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May we have a clothes drying thread please?

37 replies

Rooners · 23/08/2014 11:43

Not a whole section, Grin just a thread.

About to move and we're finally going to have a bathroom with an actual window [faints] and space to dry clothes.

I'm clueless. Do we need to fit some sort of extractor? I hate having one on when I'm having a bath, as our current bathroom is an en suite and under some stairs and I never want to have that humming again, at least, not all the time.

Can we fit a fan thing into the window? Or how does it work?

Also do we need an airing cupboard or can we manage without? I have to admit I love airing cupboards more than anything but the space isn't vast and we might be getting a combi boiler.

So what are your thoughts on clothes drying - we are sans tumble dryer, but please feel free to pile in with your own questions and ideas about what works best, including electrical solutions, and hopefully we can all benefit before the winter sets in Smile

Ooh yes I'm planning on getting a ceiling airer too - but I take it over the bath isn't the best place for this?

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PigletJohn · 23/08/2014 14:12

if you're whining about the noise of an extractor (haha) look at one that goes above the bathroom ceiling, typically in the loft.

Not only are they quieter than cheap fans, they are also outside the room, and can be mounted on a piece of thick ply, preferably with carpet on both sides, to muffle the noise still more.

It will mean making a hole in the loft wall (preferably) with a Core Drill for the duct to go through. Or you may have a gap in the eaves it can be poked through. Making a hole in the roof may cause leaks. Duct in a cold loft should have insulation flopped over it to prevent condensation inside. It must never vent steam into the loft.

The ducted fans are typically about three times as powerful as cheap fans, and can usually be set to run at half or full speed. They will run for about 50 hours on one unit of electricity (15p)

A good extractor will mean that if you hang wet washing over the bath, the water vapour will be sucked out. It will also greatly reduce condensation and mould from baths and showers, and keep the room fresher if you have it come on with the light switch.

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Rooners · 23/08/2014 18:14

Many thanks for taking the trouble, PigletJohn.

When you say a gap in the eaves - are you talking about the soffit? I don't know what that is, but I think I know where it is Smile

I will investigate...and that sounds great that they are so cheap to run.

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PigletJohn · 23/08/2014 21:48

not all houses have a soffit. If you do you can cut a hole in it. Might be a bit tricky off a ladder. I don't know if wood hole saws go that big.

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mipmop · 23/08/2014 22:01

I have this type of inline fan, and it's great. Much more effective than standard extractor fans. I have one question if PigletJohn is still reading this thread, hopefully useful to you too Rooners- it's about cleaning the ceiling vent which is currently difficult, I'd be happy to replace the vent if there's a better type available. I have a round vent in the ceiling which is just a round plastic grille, maybe 4" diameter, connected to the inline fan in the loft. There is no removable filter in this vent, so the only way to clean it seems to be using the hose from a hoover (which I'm not sure is very effective) or pulling the vent out of the ceiling, which isn't easy as the vent is held in place by cable tie-type things that have to be cut and replaced each time the vent is cleaned. Any tips are appreciated.

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PacificDogwood · 23/08/2014 22:05

Yy to outside fan - we have the motor for the extractor fan in the kitchen outside and it's v quiet inside not so much outside

Wrt clothes drying: I have a pulley that does to the ceiling and I would not do without it anymore - brilliant.
Airing cupboard: I am not so bothered about, but it is nice to have.

Will you have outside drying space?

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PigletJohn · 23/08/2014 22:09

I don't think bathroom vents usually have filters. It probably has a 100mm push fitting, so you may find one in the standard size that incorporates a filter and screws to the ceiling, or clips on. A hinged one that flops down would be even better, but I don't think I've seen one. Hoovering the grille is quite usual. Start by measuring the duct size, there are not many standard sizes.

You can buy filter fabric, as used in PC fans, in several standards sizes, or in a sheet that you cut with scissors. It would obstruct the flow though. If you know the brand of your fan, ask the makers what they recommend.

Also go to ebay and search "100mm fan filter" or similar and see if anything appeals. Some of them are designed to capture the scent from loft cannabis plantations which is not what you want.

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catwithflowers · 23/08/2014 22:10

Retractable washing line in the garden/yard and a decent tumble dryer for poor weather. Sorry it's not a very techy answer but it works for me! Smile

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PigletJohn · 23/08/2014 22:12

I just had a look on ebay, they are all for "growing rooms" Hmm

Search on "PC fan filter" which looks more promising. Get the biggest one you can as it will obstruct flow less.

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FuckyNell · 23/08/2014 22:14

I dry my clothes over the slats in the airing cupboard in winter. I love it. If you have a combi you can install a small radiator in the space of the water tank in the airing cupboard plus more slats! ?Sad?

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PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 23/08/2014 22:18

Do you have outside space and where in the country are you?

We line dry pretty much all year round on dry days. All you need is dry-ish weather and some wind. I've done sheets and things in November easily in the past to the point where they can go in the airing cupboard.

Also plug in heated airers are the business.

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Purplecircle · 23/08/2014 22:20

Lakeland do a heated airer. Not cheap to buy but doesn't cost much to run.

