Clothes Drying Advice please ?

Victorian house therefore
high ceilings, always had pulley type . I think you can still buy the brackets and poles. It’s the best. Takes washing machine load up to the ceiling. Dry the next day. Hang and fold neatly and you won’t have to iron, unless you want to.

I’ve had one of these drying pods for years. Mine’s a dri-buddy. It’s absolutely great. All the small teams inside, tops etc. on hangers and duvets, sheets, jeans hung over the top of it. I keep a humidity trap in the spare bedroom with it and open the window when in use. I have a washer/dryer and never used the dryer!

Just a Gran trying to help answer a question!

We only have a one bed bungalow but there is a cupboard in the bathroom that we put a rail in and we use a dehumidifier in there. Not great as can’t get a lot in but we have no alternative

MaggsMcG

I've seen people hang duvet covers and sheets over the doors. I'd suggest making sure they've been dusted first though.

this hanging practice means the tops of doors never need to be dusted.
i like the idea of using the house itself for drying possibilities, eg return of the stairs bannister, doorways, picture rails, shower curtain rail, window knobs for hangers, as well as radiator rails.

I hang our washing outside on a washing line in all weathers except heavy rain....! I then hang it on an unheated clothes horse near a radiator to 'finish off'.... I had been using a clothes rack suspended across the top of the staircase to our mezzanine floor overlooking the living room but found it often dried with a 'musty' smell.... I still use that rack if the drying process is 'well on' when I take the washing in. We've lived in Orkney most of our married life so we often have several types of weather in one day.... I discovered in the early days that blizzards fluffed up Terry nappies beautifully in made them very white.....!

FauxNanna

I was wondering what peoples thoughts are on having one to run in the room I work from during the day drying washing and keeping me warm so I don’t need to have the heating on? do you think it would help warm a room too?

depends on the size of the room, and other variables.
give it a try. but remember to keep window slightly open. ventilation is a must, for the house, and for your health if sitting in the room. good luck for happy drying/warming.

Leavesden... I don't use fabric softener or dryer. I soften towels and clothes by rubbing the fabric. It really does work...even after line drying. It is how it used to be done

Dehumidifier works well and cheap to run

it's strange, but i've not found a problem with hard towels. i don't use fabric softener on anything.
i have noticed in other people's houses the towels are often v hard, in same water area.
i don't have a tumble dryer.
i wonder if perhaps people are using too much detergent ?

I have a tumble drier but have bought an airer which I can put up in the conservatory- has worked quite well. I can also dry clothes on an outside line if weather permits.

this has saved my life, and that of many I've recomm3nded it to www.lakeland.co.uk/21736/dry-soon-3-tier-heated-airer

I used to use an Edwardian style rack drier in my old house ,(was1799 so suited it) and everything dries overnight!! All the heat rose up even when cold and I was at work it was great! I bought one for newbuild 24yearx ago and never put it up , nowhere suitable but I'm going to dig it out and put it upon my den ( half garage conversion) and use it again, anything up near ceiling will dry quickly it's surprising how warm it gets up there, no costs either it works if no heating on too!

My son in law always uses a Sheila Maid ….. which is also his mother in laws name …. Which makes him smile…. as over the years looking after grandkids and doing a ‘few chores’ while I’m in the house ….Ive used a lot…. I was brought up with a Sheila Maid ( in the kitchen) …my son in laws is right at top of house over the stairs ! Works brilliantly !

I put mine on clothes airer in my sun-room , which gets the sun all day and stuff dry overnight. Or put in garden as washing line is a little shaded behind a hedge!

We have a rack and do our washing before going to bed and then direct a swivelling fan standing on a table at it and it’s all dry by morning. Very cheap way and even works for towels. A floor standing airer is an alternative to the rack. Can’t stand washing around during the day! We even take a fan to Cornwall for our holidays!!

I had one of those my first children were babies - but that was in the mid 80s!

Krispii

I had one of those my first children were babies - but that was in the mid 80s!

That was supposed to be a reply to the message about having a Flatley!

I use an ordinary free-standing clothes airer, surprising what you can get on it. Smaller items on the bars, then the sheet goes over the whole thing like a tent. I always hang the washing at night before going to bed and put it in the hall behind the front door so that if a burglar tries to get in, the racket will wake me up when it falls over. (That last bit is me being fanciful). I live in a flat so no access to drying outside.

I’ve had my heated rail thing for years now so I’m sure I have recouped the cost. I throw an old king size sheet over and it makes the laundry dry quicker. I’m lucky to have a garden room where it goes out of sight and I leave the window slightly open. I’ve recommended them to others who have all been pleased.

Hi. I use a HANGAWAY to dry my tops, trousers, dresses, cardigans etc. it has three arms and a stand when in uSe and when not in use it lives folded up, taking very little space in a corner of spare room. Each item for drying needs to placed on a clothes hanger. Some fabrics don’t need ironing and can be popped straight into wardrobe. I keep window open in summer and in winter drying is from radiator warmth. Winter this year may be an experiment with a dehumidifier as I intend turning radiator off. I hang sheets and towels on line and finish in tumble dryer for a few minutes. If raining washing has to wait until good drying day. Hope this is helpful, would recommend the HANGAWAY which is very reasonably priced.

I was going to mention Orkney but then saw your post Seadragon. I was impressed to see clothes out on the lines in all weathers. You can buy extra strong pegs there too.

My washing goes on the line outside or on a pulley in the kitchen, where it dries overnight. The tumble drier bought in 1976 still works for emergencies.

We dry clothes outside as much as we can. My dining area has light streaming in and often has a clothes airer set up. Not unknown to suspend a fitted sheet or towels over the table draped over a couple of tall items. Its enough for our household. We do use a tumble drier but usually just to air clothes as required and can't see that we will change that much despite rising costs. Although we are batch cooking more and using microwave to part cook things before they get crisped up in the oven. Grandchildren are now automatically switching lights up but thats taken a while ?

I use an airer in the spare room and a dehumidifier, on for a short period and it keeps the condensation down and dries the clothes in about 48 hours. The room is not heated usually so it would be much quicker with central heating in there.

GR206

I found that my Meaco dehumidifier dries my washing quicker than heat. It pulls the moisture out, I purchased the ECO model and it doesn’t light up the ‘orange’ light on the smart meter. I had the dehumidifier because we moved near the sea and naturally there is more moisture in the air, by chance I left it on in a room along with the airer and voila- dry washing. I did turn it and check the tank more often as it fills quicker. I think it kinder to the fabrics too.

Another vote for the Meaco low energy dehumidifier which dries my clothes quickly without using heat.
If you’re looking at dehumidifiers you have to be aware that there are different types, desiccant dehumidifiers are expensive to run as they have a heater in them.