Clothes Horse or Tumble Dryer? The Ultimate Climate Fight
Clothes Horse or Tumble Dryer? The Ultimate Climate Fight
(Or: The One Where Your Laundry Chooses Sides)
Let’s set the scene.
It’s January. The washing basket is overflowing like a laundry-themed volcano. It’s 3°C outside. And the forecast says “rain, drizzle, and a fine mist of despair.”
Now what?
Do you:
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A) Hang it inside on a clothes horse and hope the damp smell doesn’t ruin your social life?
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B) Fire up the tumble dryer and pretend you didn’t hear the whirring of carbon emissions?
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C) Start a low-key domestic war over who left socks on the radiator again?
Welcome to the eco-laundry conundrum: drying clothes in winter without boiling the planet (or your house).
👚 The Great British Drying Dilemma
In summer, it’s easy. The sun and wind do the job beautifully — 100% solar and wind powered drying, free of charge.
But in winter? Not so much.
The choice boils down to two main options (and one that we shouldn’t choose):
🧺 Option 1: Clothes Horse + Dehumidifier
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✅ Low energy use
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✅ Gentle on clothes
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✅ Easy to set up
Pairing a clothes horse with a dehumidifier is a surprisingly efficient system. It pulls moisture from the air, preventing mould and that musty “wet dog meets gym kit” aroma.
🗨️ Top tip: Put the dehumidifier in a small room with the door shut. It dries clothes faster and uses less energy.
However, it does take time. Sometimes a day or more depending on room temperature and humidity.
But it works — and costs a fraction of a tumble dryer to run.
🔁 Option 2: Heat Pump Condenser Tumble Dryer
This is not your grandma’s tumble dryer.
Modern heat pump dryers are:
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✅ Much more energy efficient
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✅ Gentler on clothes
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✅ Fully sealed (no venting)
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✅ Pull heat from the room air to dry laundry
They use about half the electricity of older vented or condenser dryers. If you power them from solar batteries or off-peak tariffs, the impact shrinks even further.
🗨️ Yes, ours hums away on winter days when we have battery charge to spare.
Still, they’re not perfect:
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❌ Higher up-front cost
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❌ Slightly slower drying times
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❌ You still have to empty the water tank (or plumb it in)
🚫 What Not To Do: Radiator Drying
Yes, it’s tempting. Yes, it’s quick.
But:
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It blocks heat from getting into the room
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It adds moisture to your indoor air, risking mould
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It creates condensation, especially in colder rooms
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It’s just not energy efficient
Put simply: radiators are for warming people, not trousers.
☀️ What About Outdoor Drying?
Absolutely — whenever possible.
Even on cooler days, wind can do wonders, and UV light helps disinfect clothes too.
But in a British winter, this is often limited to:
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And weather apps that lie to your face
🔚 Final Thought: It’s Not All or Nothing
We use a mix:
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Dry outside when the sun and wind cooperate
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Use the clothes horse + dehumidifier setup for everyday drying
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Run the heat pump tumble dryer when we’ve got solar/battery power or a mountain of wet towels to shift
It’s not about perfection. It’s about making smarter everyday choices — and maybe accepting that your house looks like a laundrette from November to March.
But hey… at least it’s a carbon-conscious laundrette.
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