This is a handy ‘overnight’ hack for drying clothes in winter without using a heater or dryer

This is genius!

The weather has taken a sharp turn, and we'd be hard-pressed to get the clothes outside for more than an hour these days—an hour spent checking every five minutes if the heavens have opened. This is more the case than ever now that Storm Debi is upon us. Tumble dryers, as well as washing machines and dishwashers, account for a whopping 14% of household energy, according to the UK Energy Trust, so that makes drying our clothes indoors a lot less appealing. This is where a group of heroic homeware enthusiasts on social media have come in and saved the day. Members of the 'Mrs Hinch Made Me Do It' Facebook group have shared their cost-cutting hack for drying clothes over the wet and cold autumn and winter days and nights ahead. One user wrote: "I use a clothes airer with a dehumidifier, it dries faster than my tumble dryer". [caption id="attachment_433820" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Credit: Getty[/caption] "I swear by my dehumidifier. Hang the clothes in the utility room, shut the door and a load is dry in four hours," another wrote. "Wouldn't be without [my dehumidifier]. Scary how much water it takes. No damp problems anymore and our clothes are dry overnight," a third chimed in. Adding an extra spin at the end of a washing cycle or setting the washing machine to high speed were some of the other genius tips for removing excess water from clothes and knocking off some of their drying time. But if you plan to stick to your drying, there is a way to make it work more efficiently: add a towel to the load. "If you want to make your tumble dryer work quicker and use less electricity then put a towel in with a wet load, leave it in for 15-20 minutes and then remove it. The towel will absorb lots of moisture from the clothes making them dry quicker," a group member recommended. Another user said that using wool dryer balls also 'works a treat' and 'cuts down drying time'. Top-notch advice.

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