I asked experts how to dry clothes inside without turning heating on - they all agreed on 1 thing

There's definitely a nip in the air these days, marking autumn's proper arrival.

Whilst the cooler, gloomier conditions are brilliant if you fancy staying cosy at home, it does sadly mean drying your washing indoors becomes much trickier.

With plenty of us keeping an eye on our spending and reluctant to fire up the heating quite yet, it can result in soggy, mouldy laundry that appears to take an eternity to dry.

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Fed up with this happening to me and eager to help others, I chose to ask some specialists about the best method to achieve dry laundry without depending on central heating or a tumble dryer.

And the guidance they provided was very consistent, with one particularly popular recommendation, reports the Express.

According to the majority of the specialists, air circulation is vital if you want dry clothes without any stale or mouldy odour this autumn.

Laundry expert David Marquardt, CEO of The Steam Team, says this forms a crucial element of the answer.

He explained: "Even in colder weather, open windows for a few minutes to release humid air and bring in fresh air. Brief daily ventilation reduces condensation and keeps indoor moisture from building up into a longer-term damp problem, without relying on heating.

"Make the short window-open routine part of your drying process to protect the home from damp and mould while clothes dry safely."

Selecting the proper time of day to hang your washing up to dry can also make an enormous difference.

Stephen Day, a heating engineer at iHeat, explains you can harness the sun's natural warmth to help in drying your garments, even during autumn. He advised: "Drying laundry during the daytime also helps, especially if there's natural light or even a bit of warmth coming through the windows. Positioning an airer near a window and keeping said window slightly open creates a simple airflow cycle that clears out the damp air as the clothes dry. If it's cold, even just cracking the window for 20 minutes can be enough."

Another popular suggestion was to invest in a good quality humidifier, which extracts moisture from the air, leaving your clothes mould-free and dry, even without heating.

Jonathan Kirby, a mould specialist at Dryzone, explained: "Consider investing in a simple airer and a dehumidifier with laundry mode placed right beside the rack. Space items on the airer to let air pass between them, put heavier pieces on the edge that faces your airflow, then rotate half-way through drying. Wipe any visible condensation as it appears and keep vents unblocked. Remember: the cost of running a dehumidifier is often cheaper than the cost of re-heating a room with its windows open.

"If a dehumidifier isn't an option, make the bathroom your 'laundry zone'. Shut the door, keep any trickle vents open and ensure the extractor fan is running to remove moisture before it can condense on the walls."

Not only does a dehumidifier speed up drying times, it's also more economical and potentially more effective than tumble drying as well. That's according to Kudzai Chinembiri atLove Energy Savings who explained: "A simple desk fan or dehumidifier with a laundry mode can significantly speed up the drying process. While a dehumidifier uses some electricity, it's far more efficient than switching on the central heating.

"It is worth also noting that clothes dried on a dehumidifier tend to have a softer feel once dry compared to clothes that have been through a tumble dryer. You also won't need to worry about damp or mould because dealing with that is one of the primary benefits of running a dehumidifier."

And when the moment finally arrives to turn on the heating, there's one error that emerged repeatedly that must be avoided at all costs: drying soggy clothes on the radiator.

Zoe Morris, money-saving expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk, warned: "Draping clothes directly on radiators blocks heat, meaning your boiler has to work harder (and longer) to warm the room. It also increases condensation indoors, which can lead to damp and mould over time."

Instead, she suggests positioning clothes on a drying rack, placed close to a radiator so they gain from the warmth without obstructing it. "For even more efficiency, a dehumidifier is one of the cheapest ways to speed up clothes drying indoors. It uses far less electricity than a tumble dryer, and also helps prevent damp, making it a double win for your wallet and your home," Zoe added.

This was supported by heating engineer Stephen, who explained: "Don't put your washing directly on radiators to dry, as it often causes more harm than good. This is because it blocks heat from circulating around the room properly, and the moisture from the clothes gets pushed into the air far too quickly. That sudden humidity clings to the coldest parts of the room, usually around windows or in corners, and it's here that black mould tends to show up first."