Drying the washing without a Tumble dryer

[Canistaysane]

Do those of you who don't own a tumble drier still do washing on a rainy day?

[rushofbloodtothefeet]

If I don't then we would disappear under the washing mountain. It means the house ends up festooned with washing - I can't wait until it gets cold enough to put the heating on and the washing might actually dry inside the house at last

[fanjobiscuit]

Yep- I either put it outside unless its actually pouring down and likely to stay that way -or drape horribly all over the backs of chairs and dining room table.

If there's more to dry and I've run out of chair backs/radiators I make my way up the bannisters (draping all the way) and onto the landing where there is a last ditch clothes horse waiting in the cupboard.

But this is really the last thing I use. Otherwise its outside all of the time - even during last winter clothes went out most of the time .

[AchtungBaby]

I just bought an Ebac dehumdifier - it's fab, and really helps clothes to dry quicker indoors.

I considered a heated airer for ages first though, but eventually realised that it wouldn't help with the condensation on my windows. But the dehumdifier has .

[supadupapupascupa]

if you have high ceilings get one of those racks on a pulley. We have one and washing dries overnight

[budgieshell]

Put wet washing on an airer in spare bedroom, do have a dehumidifier never thought to use it for wet washing. Thanks AchtungBaby I'm going to garage to get it straight away.

[Carrotsandcelery]

I second the pulley idea - I hang clothes on hangers on the pulley so it takes loads and loads.

I put smaller items on an airer and big things like towels on the radiators, even though they are not on.

We do have a tumble dryer but try to be a bit more environmentally sound and economic when we can.

I don't have an outdoor line.

[AchtungBaby]

Actually, I think I learned about dehumdifiers / washing on MN (while researching the rubbish heated airer idea)!

[Canistaysane]

Thanks everyone, I wondered what everyone did. I don't have a tumble dryer so on good days it goes outside on line. I think I need to try to do at least one load a day so I can get rid of my washing mountain! Will have to use my airer on rainy days.

[Carrotsandcelery]

Hi Cani I just realised it was you

[Canistaysane]

Hi Carrots The washing dried outside today as it was sunny, just wondered if people still washed on rainy days and it seems a lot of people do. I think I'll have to join them as we are drowning in laundry!

[AchtungBaby]

Ah, something quite obvious that I'd never thought to do until recently is - when the weather's a bit iffy, hang your washing on a clothes airer, and put the airer outside while it's still dry. You do need to be on the ball to bring the airer back inside if it starts to rain though .

[Seona1973]

if I didnt wash on rainy days we wouldnt have any clothes left (live in Scotland!). I have 2 airers in a spare bedroom and will hang washing outside on dry days

[Nihilisticbunny]

We have a washer/dryer but tbh the drying bit is shit I only use it in a dire emergency, it just makes things hot and wet rather than dry. yesterday was a good drying day so I did crap loads of washing.

I have finally got on top of the washing mountain atm I haven't seen the bottom of the washing basket since last summer, when it's raining in summer I have an airer and drape larger items over doors. In winter obviously radiators, with 3 kids, also dp and I, I have realised the time for a decent tumble drier has come.

[Carrotsandcelery]

Achtung I do that too with the airer if I am hanging around the kitchen. I tend to have the door open if it is even vaguely warm and put the airer out on the back step.

Seona Scotland here too so indoor drying is an essential.

Cani I just put a wash on every morning. Once you are on top of it you can set days for specific things like bessie does. Now I can even look at the washing and realise there is not enough to justify a load.

The system falls down when there is not enough for a load for a few days and then there is a dark, white and coloured load all at once.

[jalopy]

I use a heated airer on rainy days and right through winter. I dont have a tumble dryer.

[Empusa]

I live in a flat, so can never hang washing up outside. It all goes on an airer balanced over the bath.

[NonnoMum]

Um - I do about 2 or 3 loads a day - there's no way I would hang clothes around the house.
On a really bad day I go to the launderette and £1 will dry 2 loads or so in twenty minutes...

[wannabefree]

TBH I use the outside line about three times in a year!

Clothes maidens and dehumidifiers here.

Using my Eon energy monitor I've noticed it costs about £20 a month to have the dehumidifier on 24/7, so I've knocked it down to just having it on overnight. I live in a 110 year old house which means I do need it on a lot to prevent damp, so drying the clothes at the same time is handy.

[startail]

In the conservatory, which works well in summer when there is sunshine and showers. Over night on a line in the kitchen in winter when the Rayburn is on.
Long spells of dull wet days in summer make me as neither solution then works. This is, of course, exactly what happened in the week we returned from holiday and I had to resort to the tumble drier. (Horrid energy guzzling, crease inducing, clothes life shortening object - no I don't like tumble driers, I just don't get good results from it)

[AngelDog]

I wash whatever the weather, but do fewer loads if it's bad weather.

Mostly it goes on an airer in the kitchen / on banisters / on coathangers on doors.

I do have a Lakeland Dry-soon heated airer too (basically a huge towel rail) which is good, but can't be used for our nappies unfortunately. You do need a dehumidifier with it though - we used to get mould before we used one.

[Playingwithbuses]

I loved my tumble dryer and miss it, it dried clothes fairly quick and they came out pretty crease free too, ah lovely towels.

Alas no dryer now and clothes racks in middle of living room simply no where else they can go.

[Littlepumpkinpie]

I do clothes washing whatever the weather is doing outside. I have a huge clothes horse on the landing which holds 2 washloads and the washer is a big drum load of 8kg. I also use the shower rail in the bathroom to hang stuff up to dry. I do own a tumble dryer but rarely use it.

[Canistaysane]

Thanks everyone, I'm off to put some washing on (the weather looks rainy!).
Will have to use my Airers

[RememberYoureAWomble]

I wash whatever the weather as well, though try to time it for the better days each week. Our flat is very prone to damp, so have to try and avoid drying washing inside at all costs, even with the dehumidifier going.

This means regular trips to the launderette whenever can't manage to get washing dry outside. For ages I tried to avoid this as I thought it would be a huge hassle, but it's actually not too bad. We only live 10 mins walk from the launderette, so I load up the buggy with a couple of loads of wet washing and go down there. Whole trip only takes about an hour, can do bits of shopping while washing is tumble drying and DCs actually quite like going there (probably because they always get a gingerbread man from the bakery next door )

[kansasmum]

I have a tumble dryer in the garage and do use it for towels and bedding and emergency drying in winter when i can't hang laundry out. I have a large airer I use to dry inside.

I am trying to be more organised with laundry so it has time to dry and I don't need to chuck it in the dryer.
I have a woodburner in the lounge and will stick the airer in the lounge as its does speed up the drying considerably. I try and avoid having laundry draped on the radiators as i hate it!