Help me - to dry my washing!

[WittyNickname]

Apologies if this question has been on here before, I'm rubbish at search engines (yes seriously - it's possible to be rubbish at search engines.. :)

Anyway, I'm looking for tips on drying my washing in a typical british cold, damp house. I can't afford the heating or a tumble dryer right now and I'm out at work all day so can't leave the windows open much.

Also, my house has a problem with mould so I am limited to the bathroom and kitchen to dry my clothes in. Does anyone have any tips? There's quite a bit on the internet but what do you think actually works best? And what do you do to dry it? Any "wierd" tips?

[chocolatespiders]

Have you seen the heated airers on Lakeland site? washing on them and then bit sheet over the top to keep the heat in.


I always hang my washing out even in winter as I think if it has a blow through then brought back inside to be finished off it drys much quicker.

Another thing would be a de humidifier if you have excess moisture in the house.

[specialsubject]

typical British houses are not cold and damp. It is cool for the time of year but it is not cold or damp. Something is wrong with your house.

is there nowhere outside at all?

if you have mould - is it condensation (drying indoors, no ventilation for shower/cooking, not opening the windows for 10 mins a day) or is it actual damp? If the latter, look at gutters, leaks etc etc. (If you rent, contact your landlord)

[WittyNickname]

Yes ironically it was easier in the dead of winter because they dried quite well out side! My problems started with the recent rain.

De humidifiers are about £100, are they very effective? I'm a bit scared to get one second hand as I'll be leaving it on all day.

Are either of them much to run, electricity wise?

I'm getting to that point where I'm starting to wear random clothes because I'm running out!

[WittyNickname]

Thanks Special.

I have space outside to hang clothes, but it's been raining a lot recently which is why I'm starting to get problems.

I asked the about the damp shortly after I moved in, she called a surveyour who said it is the ventilation and I shouldn't dry clothes in the rooms and should leave windows open etc etc. I rent unfurnished so I guess it's my responsibility (or is it..? is anyone an expert on that matter?)

[Kt1991]

My flat is awful for damp and mould, but sometimes the amount of washing I have makes it impossible to put anywhere! I have a dry buddi which is about 60.00 from places like tescos, or some of the catalogues. Really worth getting, it looks like a big tent with a heater in! it does take up a bit of room so not ideal if you live in a small place, but drys clothes within 3/4 hours. It also doesn?t use too much electricity either.

[intheshed]

Lakeland heated airer. It's awesome.

[Lamazeroo]

I live in a cold damp flat. A dehumidifier has been LIFESAVING. Best £100 you'll spend. I recommend Delonghi; read the reviews on the Amazon.

[MrsHoarder]

Try to get your windows open. If they have a tickle setting leave them on that over the summer to keep air flowing through the house.

As for clothes, get airers that you can lift in and out easily and put them outside whenever you can then bring them in for the rest of the time. Our kitchen has a window at each end so I open those when the washing has to be inside and the air blows straight through.

But really if you don't have time to dry your washing outside you need a tumble drier.

[MrsHoarder]

Meant to say: putting the washing straight out for a couple of hours means most of the water is lost outside, especially when its warm and breezy.

Can you set your washing machine on a timer so its done as soon as you get home and put it out then?

[sparkle12mar08]

You need a decent dehumidifier. We have ours running in the bathroom 24/7 through most of the winter, precisely for this purpose. I would second DeLonghi mentioned up thread.

[RawCoconutMacaroon]

I keep saying this on tumble dryer threads, but none believe me . New, "A" rated dryers are cheaper to run, per kg of washing dried, than those hideous as space consuming heated driers! Yes they cost only a few pence an hour to run, but it takes many hours to dry a load of washing, and all the water in the clothes evaporate into your house, so really needs to be used in conjunction with a dehumidifier(which also cost money) or you damage your house, furniture and your health with the damp! Not to mention they are damn ugly too.

If at all possible, get an A rated dryer, and next time you replace your washing machine, pay close attention to the spin-speed, that makes a huge difference to how dry the washing is straight from the machine, so it needs a lot less drying time. 1600spin is very good (some cheap washing machines are only 600 or 800). You can get faster (1800) but they are very, very expensive.

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

If your washing machine doesn't have a high spin you can buy separate spinners - it's surprising how much extra water comes out.

[specialsubject]

whether you rent furnished or unfurnished makes no difference. I'm afraid it sounds like you are causing the damp.

Obviously you can't leave windows open while you are out, but get the place aired when you are at home - it doesn't need hours and hours. It doesn't rain every day so try to plan your washing for a forecast dry day - doesn't need to be scorching sun, just not raining. And look at the amount of washing you are doing - many people do far too much. Only underwear and sweaty office shirts need washing after each wearing.

you should have an extractor fan in the bathroom, if not open the window for 10 mins after a bath or shower.

