I tried Aldi’s new dehumidifier to help dry my washing – it’s only £45 & hits stores this week, but how did it perform?
IT’S nifty, it’s compact, but can a 2L dehumidifier from Aldi dry my washing?
Launching into stores on Thursday 17th October, is the Ambaino Dehumidifier 2L.
Priced at £44.99, it is one of the cheapest dehumidifiers on the market.
It’s said to “improve air quality, relieve allergies, remove damp and help clothes dry quicker when placed near an airer”.
But it’s also pretty small. Does it have the power to take on a load of washing? I put it to the test.
First impressions
It’s very lightweight, so it will be easy to transport from store, and the size of it means it doesn’t take up much space when it’s not in use.
It looks well-made and robust, and can be set-up and used in a matter of seconds.
Aldi says the dehumidifier has “quiet operation”. Whilst I wouldn’t say it’s noisy, there is a very obvious hum in the background when it’s on, and I could hear it even with the door closed.
It features an automatic switch off when full – brilliant – and is suitable for small rooms up to 15m².
Having put it into position, I quickly noticed how the room started to fill with the fragrance of my laundry detergent. That was a nice surprise!
3 hours later…
There was probably 50-100ml of water in the 2L tank – so not a great deal of moisture had been sucked out of the washing.
As for how damp the clothes felt, parts of them were dry; the arms on jumpers and t-shirts for example, where the cold air had been blowing were dry.
Sportswear was very nearly dry, but thick cotton socks and towels were still very damp.
The dehumidifier worked, but it would need to be on for a long time to dry your laundry efficiently.
How does a dehumidifier work?
A dehumidifier removes moisture from the air by drawing in warm, moist air.
- Pull in air: A fan pulls in warm, moist air from the room.
- Cool the air: The air passes over a refrigerated coil, which cools the air and causes the moisture to condense.
- Collect water: The condensed water drips into a storage tank or bucket.
- Reheat the air: The dehumidifier reheats the remaining air and releases it back into the room.
Dehumidifiers can reduce the relative humidity in a room to 30–50%.
Many dehumidifiers have a meter that measures the humidity and allows you to set a desired humidity level.
The verdict?
Overall, it is a good gadget, and I’ll rate it across three areas; price, performance and design.
Price – 4/5
After using it, I feel £44.99 is a little expensive for the dehumidifier this size. I think £30-£35 would be a fairer price.
Performance – 3/5*
It’s good, but not revolutionary.
Because of how small it is, I just don’t think it has the power to suck moisture quickly out of clothes and blast them with air.
To add to this – it is quite noisy!
But it works, like all other dehumidifiers do, at removing moisture.
Design – 1/5**
The 2L tank isn’t too small; if you’re regularly checking your washing or moving the dehumidifier around so it hits all the laundry, then you will be checking the tank and emptying it as you go.
It’s the position of the vents that really lets this dehumidifier down.
On either side, there is a vent that blows air – and it blows air nowhere near your laundry. The vents ideally need to be positioned at the front or on top if you want to use it to help dry your laundry.
*The score is based on how well the dehumidifier performed at helping dry my laundry. If we’re judging the dehumidifier on just being a dehumidifier, then 5/5.
**Again, the score is based on how well the dehumidifier performed at helping dry my laundry. If we’re judging the dehumidifier on it being used stationary in a room to help condensation and mould, then it doesn’t matter where the vents are, so 5/5.