Are you having trouble drying your cloth nappies in the winter? During the colder months it’s common for people to get frustrated with their cloth nappy wash routine as even your faster drying nappies can take days to fully dry.
We know from experience that it can be tricky waiting for your nappies to dry when the weather outside is cold and wet. While pocket nappies like ours are much faster drying than other kinds of nappies, in the middle of winter you might still find yourself waiting a while for your nappies to be ready to use.
But don't worry - we've got you covered! In this blog post, we'll be giving you five tried and tested tips to make it easier to dry your nappies during the colder months.
1. Line dry outdoors when you can
Although drying cloth nappies outdoors in winter isn’t quite as fast as during the summer, it’s still worth putting them on the line on dry days. A few hours on a bright day can be surprisingly effective even in low temperatures. Windy days are particularly good, as the breeze will carry away moisture and encourage the nappies to dry faster.
If showery spells are coming and going, you might find it easier to hang the nappies on a line or airer that you can move in and out of the house as needed. It’s much easier to lift a whole airer in and out than to have to take down and rehang a whole load of washing!
2. Use a dehumidifier
It’s a little known fact that clothing (and nappies) dry slower in winter not just because of the temperature but because of the humidity in the air. This means that you can greatly improve the drying speed of your nappies by putting a dehumidifier near them. A dehumidifier works by sucking moisture from the air, effectively allowing your nappies to dry off quicker than they otherwise would.
There’s an upfront cost to buying a dehumidifier, but if you’re regularly using your tumble dryer then they’re a significantly cheaper option. Running a dehumidifier will also make it cheaper to heat your house since it takes less energy to heat the air when it’s not so humid. Taking all this into account, a dehumidifier could pay for itself over just a year or two.
3. Use a heated airer
Just like a dehumidifier, a heated airer is an investment, but it can also be a cheaper way to dry clothing and cloth nappies if you’re in the habit of using a tumble dryer. Most heated airers come with a cover to make sure the heat isn’t lost to the rest of the room, which makes them more efficient for drying than using a hanger by a radiator.
If you do use a heated airer, make sure that you’re not putting any bamboo (like our bamboo mix nappy inserts) directly on the heated bars, as it can damage the fibres. Most heated airers come with pegs that you can use for anything that can’t hang directly on the heat.
4. Rotate, rotate, rotate
If you don’t have much money to invest, then simply turning your nappies throughout the day can significantly improve their drying time. Each time you pass the airer, flip a few pieces of laundry to allow air to get to the damper parts. You can even get clever about how you hang different types of nappy laundry - inserts and thicker night nappies can be pegged to allow the air to fully circulate around them, while thinner, less absorbent bits like nappy wraps and fleece liners can be folded over rails. Oh, and if you’re drying your cloth wipes, consider whether you actually need to dry them at all when you’re likely to wet them again for use.
5. Use a tumble dryer on low
While it’s best not to tumble dry cloth nappies too regularly if you want your nappies to last many years, during the winter you might find a tumble dryer useful on days where you need your nappies dry fast. Tumble dryers use a lot of energy and are expensive to run, which means they’re not particularly friendly to the planet or your wallet. However, used sparingly, they can be a really helpful tool. Plus if using a dryer helps you keep using your cloth nappies through the winter months then that’s a win!
Leave a comment