The hack has even gained praise with social media users – one person said: ‘I don’t know why but this changed my life – I feel like this creates such an accessibility for cleaning single items’
An expert has shared a “genius” hack for drying clothes in winter for free using a handy kitchen cupboard gadget.
The winter weather is rearing its head, with temperatures plummeting and rain even more prolific than usual, making it significantly harder to get clothes dry. Unfortunately, most British homes don’t have utility rooms, so having cumbersome clothes airers blocking precious living space is a common bugbear throughout the colder season.
Deyan Dimitrov, CEO and co-founder at Laundryheap, has unveiled several expert tips on how to dry clothes cheap and fast – including how to use a salad spinner to dry your clothing.
He explained: “If you need to quick-dry a few small items in a pinch, repurpose your salad spinner. The kitchen staple works the same way that your laundry machine’s spin cycle does, but this DIY hack kicks off the drying process in a couple of minutes, rather than 20 or 30.”
He advised simply throwing one or two small items in the spinner, ensuring there’s enough space to let the water flow out. He continued: “Then spin until they are damp, rather than dripping. Once most of the water is removed, move on to your normal drying method. This works best for clothing made of quick drying fabrics, like athletic wear, to help them dry faster.”
This particular method has gained traction on social media, with several TikTok users sharing videos of their success in using the kitchen cupboard favourite for speeding up the drying process. Cleaning content creator Sarah McGlory shared her experience, much to the delight of fellow social media users.
In a voiceover accompanying footage of her using her salad spinner to wash and dry several items of clothing, she said: “If you have to get by without a lot of resources, you learn how to be so crafty.”
After watching the video, one TikTok user commented: “idk [I don’t know] why but this changed my life like.. I feel like this creates such an accessibility for cleaning single items etc”.
Another person asked: “Would this be good for handwash items?” to which Sarah replied: “It should be! It’s very gentle”.
When someone else asked why Sarah didn’t try to hand-wash items in a regular fashion, Sarah explained: “A few reasons but the biggest is the spinner gets water out really well without hurting my hands, (arthritis)”.
Deyan Dimitrov had other tips for drying clothes in a more energy efficient way, too. The expert advised using heat from an iron – simply place freshly washed items onto a flat surface, lay a clean towel over the top then run the iron gently over them. The iron’s heat will begin to gently dry the clothes, while the towel will absorb excess moisture from the fabric fibres and prevent unnecessary heat damage.
Positioning items in front of a fan is another way to dry small items of clothing – like socks and tights – while hair straighteners can be a handy tool to help get wrinkles out of clothing, if you don’t have time to pop them in the tumble dryer.
Set the device to its lowest setting – usually around 180 degrees – and run the straighter’s hot-plates over any creases. The wrinkles should disappear instantly. Be careful when using this technique, as some fabrics are delicate and could react badly, for example lace garments. Any cotton shirts, trousers and polos should be perfectly fine but always check the care label on the item first.
Similarly, giving clothes a blast with a hairdryer is another great substitute for drying them in the sunshine and avoiding the dryer.
If all else fails, making your own indoor washing line is a great method for speeding up the process. Dimitrov added: “A well aired room and some string will do the trick for this method of drying. Hang your soggy clothes in front of any entrances – radiators, windows and doors.
“This will allow air to circulate around the room whilst simultaneously drying your clothes. It doesn’t matter whether the air is particularly warm or cool – any kind of airflow will help your clothes dry faster than usual.”
