Cheapest way to dry clothes indoors

The free step that helps every method

Spin speed matters more than any appliance. Every extra bit of water the washing machine spins out is water you do not have to evaporate with electricity or let into your room. Use the highest spin the care labels allow. A washing machine's spin uses some electricity, but far less than drying the same water with heat.

Next, sort the load. Thin synthetics dry quickly on any airer; towels and jeans are the slow, expensive items. Dry them where conditions are best.

Methods ranked by electricity

The table gives typical figures. A dehumidifier's hours depend on the room and load; a heated airer's watts vary by size; tumble dryers vary by size and type, so use the kWh per load on the label for your model.

Why the free option is not always cheapest

An airer with no heat or dehumidifier costs nothing to run, but a wash load can put litres of water into your home. In a cold, poorly ventilated flat that can mean streaming windows, damp walls and mould, which cost money and effort to deal with. If you use this method, open a window in the drying room and keep the door closed. Our explainer on how much water a wash load puts into your home shows the scale.

In warm, breezy weather, drying outside costs nothing and adds no moisture at all; see at what temperature clothes dry outside.

The cheapest method that keeps the home dry

For most UK homes in autumn and winter, a compressor dehumidifier in a small closed room with the airer is the best balance of low kWh and low condensation. Laundry mode runs it at full power with wide airflow. Low-energy models draw less, and the humidistat stops them once the room is dry. Our guides to the best dehumidifiers for drying clothes and low energy dehumidifiers compare models by watts.

A heated airer is also cheap per hour and works well for thin items; with a cover it is faster. Pairing it with a dehumidifier deals with the moisture it releases. Our comparison of a heated airer vs dehumidifier goes into detail.

Compare dehumidifiers for drying clothes →

When a tumble dryer makes sense

A heat pump tumble dryer uses far less electricity than a condenser or vented dryer, and is quicker than an airer. If you dry several loads a week and have space, it can be the most practical choice. A condenser or vented dryer is the most expensive per load. See heat pump vs condenser tumble dryer and tumble dryer running costs for more.

Work out your own costs

Use this formula for any electric method: watts times hours, divided by 1,000, gives kWh. Multiply kWh by your unit rate in pence. For a tumble dryer, use the kWh per load from the energy label or product sheet. Our running-cost calculator lets you compare up to three methods side by side.

Run times also matter. A dehumidifier left on continuous in a large open-plan room will use far more than one in a small closed room on laundry mode for a few hours. A heated airer left on long after the clothes are dry wastes energy, so use its timer if it has one.

1. 1

   Find the watts on the rating plate or the kWh per load on the label

2. 2

   Estimate the hours for one load

3. 3

   Work out kWh: watts x hours / 1,000

4. 4

   Multiply by your unit rate in pence

5. 5

   Compare methods

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to dry clothes indoors in winter? An airer with a dehumidifier in a small closed room is usually the cheapest powered option that also keeps condensation down.

Is a heated airer cheaper than a dehumidifier? Per hour, often similar or slightly less. A dehumidifier also removes the water from the room, which a heated airer does not.

Is it cheaper to dry clothes on radiators? The heating is on anyway, but drying on radiators puts all the moisture into the room and can reduce heat output, so it often causes condensation.