Tumble dry your clothes faster

Maximise the spin cycle

Before you start drying, make sure you get as much moisture out of your load of washing as possible. If you put it on the highest spin speed, there will be less moisture for your tumble dryer to remove, so it won't have to work as hard.

Clean the lint filter 

Check the lint filter and clean it if necessary. A clogged filter can restrict airflow, making your dryer less efficient. Cleaning it regularly will help your dryer work faster and more efficiently.

Dry like, with like

Dry similar items together, such as cotton t-shirts or pairs of jeans. Mixing thick, bulky items with thinner, delicate ones can lead to uneven drying (and could cause damage). Keeping similar fabrics together to means everything dries at the same rate.

Shake it

Give your clothes a good shake before putting them in the dryer. This helps to untangle them and allows hot air to reach all areas, speeding up the drying process.

Throw in the towel

Toss a dry towel in with your load. It will absorb some of the moisture and speed up drying. If you're only drying a couple of things, take the towel out of the dryer after around five minutes. If it's a full load, leave the towel in there for around 15 minutes. The towel should only feel a bit damp when you pull it out, and you can just hang it up to air dry.

Think small

Dry smaller loads to give the warm air more room to circulate. Overloading your dryer can slow down the drying process. Smaller loads dry faster and more evenly.

Tennis balls

Throw in a couple of clean tennis balls. They will help to create gaps between your clothes as the dryer tumbles, preventing them from bunching up and allowing more hot air to circulate for faster drying.

Dryer balls

Using dryer balls or wool balls can also help speed up drying time. They work like the tennis balls by creating gaps between clothes and improving air circulation. Plus, they can help reduce static and soften fabrics naturally. 

Don't add wet clothes

Avoid adding wet clothes mid-cycle. The moisture from the wet clothes will be absorbed by the dry clothes, causing the entire load to take longer to dry.

Residual heat

If you have multiple loads to dry, dry each load immediately after the other. This way, the second load will benefit from the residual heat of the previous load, reducing overall drying time.