It’s -8 with 6” of snow and the tumble dryer is dead. So I changed the sheets and pillow cases, then turned over the king sized duvet with a brushed cotton duvet cover. It is never going to dry, just hope the new machine comes soon.
@romola unfortunately the U.K. is generally too damp to do as you do, the washing freezes and thaws and refreezes, stays damp or gets wet with rain. It rarely dries outside in winter. I do peg things out for an airing if it is dry enough, although I don’t expect it to dry and I have to keep an eye on the weather. I have just had to buy a new tumble dryer as mine broke down and I don’t have much space indoors for drying. My nearest laundrette is two busses and a train ride away (plus a half hour walk) so that’s not really an option 🤷🏻♀️ Wish it was, I hate the smell of indoor dried bedding (although the smell of scented fabric conditioners is even worse!)
Recently I’ve seen large, outdoor ‘launderette facilities’ at petrol stations, rather like parcel lockers - not sure where you’re supposed to go to wait for the wash to finish? In your car, I suppose…🤔 The large drum takes 20kg!!
Oh yes - our nearest DIY store has recently acquired ( in the car park) outdoor laundry machines, for larger wash loads. It’s quite expensive but up would be useful for duvets or curtains- or if travelling. We have a camper van and outdoor laundry facilities in supermarket car parks are really useful! New to UK but I wonder if Scotland will get some.?
Get a Night Lark duvet. Lovely and warm and lightweight, I haven't used a hot water bottle since I got mine. Wash the whole thing and it dries indoors hung over a rack in 90 mins max.
I change the bedding depending on the weather - and my schedule ( as I’ll need to be around to rescue items from the line if it starts to rain.we do have a spare set of sheets/ covers.
Outdoor drying is best, save energy and get benefit of UV rays on clothes. Need direct sunshine at this time of year and not all properties can boast a decent drying area.
I cam remember my Mum hanging out sheets in winter and they'd be frozen solid when fetched in so still damp anyway. 😀
I use a flat sheet under my duvet so I wash the sheet weekly but cover only fortnightly. We have a super king duvet on a king size bed so that I can get at least some of the cover as DH is a cover hogger. I find changing the super king cover quite difficult hence the flat sheet to save some work.
We use a bottom and top sheet which get changed weekly but I'm afraid that the duvet cover doesn't get changed fortnightly. My logic is that we would never have washed blankets so often and eiderdowns probably once in a blue moon so a duvet shouldn't need changing fortnightly if you use sheets.
It's just such a struggle to change a king-size duvet too.
I aim for three weeks in Winter two weeks in Summer but I'm the only one sleeping in it any way. I often forget how long it was. I don't keep a diary note of when I wash the sheets. One Winter I worked out it had been 5 weeks but I had a damaged knee so couldn't stand for long. I could have asked one of the family for help but by the time I remembered I was OK to go it myself. I cant dry over a door as the tops of my doors have never been painted a d the wood stains come through onto the washing.
Outdoor drying is best, save energy and get benefit of UV rays on clothes. Need direct sunshine at this time of year and not all properties can boast a decent drying area.
I have just googled outdoor laundrettes. Goodness they are outdoors!! And the big washer holds a lot. I will see if there is one close by. What a good idea. Car wash. Clothes wash.
In Switzerland, washing gets hung outside even in freezing weather, if it's dry and sunny. The washing goes solid with ice, but then the ice evaporates and the washing dries. What's the weather like where you are?
I’ve noticed a few outdoor laundromat openings up. We have two close by which have washing machines that can take up to 18kg load. I used one following a bout of norovirus as I wanted to wash both my duvet and the mattress topper. They were very easy to use and once loaded I went into Morrison’s cafe and had a coffee.
Kirkcubbin where I live in Scotland a lot of days are bad weather days so we wash irrespective of the weather. The OP lives in the Scottish Highlands so no doubt will get more bad weather than most of the UK.
Fortnightly is fine for most people, including me, though more often in summer when it is hot. No laundrette anywhere near. I don’t have a tumble dryer, partly as I don’t have room, but also on principle. I can’t dry anything over the banister or over the back of a chair, as they are stained wood, so would stain the item. Ok for airing though. I have a non- heated rack for drying indoors. My daughter has the old-style rack from the ceiling over her Aga.
Asthmatic here and must change bedding weekly tho get two weeks out of duvet covet by turning it. Pillowcases are twice a week. All 100% cotton and always ironed
Our laundrette closed. The nearest one now is quite a drive away. I am storing up the large towels and may take them for a serviced wash again a drive away. Where we lived when I was a child, there was a proper laundry not far away and we had our towels and cotton sheets laundered there. Had to sew our laundry number in the items. I suppose they all went in together in vast boilers. I can't remember if they collected and delivered back. It wouldnt have been very very expensive as we were ordinary working class. And my mum was a part time nurse. It must have been such a help in the winter.