Home Bargains is selling a heated clothes airer that costs roughly 6p per hour to run, offering UK households an energy-efficient way to dry laundry indoors without a tumble dryer.
The Pifco Electric Heated Airer 230W, priced at £34.99, is described by Home Bargains as a highly effective tool for drying clothes indoors during the damp, cold autumn and winter months, providing an upgrade over traditional non-heated racks. While a standard drying rack can take days to dry heavy winter garments, often leaving clothes with a musty smell, this heated airer directly warms the fabric to speed up the process.
Running costs and key features
Based on current electricity rates of 26.32p per kWh, the airer costs approximately 6.05p per hour to run. Under normal conditions, a full load of winter laundry will typically dry in about four to seven hours, costing between 24p and 43p in total electricity. This compares with the 50p to 85p per hour that a standard tumble dryer can cost to run, as tumble dryers use anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 watts per cycle.
Home Bargains says: "The Pifco Electric Heated Airer 230W is a compact and efficient for drying clothes indoors. With 20 heated bars and a 15kg max load weight, it offers ample space for your laundry needs. Ideal if youre looking for an energy-efficient alternative to tumble drying, this airer is perfect for use in any indoor space."
Its lightweight construction and compact design ensure easy storage and portability. Key features include: energy efficient alternative to tumble drying, compact design for easy storage, lightweight construction, 15kg max load weight, low running cost, and 20 heated bars.
How to speed up drying times
While the heated airer is much faster than air-drying alone on a standard, non-heated clothes airer, it will not match the rapid speed of a tumble dryer. This is because the airer relies on contact heat, meaning only the parts of the clothing directly touching the 20 heated bars will dry quickly. To get the best performance during winter when indoor humidity is high, you will need to rotate your clothes occasionally or use a few simple tricks to trap the heat.
Drying times can be reduced by draping a large bed sheet or duvet cover completely over the loaded airer down to the floor. This DIY cover traps rising heat, creating a warm 'microclimate' that dries the entire clothing rather than just the parts touching the bars. Running an extra spin cycle on your washing machine before hanging the clothes can also remove a massive amount of excess water, and pairing the airer with a small dehumidifier in the room will prevent indoor dampness while pulling moisture out of the fabric exponentially faster.