We use an airer in the spare room and since we got those clippy peg things from pound stretcher we hardly use the drier

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Bert2e · 23/08/2014 22:29

My airing cupboard is 5 foot by 8 foot and I LOVE it! Slatted shelving all down one side for all the bedding and towels and then still room for a 4 fold airer on the other side. I dry outside on the line in the summer and then in the airing cupboard in the winter.

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mipmop · 23/08/2014 22:34

Thanks PigletJohn. For the avoidance of doubt, I have no plants growing in the loft. Grin

Rooners-
I would say you definitely want a fan as well as a window in the bathroom. I currently have an airing cupboard but may lose it if I get a combi boiler (while it is nice for airing clothes after they've dried outside, it must be horrendously inefficient for a hot water tank to give out so much heat). I also have a retractable washing line which I like. I have a clothes airer that can go on the patio (and be brought in quickly if the weather is showery). It wasn't designed for that, it's just a standard tall one but if the centre of gravity is kept low it's fine outside. You can buy ones that are for both inside and outside. Neighbours have a covered area a bit like a car port where they dry clothes outside all year. It seems to be effective. I am about to buy a condenser tumble drier but I don't know yet where it will go (no space for one in the kitchen), it may end up in a carpeted room on a bit of plywood. I find that summer weight clothes suit life without a tumble drier, but I don't think I'll cope without one this winter when heavier clothes like jeans etc need to be dried. Also large items like bedding take up so much space. Last thought- even if clothes can go outside for an hour between showers on an overcast day - that small amount of time seems to be effective. Particularly if it's windy, which showery dates often are.

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MinimalistMommi · 24/08/2014 07:44

I hate, hate hate drying clothes in doors, it looks a mess and unless you have something like an extractor fan or a dihumidifier it's not good for the house. I'm assuming that the heated lakeland airer although it dries clothes quickly will still release unwanted moisture into the air?


OP, I hate the noisy fans, can't relax with ones of those whirring around while having a good soak! Outdoor drying space is best with option of tumble drying in bad weather. We have a huge airing cupboard with a combi boiler in one corner of it.

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MinimalistMommi · 24/08/2014 07:45

Bert I'm curious! I've never attempted to dry clothes in our airing cupboard as I would be concerned about musty smell. I only air clothes in it.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 24/08/2014 07:53

You need a spin dryer.

Dh takes the piss out of me but I get a pint of water out of the wash & everything drys on clothes horses overnight even with no heating on.

I can line dry most for most of the winter because things only need an hour to dry outside.

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Ainmnua · 24/08/2014 07:54

Sorry if this is a stupid question but why do you need a fan in the bathroom? We just keep our window open a lot.

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westcountrywoman · 24/08/2014 08:06

Get a heated airer from Lakeland. They're on offer at the moment too. No worries about damp as the washing dries quickly. Cheap to run. I love ours.

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VeryLittleGravitasIndeed · 24/08/2014 08:35

We got a big dehumidifier - the kind that can do a whole house. Changed my clothes drying life! A load on an airer dries overnight now.

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FunkyBoldRibena · 24/08/2014 08:44

OP will you have a garden? I dry on the line most of the year [try to tie in with non rainy days by checking the next day's weather].

Then, once line dried they go into the airing cupboard.

No dry days - they go onto the Sheila's Maid in the bathroom which is situated above the vertical radiator.

In a big wash, no dry day situation - they go on the rads, and I have a standard airer, and on Sheila [as she is known] and then into the airing cupboard as they get closer to being dry.

All socks and undies when they can't go on the line get put straight into the airing cupboard and on the bathroom rad and dry pretty quickly.

Find what fits your house. We don't have a bathroom extractor at all, we have a very old house and very high ceilings so have throughput of air through opening the windows and it never gets mouldy.

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MinimalistMommi · 24/08/2014 08:48

very is the dehumidifier noisy?

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MinimalistMommi · 24/08/2014 08:50

Fluffy which spin dryer do you have?

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VeryLittleGravitasIndeed · 24/08/2014 09:22

No it's not particularly noisy. It's in the entrance lobby (stairs go up off the lobby so best place to cover the whole house) and we really don't notice it.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 24/08/2014 09:40
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Rooners · 24/08/2014 14:11

Thank you very much everyone for all the ideas, it is just great to read what other people do and try and work out if it will work for us.

We do have outdoor drying space but as it's a flat, we have to go down some outdoor stairs to get to it - I will try and fix up a long washing line though as I really prefer them to the rotary ones.

There's also a small balcony which I think the previous people fitted a folding wall-mounted line to, like a sort of umbrella upside down sort of thing, but I don't fancy that - I might put my standing airer on it though.

Fan wise, I think it helps to have something sort of pulling the moisture out iyswim? Though I'd prefer just to leave our little window open, when we are at home anyway.

I gave my old sheila maid to my Mum as I was worried about the ceiling coming down, but I think if we have access to upstairs this time, which we will, I'll be able to fit one to the joists properly instead of random lath. Blush

I gave our spin dryer to the people upstairs last year as I couldn't figure out how to load it right, and sitting on it so it didn't travel round the kitchen got a bit old.

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