry.
4. wring the laundry correctly
Laundry with low residual moisture dries more quickly. It is therefore recommended to spin the laundry in the washing machine at as high a speed as possible. However, you should be careful with delicate textiles. You can find more tips on how to spin laundry correctly in this article.
Whenever the weather permits, however, you should hang your laundry outside – even during the cold season. Sunny, dry winter days with temperatures below zero are ideal for drying laundry outside. On the other hand, if it is foggy or if the temperatures are just above freezing, the laundry dries less well.
With these tips, your laundry will dry easily even in winter – without damaging your apartment or risking mold. Where do you hang your laundry in winter?
