Drying Clothes Naturally (washing lines & heated air driers)

Holly Astle

Due to England having lots of rain, many people have tumble dryers (more on those below). But it’s usually cheaper and better to dry clothes naturally, whether that’s outdoors or indoors. After washing clothes with eco-friendly laundry powder, it’s time to learn the best solutions!

Cleaning Vinegar (better than fabric conditioner

Fabric conditioner is usually made with chemicals and palm oil, and experts say it can not just reduce absorbency (so not good for nappies) but also can increase flammability risks.

Instead, just half a cup of cleaning vinegar to the dispenser or final rinse cycle. This is different to malt vinegar, so won’t make your laundry smell like a bag of chips!

Drying Clothes Outside (on washing lines)

• Check the Met Office website for the forecast, and try to dry clothes during the sunniest parts of the day (from 10am to 2pm).
• Fold away rotary washing lines when not in use, to avoid risk of accidents for people, pets and wildlife (same with football nets, another wildlife hazard).
• Retractable washing lines are good, as they fit flush to the wall when not in use, and leaves your garden views intact.
• High & Dry Portable Washing Line is another alternative (it costs £200 but designed to last years and prevents tumble dryer bills). Assembled with two tools in an hour, just wheel to where you want to hold 2 full loads of washing, then fold away in seconds.

Zero Waste Clothes Pegs

It’s best to dispose of broken pegs with rusty hinges, as these can create permanent marks on clothing. Instead, opt for one of the following choices:

Made by Nona makes naturally green pegs made from ghost fishing waste (which helps to clean up the seas for marine creatures). These have no springs to snap nor will they rust.

The smooth edges won’t snag clothes, and they are easy to squeeze, even with cold wet fingers. They can even firmly hold heavy towels.

They are sold alongside a matching Nona Loop, which is a washing-line alternative that has an optional Loop Return for awkward spaces.

Stainless steel clothes pegs are another option. Designed to last years as they also won’t rust, these are sold in paper packs of 20 or 40. Again they have no joints to snap under pressure, and easily secure wet blankets.

These pegs are also good to seal open bags of frozen vegetables, tarps for campers or seed packets for gardeners.

Drying Clothes Indoors (without tumble driers)

Only dry clothes indoors in wet rooms (like bathrooms, to avoid mould spores in lounges and bedrooms). Also don’t dry clothes on radiators (a fire hazard and also can create marks on clothes).

Good options are heated towel rails and heated clothes airers which once bought, only cost around 10p an hour to run. Modern versions have built-in timers and switch off automatically for safety.

They are easy to move and fold down for storage, and the low-level heat is safe for most fabrics. They work by gently warming the air around your laundry, to cut drying time and ward off musty odours.

Drying Clothes Indoors (with tumble driers)

If you use a tumble dryer, never overload it nor leave unsupervised. Also register appliances, to be notified of recalls.

Don’t overload sockets, and be aware of scorch/burn marks and visible wires. Ensure dryers are well-ventilated, and use the ‘cool down’ cycle, before removing clothes.

Remove and bin lint after every use, to prevent fire risk. Never leave lint in gardens, as it can go mouldy and choke/harm birds and wildlife.

All UK stores must by law recycle electronic goods if you buy something new. So if you have an old energy-intensive tumble dryer, consider buying something else (like a modern energy-efficient washing machine) to replace it, then it should spin better, and you can use the savings to invest in some natural drying alternatives above.