MOVE over heated airers, there’s a better way to dry your laundry inside.
Tumble dryers are fast becoming a household gadget of the past.
Using a dehumidifier with a laundry mode can speed up the drying time of your washing[/caption]
Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco[/caption]
And whilst everyone still raves about heated airers, if your home doesn’t have good air circulation, they can cause damp and mould.
Fabulous spoke exclusively to Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco about dehumidifiers and why they are the best way to dry your laundry inside during the winter months.
A dehumidifier works by drawing in moisture, cooling it, causing it to condense, then the condensation drips into a storage tank or tray, and the air is reheated and released back into the room.
This is particularly beneficial if you have wet washing drying inside, as the additional moisture from the clothes is sucked out, combined with the warmer air blasting it, means they dry quicker.
Chris added: “When using a dehumidifier laundry can dry as quickly as six hours.
“When drying laundry outside you have to rely on a lot more varying factors e.g. temperature, wind, not rain etc so the time is more variable.”
Activate laundry mode
Some of Meaco’s dehumidifier’s have a dedicated laundry mode on, so the machine continuously runs at a higher power setting to maximise its dehumidification.
If you’re using a dehumidifier to dry your laundry, consider how you hang your clothes on your airer.
Chris said: “We recommend evenly spacing laundry on an airer/clothes horse.
“The key is to not overfill the clothes horse or layer clothes on top of each other.”
Location is key
And where you put your airer and dehumidifier also matters.
The expert continued: “Place the clothes horse in a small room with the dehumidifier. Keep all windows and doors shut.
“Don’t place the dehumidifier directly under the clothes (so any water dripping does not enter the dehumidifier) but place it as close as possible.
“If the dehumidifier has a louvre, direct the airflow towards the hanging clothes.
“Better yet, use a fan/ air circulator to circulate the dry air, drying laundry even faster.”
Save on energy bills
As for how much it’ll cost you to run a dehumidifier, Chris revealed: “Energy efficient dehumidifiers cost between 4p and 9p per hour to run depending on the size of the machine.
“It’s important that consumers find out how much a dehumidifier costs to run before buying as this can be the difference between saving or losing hundreds of pounds per year on energy bills.”
When it comes to electricity bills specifically, Chris added: “A tumble dryer costs approximately £1.50 per load to dry. A dehumidifier costs approximately £0.30.
“A £1.20 saving every time it’s used instead to dry the wet washing.”
As for heating bills, he said: “Dry air is cheaper to heat than damp air.
“By removing the humidity the dehumidifier helps makes heating more efficient.”
Facts about Meaco
1. Launched in 2021, Meaco is now Britain’s favourite dehumidifier family.
2. Meaco hit the massive milestone of selling over 1 million dehumidifiers last winter.
3. Meaco’s most popular dehumidifier is the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier and Air Purifier range. Launched in 2021, it is now Britain’s favourite dehumidifier family.
Meaco’s dehumidifiers can be run 24/7[/caption]
Other benefits of dehumidifiers
But customers don’t just reduce the cost of energy bills, there are several other benefits to using a dehumidifier.
1. Prevents damp and mould
Chris explained: “By reducing excess moisture from daily activities like cooking, washing, showering they help prevent mould, mildew and damp smells in the property, improving the living conditions for all the occupants.”
2. Takes the chill out of the air
“During the colder months of the year the dehumidifier removes the moisture in the air that causes chills,” he said.
3. Reduces condensation
“They reduce condensation on windows and walls, protecting your home from damp-related issues,” Chris continued.
4. Protects furniture and property
The expert said: “Dehumidifiers help prevent mould and damp caused damage to soft furnishings, wooden furniture, wallpaper, walls etc.”
5. Improves air quality
“They remove airborne allergens such as dust mites, which thrive in humid conditions, improving overall air quality,” he revealed.
“Some models come with HEPA filters so that the dehumidifier can also be used for air purification, helping occupants who suffer from allergies.”
I tried Meaco’s new dehumidifier…
Fabulous’ Associate Editor, Rebecca Miller, tried Meaco’s newest dehumidifier.
Meaco has just launched the MeacoDry Arete® Two, available in three sizes: 10l, 12l, and 25l.
I already love my MeacoDry Arete® One 10L Dehumidifier, so could I be convinced to cheat on it with the newer model?
First thing first – it is one hell of a sexy gadget. The design is sleek and sophisticated, I’d go as far as to call it beautiful.
Hailed as the “smartest Meaco dehumidifier yet”, it can be set up within seconds, but the new interface requires a quick read of the manual as there are a few new buttons and icons.
Nevertheless, wet washing at the ready, I put it into position and switched it to laundry mode. It quickly measured the humidity and estimated how long it would take to fully dry my washing.
The first thing I noticed was how quiet it is – measuring just 35 dB – yet it’s exceptionally powerful.
Eager to see how it performed, I found it difficult to step away and close the door.
But I was back, 30 minutes later, desperate to check on it – and I was astonished. My washing was drying rapidly, and the tank was filling up with water.
A couple of hours later, and my washing was completely dry. What’s more, the room was a little warmer thanks to the air the dehumidifier had been pushing out.
Apart from the MeacoDry Arete® Two being incredible at drying your laundry, what I love about this newer model is the Meaco app – you can now control your dehumidifier via your phone!
And it is super cheap to run – from just 3p an hour! What’s not to like?
