Why you should add an extra spin cycle to your laundry routine

To spin or not to spin – it’s actually an important question as the simple decision to put your laundry through an extra spin cycle in your washing machine could be the key to faster drying clothes.

Long gone are warm balmy days where you can hang your clothes up outside and have them fresh and dry within an hour or two. Learning how to dry your clothes over winter is a must if you don’t want your home to be permanently covered in clothes airers, or have to use the expensive tumble dryer (if you even have one).

Even if you have the best-heated clothes airers or a dehumidifier, drying clothes in winter can still be a painfully slow process. However, according to experts you can easily speed up the drying process by putting your load on an extra spin after they’ve finished washing.

It is so simple. After washing your clothes as normal, stick your load on a spin cycle. Instead of more water being added to the drum, the effect is quite the opposite.

‘The extra spin you’re adding to the mix works by spinning the drum at ultra-high speeds which pulls water from the fabric by sheer force. In a nutshell, the faster and longer the spin, the more water will be extracted from your clothes,’ says Katy Roberts, washing machine expert at AO.com.

‘Since there’s now less water in your clothes, these clothes will dry much quicker when hung up or popped into your tumble dryer. This nifty little trick will help save you a lot of time relying on drying clothes in winter.’

Why is this method effective?

By removing some of the water from your garments the drying process becomes far easier as there is less water.

‘Clothes that are spun well will have less moisture and, therefore, dry faster when hung up, even in a cooler, damp winter environment,’ says Polya Petrova, cleaning expert at Fantastic Services. ‘An extra spin can speed up drying times by hours or even a day.’

This method is also well suited to the winter months.

‘Giving your washing an extra spin cycle is an effective way to dry your clothes, which can be especially helpful during winter when drying conditions aren’t the best,’ says Katy.

‘Winter months tend to have higher humidity and less sunlight, both of which can slow down the natural drying process. The extra spin you’re adding will help reduce this lengthy drying time as we head towards the cold.’

Giving your washing an extra spin is also an affordable option when it comes to getting ahead on drying your clothes.

Using an extra spin cycle consumes much less energy than running a heated airer or a tumble dryer – a typical spin cycle is energy-efficient because it uses mechanical force rather than heat to remove water,’ says Polya.

‘A washing machine spin cycle uses only a fraction of the electricity that a heated airer or tumble dryer consumes. While specific numbers depend on your washing machine and energy rates, an extra spin might use as little as 0.1 kWh, whereas a heated airer could use 0.3-0.5 kWh per hour for several hours.’

‘An extra spin cycle is a great starting point for drying your clothes and an energy-conscious one that can help trim your energy consumption,’ Katy adds.

How to further speed up clothes drying