Use Your Tumble Dryer For Less This Winter

With the cost of energy bills at their highest, you may think turning off your tumble dryer is the way to go, but by following our simple tips, it might not cost as much as expected.

Quick tips

• Don't overload your appliance: tumble dryers work by circulating heat and so you need to leave space for the hot air to move. Trying to dry everything at once takes longer and uses up more energy

• Remove lint: a build-up of lint will prevent hot air moving around effectively and, in some cases, can even be a fire hazard. Lint can occasionally catch on the dryer's heating element and catch alight

• Placement: keeping your tumble dryer in a well-insulated room means less energy will be used warming up the air which will be circulated around the dryer

Use a quick spin cycle

Using a quick spin cycle on your washing machine will help to drain more excess water from your clothes before you tumble dry.

Washing machine spin cycles typically cost less to run than your tumble dryer and your dryer will then need to run for less time to dry your clothes.

Take the time to untangle

Drying your clothes will take longer if you dump them straight into the tumble dryer without untangling them.

Separate your socks and straighten out your shirts to save time; doing up the poppers or buttons on your duvet covers will also help to stop smaller items from getting stuck inside and staying damp.

Dry similar items together

Mixed items can mean your dryer will run for longer and so, if you can plan ahead, wash and dry similar fabrics together.

Fewer, fuller loads of similar fabrics are best. This will cut drying times and help to save you money.

If you can be super organised, doing the majority of your laundry in one day will also help as you'll take advantage of the heat that has built up in the machine.

Choose your program wisely

Make sure you go for the option that best fits the load you're drying, to prevent either overly dry clothes or being left with damp clothes that need another spin.

Most modern tumble dryers will have sensors that finish a program automatically when they sense that the clothes inside are dry, but these aren't always 100% accurate. Some will make the dryer finish with clothes that are still damp, cutting out any cost savings you have have made.