When it comes to drying your bedding over summer, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t jump at the opportunity to hang their freshly spun laundry outside on those all-too-rare sunny days. However, when it comes to drying your bedsheets in winter, hanging your laundry outside can become a bit of a problem. In fact, depending on the weather and temperature, you might not be able to do it at all, which leaves you with only one solution – drying your bedsheets indoors.
Now, drying your bedsheets indoors is by no means something that should be avoided at all costs, but it does mean that your sheets are going to take a lot longer to dry than if they were hung outside on the line. Fortunately, there are also many simple and effective ways to dry bedding indoors. For households without an airer or whose bedding won’t fit on one, Lucy Ackroyd, head of design at Christy, recommended hanging bedding on a bannister.
She advised: “As soon as your washing cycle is done, take the sheets out and give them a good shake to help minimise creasing and wrinkles.
“The best way to dry your bedding indoors is to aim for a large surface area to allow the fabric to fully breathe.
“If you’re able to, drape your damp sheets over the bannister so you can make use of the full length of your stairwell to dry them in a straight and upright position.
“Run your hand against the folded edge of the fabric on the rail to make sure it is smooth and not bunched up.”
Beyond using the bannister for laying out sheets, seek out other tall fixtures around the house, such as curtain rails or doorways.
Lucy advised: “Interior doors are a more convenient way to dry larger items like duvet covers, sheets or throws because of their height.
“Keep the door open whilst the item is drying to allow maximum airflow and to stop your sheets from getting damaged. If you’re popping the item straight over the door, make sure the top is clean and dust-free to avoid getting dirt on your clean washing.”
Depending on the layout of your room, you can use hangers with clips on to attach your bed linen and stretch them between door frames or a tall piece of furniture to allow them to dry in a flat position. This technique works best in a large room that is used infrequently, like a guest bedroom, as the horizontal sheets can get in the way.
