Mrs Hinch fans share their top free tips to prevent clothes from smelling damp
Now that the wet and cold winter months are approaching, drying clothes outside is becoming more difficult.
Although most of us have a clothes dryer, it’s an appliance that many people don’t want to turn on because it drains your energy, increasing your bills.
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To combat this, people often use drying racks to dry their clothes indoors, but when temperatures are cold it can take days for that to happen.
Not only is it annoying to have clothes lying around, it also means that your clothes will smell damp more quickly.
Luckily, Mrs Hinch cleaning fans have shared their top tips to combat the problem – and they’re completely free, too.
Mrs Hinch has a large following on social media thanks to her cleaning videos and they are so devoted that they have set up their own Facebook groups.
Post to the Mrs Hinch cleaning tips On Facebook, someone asked: “I’ve been reading some posts lately about how people dry their clothes in the winter, because I’m really struggling with this too.
“When I put them on my airers they come out with a horrible musty smell and I end up having to wash them again because of the bad smell. How do you keep the clothes from drying musty? I must be doing something wrong somewhere, thank you.”
Members of the group happily shared their advice, as people flocked to the post to help the woman.
Many of them said the easiest solution is to make sure the clothes are spread out on the drying rack so they have enough space to dry.
Your clothes will take longer to dry if a clothes dryer is overloaded, and the longer it takes to dry, the more likely they are to smell musty.
“I usually turn my laundry halfway through drying and make sure it is well spread out, it dries quickly,” one person commented.
“Hang up an airing cupboard and spread it out if possible, hang things on hangers in front of the radiators or open the window if it’s mild.
“Also put in a dryer to finish when the hot water is on. I haven’t turned on the heating yet and nothing smells musty or not dry,” another suggested.
While someone else said: “I didn’t even know too many clothes on the drying rack caused a musty smell. I invested in fragrance enhancers, Nice smells like detergent and it did nothing.
“Don’t worry about that, just make sure the windows are open so the moisture can escape and your clothes will be dry in no time, without any damp smell.”
Even more winter washing tips
Tackling winter laundry can be a challenge, but these helpful tips can help you stay on top of it:
- Use a dehumidifier: Place a dehumidifier in your drying room to speed up the drying process and prevent moisture.
- Spin cycle boost: Run an extra spin cycle on your washing machine to remove excess water from clothes, which will reduce drying time.
- Indoor drying rack: Invest in a good quality indoor drying rack and place it near a radiator or in a well-ventilated area.
- Tumble dryer balls: Add dryer balls to your dryer to help clothes dry faster and reduce static cling.
- Space saving hangers: Use space-saving hangers or a retractable clothesline to maximize indoor drying space.
- Microfiber towels: Place microfiber cloths over your drying rack to absorb extra moisture from hanging clothes.
- Partly dry outside: Hang the clothes outside on dry days before bringing them inside to dry.
These hacks can help you keep your laundry routine efficient and your clothes fresh, even during the colder months.
Other commenters recommended running laundry extra in the washer because, while this uses energy, it uses less energy than a dryer would and can help remove excess moisture to speed drying.
According to laundry expert Sarah Dempsey: “Solar radiation is the most effective method of evaporating the moisture in your clothes.
Where possible, hang your clothes in the sun for best drying.
“If you hang your clothes outside, you may find that wind can speed up the drying process even further.”
