Households urged to hang clothes during only 1 hour in November

Experts have revealed when you should hang up your washing during the winter months in the UK. Drying laundry can be a bit of a nightmare when the days get darker and colder. The UK enjoyed perfect conditions this summer when it came to drying clothes, but temperatures have changed, and many people aren't even thinking of setting foot in their gardens to hang up their laundry. When drying clothes indoors, it's good to know how to get the job done faster.

Most homes will have switched on their heating systems by now. Not only does this help your home stay warm when temperatures drop below 15C outside, but it can also help your washed clothes to dry faster. However, you might be wary of using the heating too much as energy bills have increased for winter 2025. But nature can actually be on your side. When you are hanging up your clothes indoors, it's important to pick the sunniest spot. But the timing is essential.

To make sure your clothes dry as quickly as possible, you can give them as much sunshine as possible. This is why you should hang them up right before sunrise. This ensures that they get exposed to as much sun as possible.

Sunshine heats up homes in a process known as passive solar heating. Sunlight enters homes and heats up the surfaces it touches. So, you will want to hang your wet clothes in these areas of your home.

In November, sunrise will be between 6.54am and 7.42am. This means that you will want to make sure your clothes are hanging up between these times to make sure they get as much sun exposure as possible when they are hanging in your home.

Dr Claire Asher writes for BBC Science Focus that heat helps moisture in wet clothes to evaporate faster. Therefore, it's important to pick the warmest part of the home.

However, there are other things you need to ensure. Your laundry should hang in a spot with good air flow. This can be hard to achieve in winter as we don't tend to open windows as much.

So, you can use things like desk fans to create air flow, helping your clothes dry faster when inside.