Drying clothes indoors can sometimes leave them smelling ‘musty’ or damp, but fans of cleaning guru Mrs Hinch have a clever trick to fix the problem – and it costs nothing at all
As the chill sets in and outdoor clothes drying becomes a no-go, energy prices might make many think twice about using tumble dryers.
It’s no shocker that airdrying indoors is the go-to, but it often leaves clothes with a ‘musty’ or damp odour due to slower drying times and prolonged moisture retention. But worry not, you can now say goodbye to that unpleasant smell for good, and it won’t cost you a penny.
Fans of cleaning sensation Mrs Hinch – aka Sophie Hinchliffe – have shared a nifty clothes airer hack that banishes musty smells without the need for a re-wash. On the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook page, one user queried: “I’ve been reading some posts recently about how people dry their clothes in the winter because I also really struggle with this.
“When I put them on my airers, they end up with a terrible musty smell and I end up washing them again because of the bad smell. How do you stop the clothes from drying musty? I must be doing something wrong somewhere, thank you.”
People were more than happy to share their laundry wisdom, as the commenters descended en masse to assist a lady in distress. A deluge of advice highlighted the simplest hack: ensuring clothes have sufficient space on the airer for effective drying,
Overcrowding your airer spells trouble as it prolongs drying times and increases the risk of that dreaded musty stench. “I usually rotate my washing halfway through drying and make sure it is well spread out, it’ll dry quickly,” one user offered their two cents.
Others chimed in with top tips such as spacing out items on hangers near radiators, leveraging an open window on mild days, or finishing off damp bits in the airing cupboard coinciding with hot water schedules – despite not yet needing to crank up the heating at home. And there was this gem: “I didn’t even know putting too many clothes on the airer was causing a musty smell.
“I invested in scent boosters, nice smelling detergent and it did nothing. Do not bother with anything like that, just ensure windows are open for moisture to escape and your clothes will be dry in no time, with no damp smell at all.”
An extra spin in the washer was also suggested by some savvy people. Although it uses energy, it’s less than what a tumble dryer would sip up – making it an effective way to slash excess moisture and speed up drying time.
