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Drying Clothes in Winter

What is the best way to dry laundry during the winter months?  Recently Consumer New Zealand ran a test of five different methods to determine which would be the best way of drying your washing in winter. The results are summarised below, but basically a clothes dryer is probably your best option, but the method you choose may depend on your circumstances.

  1. Outside on a line – Best for cost, environment, and home health, but weather-dependent and a hassle;
  2. Indoors on a rack – No cost or environmental impact, but fills your home with moisture, unless you open the window so that you might as well be outside;
  3. Inside on a rack with a dehumidifier – A dehumidifier makes an indoor drying rack a better option the dehumidifier heats the room, creates a breeze to help the laundry dry, and sucks up moisture (bit it is expensive);
  4. In a clothes dryer – Minimal hassle and drying time, a healthy home, but a lighter wallet and environmental niggles;
  5. Use a heat pump dryer – heat pump dryers are two to three times more efficient than vented models that use resistance heating. But there’s a catch: they cost two to three times more to buy – expect to pay upwards of $1800.

For more information go to:

 https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/the-best-way-to-dry-laundry-in-winter

Photo: Consumer NZ

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