Using a heated towel rack for drying clothes: Pros and cons

When it comes to drying our clothes indoors, we want to be able to get the job done as affordable and as quickly as possible – all whilst causing as little condensation as possible.

Sometimes air drying takes too long when the weather is particularly cold and you’re trying to keep the heating off as much as you can.

In this case, one of the most popular ways to dry clothes is by using a heated towel rack.

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Consumer choice brand Which? explained: “Radiators can start overheating if you put clothes on them, which is one of the reasons why it's not recommended you do this.

“However, heated towel rails are radiators specifically designed for drying fabrics. They will heat to the temperature you set them at, even if you cover them with an armful of damp socks.”

But what are the pros and cons when it comes to money and time? Let’s find out what the experts at Which? had to say.

What are the pros of using a heated towel rack?

There are pros and cons to drying clothes on a heated towel rack (Image: Getty)

Quick

“As with every drying method, the type of fabric and level of dampness will largely dictate the drying time, but in most cases cranking up the heat on your towel rail will dry your clothes in a few hours.”

What are the cons of using a heated towel rack?

Small capacity

“Most heated towel rails only have room for a few items, certainly not enough space for a full washing machine load.”

Expensive

“If the towel rail is connected to your central heating, you’ll be adding to your gas bills every time you keep the heating on longer than you usually would because you’re waiting for clothes to dry.

How you can reduce your energy bills

“If you opt for an electric radiator it’s your electricity bills that will take the hit.

“The amount will depend on the wattage of the rail, but a typical one-kilowatt towel rail will cost on average 27p an hour to run.”

Risk of damp

“Just like all indoor methods of drying clothes, ventilation is important to avoid damp.

“Hopefully your heated towel rail is located in a bathroom, which most will already be equipped with a vent or extractor fan to handle the steam from showering.”

Which? concluded their findings by saying: “Heated towel rails could be useful if you already have one for quickly drying larger items, such as towels, or speeding up the drying process on damper garments.

“However, the cost and limited capacity mean for full loads of laundry it’s better to use an alternative primary method for indoor drying.”