If you can dry your laundry in a spacious, well-ventilated room, start by choosing the right spot and improving airflow. A dehumidifier with a laundry mode can help when you dry clothes indoors; a heat pump tumble dryer is better suited to regularly drying full loads, if you have space to install one. If your walls stay damp or the ventilation isn’t working properly, look for the cause first: none of these appliances can fix it on its own.
You mainly use a clothes airer, but condensation or slow drying is becoming a problem. ADEME describes indoor laundry drying as a significant source of moisture in the home. Start by looking at the room and its ventilation, then consider whether a dehumidifier with a laundry mode might help.
You’d like to avoid having a clothes airer taking up a room on a regular basis. A tumble dryer is worth considering if its capacity suits your laundry loads and its dimensions, cycle time and energy consumption meet your needs. UFC-Que Choisir recommends, in particular, choosing a capacity close to that of your washing machine.
If your walls stay damp, you notice water ingress or mould keeps coming back even when you’re not doing laundry, your priorities need to change. France Rénov’ advises getting damp patches assessed to identify their cause, rather than relying on an appliance alone.
Consider this: if a spacious, well-ventilated room, or one with an extractor, means you can continue drying clothes indoors.
Bear in mind: your laundry will take up space while it dries and add moisture to the room, as ADEME points out.
Consider this: if you want to keep using your clothes airer and remove moisture from the room while it’s in use.
Bear in mind: the appliance needs to run while you dry your clothes. Its laundry mode is no substitute for ventilation or investigating the cause of persistent damp.
Consider this: if you regularly have full loads to dry and have a suitable place for the appliance.
Bear in mind: it’s a fixed appliance that uses electricity for each cycle. Check the programme duration too, before counting on your laundry being ready sooner.
To choose, start with your main constraint: keeping your clothes airer, drying regular loads, finding space for an appliance or getting to the bottom of persistent damp. The percentages below show the consumers who put each need first.
| Concern | What to check | Consumers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture from indoor drying | Check the size of the room and its ventilation or extraction. If you’re considering a dehumidifier, look at the conditions used to measure its stated capacity and how to empty the tank. | I want to keep using my clothes airer without letting condensation build up while my laundry dries. Around 29 % of consumers would put moisture control first. |
| Frequent full loads | For a tumble dryer, compare its capacity, full-load programme duration and kWh per cycle on the exact model’s specification sheet. | When loads of washing keep coming, I want to get my laundry dry without setting aside a room for an airer for too long. Having loads ready when needed would be the priority for around 29 % of consumers. |
| Space and noise | Measure the space and access routes; check the stated noise level for the model and setting you’re considering. | If the appliance is going in a room close to living areas, I need to be able to install it without too much disruption. Around 21 % of consumers would put space and noise first. |
| Persistent damp | Check whether damp patches remain when you’re not doing laundry, and look at the condition of windows and ventilation. Get persistent marks on walls assessed. | If the damp comes back even when no laundry is drying indoors, I want to find out what’s causing it before buying an appliance. Around 21 % of consumers would put this check first. |
A dehumidifier can remove moisture from the air, but it won’t fix water ingress or poor ventilation. France Rénov’ recommends identifying the cause of damp patches.
Check whether the patches remain when you’re not drying laundry, and get long-term damp on walls assessed before treating an appliance as the solution.
Wattage on its own doesn’t tell you how much energy is used to dry a load. For a tumble dryer, the programme duration and kWh per cycle give you a more useful indication of energy use for this purpose.
Check both figures for a tumble dryer. For a dehumidifier, consider how long you expect to use it and the conditions under which its extraction capacity is stated. Don’t treat the two specification sheets as equivalent measures per load.
A stated noise level applies to a particular model and set of conditions. It doesn’t necessarily reflect how noisy the appliance will seem in your room, using the setting you plan to choose.
Check the figure for the setting you expect to use, and think about where you’ll place the appliance in relation to the rooms you use.
A tumble dryer may be able to handle your loads, but it won’t be suitable for your chosen spot if it’s too deep or there isn’t enough access space.
Measure the available space, the route to the room and the clearance needed, then check the installation instructions for the exact model.
Meaco offers dehumidifiers with a laundry mode to help when drying clothes on an airer.
The LD40 dehumidifier is an example of Wood’s range for indoor drying.
De’Longhi’s dehumidifier range includes models with a laundry mode, such as the DEP210.
Bosch offers heat pump tumble dryers whose specification sheets make it possible to compare capacity and dimensions.
Beko offers heat pump tumble dryers in a range of capacities, with noise-related features that vary by model.
The tumble dryer below is an option if you’re looking for an appliance to handle regular loads. The four dehumidifiers are for households that want to keep drying clothes indoors and consider removing moisture from the air while their laundry dries. In both cases, check the space and ventilation in the room. If the damp persists, you’ll also need to find out what’s causing it.
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Worth considering if you regularly dry full loads without using an airer. Its stated capacity is 8 kg. Check its dimensions, programme duration and kWh per cycle to see whether it suits your space and how you plan to use it.
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Worth considering if you’re keeping your clothes airer and want to use the Dry mode while your laundry dries. The product title also lists Auto and Sleep modes. Check the conditions used to determine its stated extraction capacity, as well as the noise level for the mode you plan to use.
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Worth considering to help with indoor drying if you have space to use the tank or the drainage hose listed in the title. Check the conditions behind the stated capacity, as well as the noise and energy consumption for the length of time you expect to use it.
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Worth considering if you’re keeping your clothes airer and would like a Dry mode. The title also lists Auto and Sleep modes. Before choosing where to put it, check which mode the stated noise level applies to and the conditions used to measure its extraction capacity.
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Worth considering if you want to keep drying clothes on an airer with the help of a dedicated laundry mode. The title lists a 2.8 L tank and a continuous drainage hose. The 25 L/day figure alone can’t tell you how quickly your laundry will dry in your room. Check the noise level for the location you have in mind too.
No. It can reduce moisture in the air, but it won’t identify or fix what’s making the walls damp. France Rénov’ recommends getting persistent damp patches assessed to find their cause, including possible issues with the walls, water ingress and ventilation.
Compare the capacity, dimensions, kWh per cycle, programme duration at rated capacity and the noise level of the exact model. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the benefit of matching the tumble dryer’s capacity to that of your washing machine. Looking at energy use and cycle duration together also helps you avoid choosing based on the energy rating alone.
Choose a spacious, well-ventilated room or one with suitable extraction, in line with the recommendations reported by ADEME. If condensation persists, check that the ventilation is working properly rather than simply moving the airer.
Keep a record of the damp you’ve noticed and arrange to have the ventilation and the cause of the problem checked. ANIL points out that, under the requirements for decent housing in France, opening and ventilation systems must be in good condition and allow moisture to be removed as required for normal occupancy. Buying an appliance is no substitute for having this checked.