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Jun 13, 2024

Dehumidifier or tumble dryer: Martin Lewis recommends dehumidifier for drying clothes

The Independent’s journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. These machines work by extracting moisture from your surroundings Find

The Independent’s journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.

These machines work by extracting moisture from your surroundings

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The multipurpose machines are great for allergy sufferers too

Whether it’s investing in an air fryer, cosying up with an electric blanket or discovering innovative ways to dry clothes, with the soaring cost of living, we’re all looking for ways to live more economically. In an episode of The Martin Lewis Podcast, the MoneySavingExpert dubbed tumble dryers – which cost up to £1 per hour to run – a “demon appliance” and instead suggested that you use a dehumidifier. He has also warned about the devastating effects that further energy price hikes could cause.

Though admittedly an initial investment, these machines extract moisture and dampness from your surroundings and, in turn, potentially halve your laundry drying time. Depending on the model’s extracting power and wattage, a dehumidifier can cost anything from 30p to just 10p an hour to run, making them cheaper to use, compared with a tumble drier.

“Many dehumidifiers have different wattages, the one I checked out was 200W,” Lewis explained on his podcast. “Once we know it’s 200W and we know a kilowatt is 1,000W, which is how electricity tends to be priced, we know this is a fifth of a kilowatt.

“And you pay roughly 34p per kilowatt per hour. A fifth is 7p, so you’re going to pay roughly 7p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200W, assuming it uses full power the whole time. Which is generally far, far cheaper than putting the heating on,” he continued.

The multipurpose machines are great for allergy sufferers, tend to be noise-free and have the added benefit of neutralising harmful bacteria in your home. So, if you’ve noticed mould, condensation or a musty odour around your home, it may be time to invest in a dehumidifier.

In our review of the best dehumidifiers, one machine stood out for its ability to dry a full range of items very quickly. If you’re looking to invest in an energy-efficient and cost-cutting dehumidifier for the colder months, read on for the lowdown on IndyBest’s top-rated machine.

Noted as being “one of the best dehumidifiers we’ve used”, this is an impressive machine. According to our reviwer, it can absorb up to 20l of water per day and, thanks to the swinging louver setting, it covers the entire room. They added that the “control panel makes this really easy to use”, you simply select the right setting for your space, including the humidity levels, and away you go. Our writer noted that they were shocked by just how well this machine worked – “we left it running in different areas of the house, and it left the air feeling a lot dryer and clearer.”

Most importantly – particularly in the current climate – one of their favourite functions was noted as being “the laundry drying mode”. They tested it with a range of laundry, including heavy duvet covers and, whilst normally they’d be sitting on the clothes horse for a couple of days, by using this machine, within 24 hours, they were all cupboard dry. Consider us sold.

Read more: Best dehumidifiers to prevent and reduce mould

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