--- title: "Best dehumidifier for drying laundry | Home Comfort Lab" description: "What makes a dehumidifier good at drying clothes, and the models whose specs suit it best." url: https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-dehumidifier-for-drying-laundry/ --- # Best dehumidifier for drying laundry What makes a dehumidifier good at drying clothes, and the models whose specs suit it best. By [Pete Harvey](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/about/), editor. Updated 14 October 2026. This page links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. [More about how this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/). ![A dehumidifier blowing air at a full clothes airer in a small room with the door and window shut.](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/images/scenes/best-dehumidifier-for-drying-laundry.svg) > **The short answer** > > For drying washing in a heated home, get a compressor dehumidifier of at least 12 litres a day with a laundry mode. In a cold room, a desiccant model dries faster. Either way, put the airer and the dehumidifier in a small room with the door shut. ## What to look for - **Laundry mode.** It runs the fan on high and ignores the humidistat, so it keeps drying instead of switching off once the room feels dry enough. - **Extraction of 12 litres a day or more.** A full load of washing holds a lot of water, and a bigger unit pulls it out of the air before it reaches the walls. - **A tank of 3 litres or more**, or a hose outlet, so it doesn't fill up and stop halfway through a load. - **A wide air outlet** you can point at the airer. Moving air does as much to dry clothes as dry air. [Dehumidifier size calculator](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/dehumidifier-size-calculator/): Choose 'Yes, most weeks' for washing and it sizes the dehumidifier for laundry as well as damp. ## Our picks These are chosen by their specs against the list above. We haven't tested them ourselves; the reasons say which spec puts each one here. ### For most homes Pro Breeze OmniDry 12L - **Type:** Compressor - **Extraction:** 12 litres a day - **Power:** 200W - **Noise:** 36dB - **Tank:** 2 litres - **Cost per hour:** 5.3p * Laundry mode Has a laundry mode and one of the lower noise ratings in its size, at 5.3p an hour. Its 2 litre tank is under the 3 litres we suggest, so with a big load you may need to empty it partway through. It is the size most homes need for a weekly wash. [View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/dh-comp-12a/) [Manufacturer specs](https://probreeze.com/products/omnidry-12l-quiet-dehumidifier-with-max-extraction) ### For a family's worth of washing Pro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier - **Type:** Compressor - **Extraction:** 20 litres a day - **Power:** 440W - **Noise:** 42dB - **Tank:** 5.5 litres - **Cost per hour:** 12p * Laundry mode 20 litres a day and a 5.5 litre tank suit several loads a week, with less emptying than a 2 litre model. It costs more to run, at 12p an hour. [View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/dh-comp-20a/) [Manufacturer specs](https://probreeze.com/products/20l-premium-dehumidifier-with-special-one-click-laundry-mode) ### For a cold utility room or garage Meaco DD8L - **Type:** Desiccant - **Extraction:** 7.5 litres a day - **Power:** 650W - **Noise:** 39dB - **Tank:** 2 litres - **Cost per hour:** 17p * Laundry mode A desiccant model keeps drying when the room is below 15°C, where compressor models slow right down, and it warms the room slightly as it goes. It uses more power, at 17p an hour. [View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/dh-des-8a/) [Manufacturer specs](https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-dehumidifier) ## Is it cheaper than a tumble dryer? Usually, yes, though it takes longer. A 12 litre compressor model running for five hours costs about 26p. Compare that with the kWh per cycle on your tumble dryer's energy label. A dehumidifier also keeps the rest of the room dry, which a heated airer on its own doesn't. Costs use **26.32p per kWh**, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own tariff may differ. [How we calculate](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/how-we-calculate/). ## Getting the most out of it 1. Spin the washing on the fastest spin the fabric allows. Less water in, less to remove. 2. Use the smallest room you can, with the door and window shut. 3. Space the clothes out on the airer so air can get between them. 4. Put the dehumidifier a metre or so from the airer, pointing its outlet at the clothes. 5. Turn laundry mode on and leave it until the clothes are dry, then empty the tank. More on [drying clothes indoors without causing damp](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dry-clothes-indoors-without-damp/). ## Read next - [How to dry clothes indoors without causing damp](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dry-clothes-indoors-without-damp/) (How to) A load of washing releases litres of water into the air. How to dry clothes inside without wet walls or mould. - [Best heated airer](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/best-heated-airer/) (Buying guide) How heated airers differ, what they cost to run, and which suit small flats, big families and drying fast. - [What size dehumidifier do I need?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/dehumidifier-size-calculator/) (Calculator) Answer four questions about your home and get the dehumidifier size and type that suits it, with what it will cost to run. - [Dehumidifier running costs: popular models compared](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dehumidifier-running-costs/) (Running costs) What each popular dehumidifier costs per hour and per month at the current price cap, from its rated power. --- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to shops are marked, and earning from them never decides what we recommend. [How this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/). Running costs use 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026.