Finally, get at that mould with some bleach.

[Frontdoorstep]

I agree with RawCoconutMacaroon about tumble dryers btw, they are quick,efficient and not that expensive to run. I think you are causing the damp problem or at least adding to it by having all that wet washing lying around.esws

[Flibbertyjibbet]

we have a very small kitchen and no room for a tumble dryer. Ihave a 1600rpm spin speed washer so stuff comes out dampish rather than just wet. I hang things out to start them off, even for a couple of hours between showers, it gets them quite dry then if I HAVE to I will put them on a maiden in the bathroom with the shower door open and fan on.

Anything that dries clothes in your house, without being vented outside (like a tumble dryer) lets all the water in your clothes, out into the atmosphere of the house. I have no idea where the moisture is going from that tent thing, must just end up in the house. One full wash load a day and that is a LOT of water to be in the house, and it settles anywhere it can and causes mould.

[treesntrees]

I agree about hanging washing outside. Despite the weather we have been having I have'nt had to hang anything inside for several weeks. Even today despite the heavy rain in the early afternoon the washing was dry enough to iron or put in airing cupboard when I got home at tea time. I work on the premis that if I put my washing out early, perhaps well anchored with three or four pegs per item if windy there is a good chance it will be nearly dry by the time I get home.

[NonnoMum]

Thinking outside the box...

Is there any chance you can get to a launderette? Rather than risk damp in my house, I wash about 3 or 4 loads on a Friday night/ Sat am and then get out to the launderette on a Sat afternoon... £1 dries them all pretty much in half an hour, or maybe the towels need and extra 20p. Oh, and I get to leave the kids for half an hour and read a book.
please don't anyone buy me a whizzy tumble drier thank you

[OliviaMMumsnet]

@RawCoconutMacaroon

I keep saying this on tumble dryer threads, but none believe me . New, "A" rated dryers are cheaper to run, per kg of washing dried, than those hideous as space consuming heated driers!

Ah but what about the wear and tear on the clothes? I am sure tumbling is BAD BAD BAD for clothes

[RayABlokeIUsedToKnow]

My old flat had a terrible problem with damp. I used to wash the washing on a normal wash and then do an extra spin after, it made all the difference to the clothes. We also kept all of the windows on the setting that allows air to flow through, even in winter.

[Showtime]

If I didn't have the boiler-room, I think I'd be off to the launderette for an hour like Nonnomum (probably takes longer to fold and sort for ironing , hang on hangers etc.)

[RawCoconutMacaroon]

Ok, oliviamums net, I conceded I know nothing of how much wear to the clothes versus flapping about on the line outside, or hanging over the clothes airer inside, then getting ironed vigorously...

But our clothes (even the ones that say do not tumble, or dry clean only), which are regularly tumble dried, seem to last quite well, years and years mostly.
Although I do sort the washing (ie towels/jeans together, t-shirty type materials together etc), so that probably reduces wear in both washer and dryer.

To me the issue of the damage to house, (and health, if the "damp" is bad enough) is more important.

Most damp in houses (with no obvious structural issues) is caused by cooking and the drying of washing... People just don't realise how much water wet clothes have in them.

I guess I feel strongly about this due to experience of damage to our (well maintained, non damp), house which we rented out for a while when we moved cities. The tenant was asked several times not to dry washing over the doors/radiators etc, ascwe could see the problem developing but they kept doing it. The mould (which they kept complaining about) was spreading and growing by the week, and the house felt "wet" when you walked in.
At the end of the tenancy, we had to redecorate several rooms and scrub the windows (I have never seen mould growing on glass before!). There was no damp problem in that house, there was a washing/people problem!!!

[UseHerName]

running a dehumifier can double your electric bill

bitter experience

[Potterer]

I will second the spin speed of your washing machine comment, I had a very old bosch washing machine with a 1200 spin, it died and I replaced it with an AEG 1400 spin because it was the one they could get to me the fastest!

Sod's law then my tumble drier broke, it was a no name thing that had served me well. I bought an AEG (because I stack one on top of the other) and it is a 8kg condenser sensor tumble drier.

For a normal 7kg load of washing, say school uniform trousers and jumpers (I am sure we can all relate) it is only in the tumble drier for just under an hour literally. I know because the thing beeps at me and I can see how long the next load of washing has left to go. I put it on "storage dry" and leave it sitting in the heat. Then I take it out and run an iron over it all.

For a wash with jeans in it does take longer, up to 1 1/2 hours but I never do a wash with just jeans, it is either a dark colours wash or a blacks wash with jeans in too.

Having had 2 babies with reflux I couldn't have been without the tumble drier in winter. I couldn't dry clothing on the radiators and have that much water released into the house.