A dehumidifier in a closed room with your airer is one of the cheapest ways to dry washing indoors. It also stops the water ending up on your windows. This guide re-ranks our dehumidifier list for laundry: laundry mode, extraction rate, whether it works in a cold room, and what a load costs.
Compressor models work best in a heated room (roughly 15–25°C) and use less power for the water they remove. Desiccant models keep working in cold rooms and add a little warmth, but use more power. Most homes drying clothes in a heated room should choose a compressor. For an unheated utility room or garage, choose a desiccant.
A worked example at the Ofgem cap of 26.32p/kWh, using rated power. Drying time depends on the load, the room and the spin speed. The 6-hour figure is an assumption for illustration, not a measured time.
| Model | Rated power | Per hour | 6 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaco Arete Two 20L | 207W | 5.4p | 32.7p |
| De'Longhi DEX216F | 290W | 7.6p | 45.8p |
| Pro Breeze 20L | 420W | 11.1p | 66.3p |
| Meaco DD8L Pro (low / high) | 231–623W | 6.1p–16.4p | 36.5p–98.4p |
A heated airer warms the clothes; a dehumidifier removes the moisture from the air. A dehumidifier stops condensation and damp building up, so it is the better choice in a small flat. Using both together is fastest. See our heated airer list.
A setting that runs the dehumidifier at full extraction, usually with a stronger fan, ignoring the normal humidity target until the washing is dry.
It depends on power and time. At 26.32p/kWh, a 207W model costs about 5.4p an hour and a 420W model about 11.1p, so about 32.7p–66.3p over a 6-hour run.
Compressor models slow down a lot in cold rooms. A desiccant model such as the Meaco DD8L Pro works down to about 1°C, according to Meaco.
No. We use published tests (Expert Reviews, The Telegraph) and manufacturer ratings, and the cost table uses an assumed run time.
We started from the products and sources in our The 10 Best Dehumidifiers in the UK (2026) list and re-ranked them for this one question, using only published test results, retailer specs and manufacturer ratings. We have not tested these products hands-on. Figures were checked on 22 Oct 2026. Read our editorial policy.