Nothing ruins the presentation of a clean and tidy home quite like the presence of sprawling bed sheets hanging out to dry. I know this because it was the bane of my life until I started following a few simple steps to speed up the process and have them neatly folded away.
Drying clothes indoors in winter is always a challenge, even when using one of the best clothes airers it can still be tricky. And that’s just laundry, let alone bed sheets which take up so much valuable space when hanging out to dry.
Living in a small flat, where I have to adhere to strict daily habits to keep my home tidy, it can feel like piles of drying laundry can very quickly become the unwanted focal point of a room – especially when washing sheets which feels impossible to hide. To avoid my home feeling like a laundrette I now implement these expert-recommended tips for drying bed sheets fast without a dryer.
How to dry bed sheets fast without a dryer: 7 easy tricks
While I’m familiar with all the expert tips to speed up tumble drying times to save energy I don’t own a tumble dryer so my quest is a go-it-alone venture to speed up the drying times without this electrical aid.
And while I’m careful to avoid common heated clothes airer mistakes I would still find myself wishing my bed sheets were drying quicker. Thanks to these handy expert tips I’ve got drying bed sheets down to a fine art…
(Image credit: Future | Colin Poole)
1. Adjust your washing schedule
It seems like such an obvious point but timing is everything when it comes to drying bed sheets faster because the daylight hours will generally provide more residual heat to aid the drying process. Even on cold winter days, we can still get sunlight which can help to welcome warmer temperatures and more heating – I don’t know about you but my heating is on a timer so it switches off after 9.30 p.m to save energy around the home and prevent waste.
“Wash your bed sheets in the morning for optimal drying,” Martin advises. “Daytime offers warmer temperatures and better natural air circulation. Avoid doing laundry late in the evening when temperatures drop, as this significantly slows down the drying process. Aim to start your sheet wash before midday to maximise drying potential.”
Incidentally, experts at Dr Beckmann recommend doing washing during optimum off-peak times to also benefit from energy-saving costs because running costs are at their lowest (dependent on energy tariffs). The cleaning experts say the best time of day to do laundry, is the ‘magic hour’ of 7am – 8am which is perfect for making the most of the day, as Martin rightly suggests.
2. Run an extra spin cycle
(Image credit: Getty Images | Avalon_Studio)
“The spin cycle is your first line of defence against prolonged drying times,” explains Martin Seeley, sleep expert and CEO of MattressNextDay.co.uk. “An additional spin can remove up to 30% more moisture from your bed sheets.
“After the wash cycle, try adding an extra spin or even two,” suggests laundry expert Deyan Dimitrov, CEO of Laundryheap.com. “This will remove any excess moisture, making a big difference in how quickly your sheets dry.
“If you’re running multiple spins, go for a medium-speed spin as it tends to be a bit gentler on fabrics,” says Deyan. Martin added, “Be cautious with delicate fabrics and check the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid damaging your linens.”
3. Use the ‘shake and separate’ trick
Rather than bundling all your bedding up as soon as you can into your laundry apron, it pays to give them a good old shake. Before you envision a sudden slippery floor situation fear not, there shouldn’t be excess water left to shake off (largely thanks to the extra spins) it’s more about the action of freeing up the fibres.
“Before hanging your sheets, give them a vigorous shake,” Martin recommends. “This simple action helps separate the fabric fibres, allowing better air circulation. Shaking also prevents sheets from clumping together, which can create damp pockets that take much longer to dry. It’s a quick trick that can significantly reduce overall drying time.”
4. Try the towel technique
(Image credit: Future | Tamara Kelly)
This simple trick is super easy to do and surprisingly effective thanks to the absorbency of the towel fibres. “Create a quick-dry method by using a clean, dry towel,” suggests Martin.
“Lay your damp bed sheet flat on a towel, then roll it up tightly. Press down to help the towel absorb excess moisture. Unroll and then hang near a radiator or warm area to complete the drying process.”
5. Remove moisture and cold air with a dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is good for drying laundry at a quicker rate. Why? To explain why Industry expert Chris Michael breaks down how dehumidifiers work and why that speeds up the drying process: “Dehumidifiers reduce the level of humidity by sucking in air from the room, removing the moisture, and then blowing the warm, dry air back into the room again.”
“This can help to remove the ‘damp chill’ factor in the air,” says Chris. “This helps you dry your laundry quicker.” While testing dehumidifiers we found these models to be the best for helping dry clothes indoors…
EcoAir Desiccant 8L Dehumidifier DD128
When testing dehumidifiers we found this EcoAir dehumidifier to be the best for drying clothes quickly and therefore proved best when drying bed speeds fast. The Desiccant 8L features three drying modes and two laundry settings to make it a dream for drying laundry indoors.
Avalla X-150 Dehumidifier
This ‘best overall’ dehumidifier model is also ideal for drying laundry indoors, largely because it holds at least 16L of water. The sleek, space-saving Avalla X-150 design rated the overall best on our list, this machine left the air in our home clean and moisture-free.
Our MeacoDry Arete One 10L review found this to be a great all-around dehumidifier. It’s simple, easy to use, great for families with lots of laundry, and quiet. We found the laundry mode handy for handling wet clothes and general moisture levels around the home.
Managing director and co-founder of Meaco
Chris Michael is the expert co-founder of Meaco. Since its launch in 1991, Meaco has become a leading UK provider of air treatment products and the brand’s products have won a wealth of industry and design awards internationally.
(Image credit: Future)
6. Dry in warmer spots around the house, like upstairs
“When drying sheets indoors, especially in the winter, location is key to speed things up. “Since heat naturally rises, make the most of your upstairs spaces or areas close to radiators to help your sheets dry faster,” says Deyan.
“It’s also a good idea to keep them away from any walls so that air can circulate freely around your sheets and moisture won’t get trapped between the fabric and the wall, which could slow down the drying process.”
7. Use a heated clothes airer
There’s no denying how much a heated rack helps reduce drying times significantly. I find that I can run my heated airer for less time after following all the steps above because my bed sheets are as ‘moisture-free’ as they can be
I love the Lakeland Deluxe three-tier because it’s a large model that best fits king-sized sheets. When using a heated clothes airer for a typical laundry load, you have to be mindful not to overload the racks, but thanks to doing a bed sheets-only wash, that isn’t a problem when drying my bedding. I recommend placing the flat sheet over the top to act as a drying pod, trapping the heat to dry the thicker duvet below.
This is the best solution to finish the drying process but of course, it costs money to power. The costs of running a heated clothes airer averages roughly between 11p and 15p per hour, and my sheets are typically dry within one hour.”
Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer
We really cannot recommend this Lakeland model highly enough, particularly for drying bigger items like bed sheets. Read our full Dry:Soon Deluxe heated airer review for all the details.
If you’re not restricted by space, it’s well worth considering one of our smart alternative airing cupboard ideas to speed up the drying process for all your laundry, not just your bed sheets.
Hopefully, you can now start putting these simple tricks to good use and start seeing the benefits as I have – and it won’t be too long now until the weather perks up and laundry tasks become a whole lot easier.
