(Image: Meaco)
I thought I had indoor laundry drying sussed. I already owned a dehumidifier, but adding a fan to the mix has been the surprisingly simple change that made the biggest difference.
I've been using a dehumidifier for a while now, so I'm no stranger to the joys of trying to dry laundry indoors.
But after the scorching summer we've had I was keen to get a proper fan to stay cool - albeit they were out of stock when I first ordered. By the time my fan arrived, I figured I'd be packing it away until next summer - until I read an article about using a cool air fan to dry laundry.
I was intrigued. Even with the dehumidifier running, I was still waiting around for my clothes to dry. So, next time I put my clothes on the airer with the dehumidifier, I added the fan. And, honestly, I wish I'd done it years ago.
The dehumidifier was only half the story
My previous experience with a dehumidifier had already convinced me that indoor laundry drying didn't have to mean covering the house in damp washing and hoping for the best.
The dehumidifier pulls moisture from the air, helping to stop the room becoming increasingly humid as the clothes dry.
But adding the fan halved the time, pretty much. Instead of simply leaving the washing and dehumidifier to get on with it, I positioned the fan so that it circulated air around the clothes, and suddenly a load that was taking most of the day was dry in a morning.
Drying with a dehumidifier and a fan was twice as quick as with the dehumidifier alone for me (Image: Meaco)
How does a fan speed up drying laundry?
It sounds almost too obvious.
Think about drying washing outdoors. The perfect conditions aren't just dry air – there's usually a breeze as well.
Rather than having pockets of still, humid air sitting around the washing, the fan keeps everything moving. And that has been the real revelation for me.
The fan effectively creates that missing bit.
Suddenly, my washing was drying much faster
The biggest difference I've noticed is the movement of air. The dehumidifier is doing the important job of removing moisture from the room, while the fan keeps air circulating around the damp clothes.
I'd already been using a dehumidifier. The fan was the missing piece.
I was using a MeacoFan Sefte and a Meaco dehumidifier I've had for three winters.
The running costs make it even more interesting
As a financial journalist, I was particularly keen to see how the costs stacked up.
According to Meaco, the MeacoDry Arete One 10L Dehumidifier and Air Purifier runs at around 5p an hour, while the MeacoFan Sefte runs at around 1p an hour.
So, based on those figures, you're looking at roughly 6p an hour for the two appliances together.
Obviously, what you actually pay depends on your electricity tariff and how long you run them, but it certainly makes the idea of using the fan alongside the dehumidifier more appealing. Especially when the alternative might be putting the same load through a tumble dryer.
This is the Meaco fan I used to dry my laundry (Image: Meaco)
The fan has been the big change for me
That's the part I'd emphasise to anyone who already owns a dehumidifier.
If you've already got one sitting at home, you might think you've already found the answer to indoor laundry drying. I did.
But adding the fan has been a genuine upgrade.
The MeacoFan Sefte has multiple speeds and oscillation settings, so rather than directing air at one spot, I can get it moving around the room and across the washing.
And the newer Sefte Tower models offer 12 speeds and four oscillation angles, ranging from a concentrated 45-degree setting through to 180 degrees.
That flexibility is particularly useful when you've got a full airer covered in clothes rather than just a couple of damp tops.
It's basically the indoor version of a perfect drying day
The more I use the setup, the more obvious the logic seems. When I'm hanging washing outside, the ideal conditions are warm, dry and windy. Obviously, I can't order those conditions from the British weather.
But indoors, the combination of a dehumidifier and fan gets surprisingly close to recreating them.
The dehumidifier - the older model of this one - gives me the dry air.
The fan gives me the breeze.
And together, they have made indoor laundry drying feel considerably less of a chore.
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My verdict
I wouldn't say the dehumidifier itself was a revelation – I knew that was brilliant because I've had it for years. The revelation was adding the fan.
It was such a simple change that I initially wondered whether it would make much difference. It did.
For me, the dehumidifier was already doing the hard work of tackling the moisture. The fan has helped take the process up another notch by keeping the air moving around the washing.
So if you've already got a dehumidifier and you're still waiting hours for your laundry to dry, my advice is simple: try adding a fan. It might just be the missing piece of your indoor laundry setup.