Hang up your clothes to dry

Save yourself some money and do the planet a favour

Washing and drying clothes over the course of a year is a drain on all our bank balances and the planet’s resources, unless you’re a naturist, in which case (a) congratulations on your work in saving the planet and (b) how on earth do you make it through a Bristol winter without any clothes? Actually, no, don’t answer that – it probably won’t make it through our firewall.

If you’ve got a tumble drier, there’s an 81% chance that you use it for all your drying. It’s just too convenient. But not that good for the planet or your bank balance. Combining that drier with washing machine use will rack up an average £80 annual bill.

Switch to a clothes rack or washing line to save money and free the planet from tonnes of CO2. Bonus: clothes will smell like summer meadows and unicorns (probably).

One caveat: don’t just put it on your radiators, as then you’ll still be paying to dry your clothes and adding potential problems from moisture in the air to your house!