Dry in a Jiffy

The SecO clothes dryer bridges the gap between large tumble dryers and clothing lines in an intuitive appliance that’s no bigger than a coat rack. It uses long wave infrared ceramic heaters with radiant directional wavelengths that oscillate water molecules, making them evaporate so that clothes are dry and wrinkle free in minutes. Ideal for compact apartments, the design folds down and can easily be stored under a bed or in a closet. It’s a quick and easy solution after you’ve been out in the rain or just need a quick dry for damp garments.

The base unit contains a low power, practically silent fan which draws the moist air down through holes in the aluminium tube and through a dehumidifying container in the base. This container holds self-indicating colour changing desiccant silica beads which dehumidifies the air. As the beads become saturated their colour changes so the user is aware they soon need recharging. When fully saturated, the beads can be recharged by placing in a microwave.

SecO will intuitively communicate the state of drying to the user. When it is switched on frosted LED backlit panels illuminate. Humidity sensors determine the humidity of the immediate surrounding area. As the clothes get dryer, the humidity decreases and this is visually represented by the LEDs becoming dimmer. The user can determine the clothes are getting dryer without having to touch them.

Far infrared ceramic technology only uses low watt ceramic heaters. The other electronic components also only use a very low amount of power. This results in incredible low running costs of 5p an hour with an average running time, to dry 6kg of washing, of 4 hours. This is respectively the best and cheapest way to dry your clothes. It won’t damage your clothes like some tumble dryers. It has no carbon emissions, is it completely eco-friendly and won’t leave drying lines like some mechanical airers.

Designer: Jack McCulloch