Exploring options for drying clothes

Cool winter weather can make drying clothes tough, particularly if you don't want to rely too heavily on the energy-consuming clothes dryer. So what can you do? Plenty, according to Lynette Bourne from the Department of Environment and Climate Change.

"Lots of people get by fine without a clothes dryer," she says. "If they plan ahead and give themselves more time for dryign clothes, it becomes less of an issue."

Drying clothes on retractable clothes lines

According to Lynette, there are many other ways of drying clothes in the colder weather. Adding a retractable clothes line in the laundry or bathroom is a great way to create extra space for hanging laundry. These are cheap and can be tucked away when not in use. Or consider building in a drying rack, so that the clothes horse isn't always in the way. 

Stagger your loads

If you live in a flat where space is at a premium, don't do all your laundry loads at once – let one load dry before starting the next, so you have space to hang it all up. And if your hot water service is located indoors, you can even take advantage of the warmth it generates by creating a mini drying cupboard – provided the area is well ventilated so the room doesn't fill up with steam.

Drying clothes outdoors

Drying clothes outside shouldn't be off the cards, either. You may be surprised by how laundry can dry in the cold weather, particularly if it's windy. Try stringing up a clothes line under a carport or in a sheltered spot. Choose the nicest day of the week to do laundry, and do it as early as possible in the day.

Drying clothes mechanically

If you have to use the clothes dryer, be smart about it, says Lynette. Take out items that will dry quickly on their own, such as undies, leaving only the larger, harder-to-dry items.

And most importantly, always spin your clothes. "Spinning clothes on the highest speed in the washing machine gets rid of as much water as possible, which means the dryer has less work to do," says Lynette.

Lastly, if you're concerned about the environment but need to use the clothes dryer, consider switching to 100 per cent GreenPower.