Martin Lewis reveals the best appliance for drying laundry quickly and saving money

Drying your clothes once the temperatures outside drop can be a mission– and a rather pricey one at that. Most of us need to employ a tumble dryer or put the heating on blast to get our laundry to dry in a reasonable amount of time. 

So we were delighted when Martin Lewis offered a new hack to solve two problems in one. He's urging people to use one of the best dehumidifiers on the market to help with drying your clothes quickly, without succumbing to the dizzying cost of running a tumble dryer. Win and win.

In the winter we've found that if you want to avoid the tumble dryer, but also make sure your clothes don't smell damp when drying indoors then you might want to tune into Martin's words of advice.

Martin Lewis dehumidifier tip

The MoneySavingExpert founder shared this hack on his podcast.

‘You’re going to pay roughly 7p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200W, assuming it uses full power the whole time,’ he explains. ‘Which is generally far, far cheaper than putting the heating on.'

'If a dehumidifier does work for you, it will definitely have lower electricity bills, but, of course, you do have the initial capital outlay of buying a dehumidifier and see how that works for you.’

If you don’t already own a dehumidifier, then there is the initial investment in one, but it's one that pays off in the long run. If you are in the market for athe best dehumidifier for drying clothes, then the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier is the best one we've tested.

'The Ideal Home team has put a whole host of dehumidifiers through their paces, and we agree with Martin that a good one can definitely speed up indoor drying times for wet washing,' explains Amy Lockwood, Ideal Home Ecommerce Editor and resident dehumidifier expert. 

'Although you do need to opt for one with a good extraction rate for the quickest results. Our top choices are the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier range which offers models with a 10, 12, 20 or 25L extraction rate, or the Pro Breeze Premium 20L Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Mode. We’ve tried and tested both, and after putting them through their paces we think they’re neck and neck for clothes drying purposes, as well as doing a great job of eliminating damp and condensation during the winter months.'

Petya Holevich, house cleaning and laundry expert at Fantastic Services, agrees that the effectiveness of this hack depends largely on the right choice of a dehumidifier. ‘Keep in mind that the effectiveness will depend on the capacity of the dehumidifier, the size of the room, and the level of humidity in the air so a higher-capacity dehumidifier in a moderately sized room with reasonable humidity levels will generally provide better results.’

But she is still a fan of this method for multiple reasons, ‘Dehumidifiers offer a versatile solution for drying clothes, especially when outdoor drying is not a practical option because of weather conditions or lack of space.'

'One of their key advantages is the ability to control indoor humidity levels by removing excess moisture from the air. This creates a more favourable environment for the efficient drying of clothes. These devices can also help mitigate musty odours and mould growth issues by keeping the air dry and preventing the conditions that foster them.’ 

‘Compared to traditional clothes dryers, dehumidifiers are often more energy-efficient,' continues Petya. 'They consume less electricity, making them a cost-effective option for people trying to reduce their energy bills while still achieving effective drying.’ 

But if you are after some more affordable options than our top dehumidifier pick, then you can opt for one of the best dehumidifiers under £100 as there are several on the market. 

Another alternative, if you’re not a fan of dehumidifiers, is one of the best heated clothes airers as that will do the job too. There's an option to suit every space and help you dry your laundry more quickly without speedily running up those bills.