Dehumidifier or tumble dryer?
Which is best you ask?
You may have grown up with your parents drying all of the washing either outside or using a tumble dryer – I certainly did.
Up until a few years ago, I thought it was the only method of drying clothes indoors.. but then I discovered dehumidifiers.
This was a fantastic discovery as soon learned of their unique benefits and low running costs.
Pros of a tumble dryer
Tumble dryer is perfect if you are lazy and just want to throw the wet clothes into the next machine in line, press the button and they come out dry.
It also gives the clothes that warm and snuggly feeling when you take them out. (You don’t get from drying with a dehumidifier.)
There are different products you can use in conjunction with your tumble dryer to make your clothes smell fresher for longer.
There is also the convenient iron setting which gently turns your clothes on a warm setting to mimic the action of ironing to get rid of the creases without the effort of ironing the clothes. (Also ideal if you are on a tight timescale.)
Another benefit of using a tumble dryer is that the clothes and laundry all dry at the same rate. Whereas with a dehumidifier if you have particularly thick garments or items these can take longer to dry.
If you urgently need one item of clothing and it is wet, you can quickly tumble dry it.
Cons of using a tumble dryer
Tumble dryers are renowned for being expensive to run they can also cause problems with shrinking clothes due to the high heat.
Sometimes if certain fabrics are mixed together it can also cause lots of static in the garments which gives you electric shocks when you wear them!
Tumble dryers can also be quite noisy and annoying especially if you are sitting in the same room whilst the tumble dryer is running. The constant noise of the dryer is relentless.
Electric dryers still take quite a long time to dry clothes and washing even though they use a lot more power.
They take up a lot of space, they are usually as big as a washing machine or dishwasher.
They are far more expensive than dehumidifiers.
If your tumble dryer has a condenser tank, you still have to empty it.
Pros of a Dehumidifier
They are more energy and cost efficient.
Dehumidifiers make your clothes last longer as the drying process isn’t as damaging.
You can use your dehumidifier for lots of other uses, not just for drying washing.
They also purify the air whilst working.
Clothes that have been dried using a dehumidifier rarely have static.
The washing can be dried in any room of the house with a portable rack.
Cons of a Dehumidifier
It takes longer to dry washing.
You don’t get that beautiful warm cosy snuggly feeling when you pull warm washing out of a tumble dryer.
You have to empty the water tank.
The cloths may be more creased than if using a tumble dryer.
Other things you might need if you choose to go the dehumidifier route:
- A drying rack, these come in all shapes and sizes.
- A bit of patience whilst you wait for your clothes to dry.
Things you will need to accompany your tumble dryer:
- An extractor fan.
Overall there are pros and cons for both tumble dryers and dehumidifiers.
We are a huge fan of dehumidifiers and will always sway toward them over tumble dryers.
The mains three reasons why we believe that dehumidifiers are the future of drying clothes.
- They are more cost effective and cheaper to run that tumble dryers.
- There are different ways to use a dehumidifier, like for purifying the air.
- Dehumidifiers won’t damage clothes as much as a high heat tumble dryer will.