Bed expert's trick that dries your sheets without using a tumble dryer

As the turns increasingly damp and chilly, drying freshly laundered clothes outdoors becomes less feasible.

With remaining alarmingly high, many are seeking ways to avoid using power-hungry tumble dryers for as long as possible. Large items like towels and bed linens can be a nightmare to dry indoors, but one interiors expert has a solution that means you won't have to resort to your tumble dryer just to have fresh sheets on your bed at the weekend.

Georgia Metcalfe, founder of online bedroom retailer , suggests utilising surfaces around your home to dry sheets quickly - including your hallway bannisters. She advised: "Bedding needs a large surface area to dry quickly so drape wet sheets around the bannister to maximise indoor space and allow the fabric to breathe.

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"Many will use an airer, but these can be too small to work efficiently for large sheets. You could also create a beautiful scent by using lavender fabric softener in the washing machine as this will act as a diffuser whilst the sheets dry."

The expert also suggested using your doors to aid in drying your sheets - although she warned against directly hanging your laundry from your doors, as it could damage the fabric. Instead, repurpose a room that's not in use, such as a guest bedroom or your own room during the day, and attach adhesive hooks to the back of the door to create a makeshift indoor clothesline.

Georgia advises: "Place hooks on the backs of doors and even walls to create an internal washing line as this will provide an open space above the floor, then hang up washing to dry. This is best to do in spare or unused rooms as there is usually more space or it is easy to move furniture around to fit the line.

"I strongly advise against anyone hanging their linen on doors directly, as often decorators can't reach the top of doors, which leaves the bare wood exposed and may mean that the wood 'bleeds' onto your washing as it dries. There's also a risk that splinters from raw wood could snag the linen."

If you're trying to avoid using your tumble dryer, you might be tempted to put your linen on the radiator when the heating is on, but Georgia warns against this.

She explained: "Be careful of the rust particles which can transfer onto bed linen from radiators, creating blemishes on the sheets that are hard to remove, and appears worse on plain designs. A layer of clothes over a radiator will also reduce its efficiency in heating up the room and raise bills."

The specialist underscored the need for proper home ventilation while airing out laundry indoors, highlighting how trapped moisture can become a breeding ground for mould.

Speaking on the issue, she advised: "Your house will need to be well ventilated, which may be tricky during autumn and winter but can lead to issues such as black mould forming if it isn't. To dry sheets safely, it is essential to open windows a slither even in cold as the evaporation needs somewhere to escape and prevents problems further down the line."