Boring (sorry!)...talk to me about heated airers

[StewPots]

We need a way of drying our clothes effectively in the winter and one that doesn't mean 2-3 trips to the dryers at the laundrette.

We can't have a tumble dryer as we have no space for one, plus our house is a sod for damp at the minute, so I was thinking of a heated airier, but don't know much about them.

Do they take ages to dry clothes, and how much do they dry at a time? Do they create lots of damp?

We only have electric radiators in the house (no CH) and they're expensive to keep on so drying clothes on them isn't an option.

In the summer it's a non issue as the sun hits the garden then and stuff dries in a few hours, and we can also hang lighter items ( like my work uniform) in the windows as it gets so hot there.

However I am sick and tired of lugging a huge bag of wet washing to dry to the laundrette, as well as the cost (£8-£10) each time.

Anyone got any advice?

TIA

[Gwynfluff]

Found mine useless. Took ages to dry. Gave up on it. Sorry.

Think they are meant to be better with the cover thing over.

[Luckycatsplat]

No experience personally but a friend stopped using hers because it just left the house damp.

[Angela1472]

We got one from Lakeland a few years ago and i couldn’t be without it in the winter months. I don’t find there’s any issue with damp but we have a fairly large room which we use it in- safe to use overnight etc and costs about 5p an hour to run.

[woodlanddreamer]

If damp is a problem I don't think they will be the answer for you. All that water from the clothes has to go somewhere.

[vinca]

Love mine. Put a sheet over it and it works much better. Always leave window open in the room and never had a problem with damp.
Will do a full load and it will dry overnight.
Got it from Lakeland.

[Squ1ggle]

We have a Lakeland heated airer and I love it. Pop it on overnight and everything is perfectly dry when I wake up, even thick and heavy stuff. We did buy a cover for it and so have had no issues with damp (actually a novelty in our house)

[MsJolly]

Love mine-have the big one from Lakeland plus the cover for it-the cover keeps all the heat in so clothes dry much more quickly without steaming up the room-a win win! So much better than clothes on the radiators everywhere

[troodiedoo]

Not impressed with mine. Probably drying socks and pants is it's calling in life.

Get a standard clothes horse and a dehumidifier, much more efficient.

[DrRanjsRightEyebrow]

Have a lakeland one. It's fab. I do a wash im the evening, hang up at bedtime and it's dry by morning. It's in our bedroom and I do crack a window and close the door when it's on. Not a noticeable amount of damp as it's so gradual. Make sure you get the cover for it though. A double sheet can work instead but not as efficiently as there will be gaps.

[StewPots]

Thanks all, a really mixed bag so far! I'm guessing that the damp issue may be eliminated if I buy one with a cover?

We don't get damp in the bottom of the house only the top (LL currently got the builders and scaffolding in to deal with this) so possibly an option is having it there.

[damekindness]

Not impressed with mine - takes up a HUGE amount of space, only dries where the clothes touch. Pointless really - prefer the old fashioned concertina non heated airers

[DrRanjsRightEyebrow]

The cover definitely helps with damp but it keeps all the heat in so much quicker to dry. I have the biggest rack and it dries a full load of washing in 6 to 8 hours (the wsrmer the ambient temp the faster) Maybe 8 hours for jeans.

[Blueberryblueberry]

Mine is fab- just leave the window open a crack/on the latch thingy and stick a big sheet over it (rather than buying a special cover) Generally gets a load dry overnight. Wouldn't be without it now - although there's a bit of a knack to hanging the clothes on it so they dry all nicely looking at you dh

[NapQueen]

A small condenser tumble dryer would be about the same square footage as a heated airer.

[MedicinalGin]

We couldn’t live without our one, it’s fab.
Word of advice though- at first we bought the flat one that is all on one level, like a table and it was shite. It couldn’t dry anything. So we took it back and replaced it with the three storey one that has a cover- this is the one to get! The cover comes separately and is about 20 quid, but so worth it.

I have long puzzled about where the water goes?! Our house is old but the room never feels or smells damp at all. Good luck!

[DrRanjsRightEyebrow]

I do find that most people that don't get on with it don't have the cover btw... I wasn't impressed until I got one. Also you have to be canny in how you load it. Bottom tier I lay things like socks and pants flat - no pount having things hanging off bottom as there's no rising heat. Middle layer is smaller t shirts, vest tops, DS's (4yo) clothes, top layer is any trousers and heavier items like jumpers. If it's not chocka I stagger the layout so far left for a top, then next bar forwards far right etc, so there's room for the hot air to reach everything! I have it down to an art and DH gets entirely pissed off when he hangs a load inefficiently and I come and redo it all.

[Timeforabiscuit]

Lakeland one here, bought a cover, its great - have a large bedroom but its up the majority of the time.

I found that it works best with heavy jeans at the top with pants and socks at the bottom.

[DrRanjsRightEyebrow]

Ha cross post with @Blueberryblueberry

[troodiedoo]

I have the biggest rack

[StewPots]

See we have a regular airer which is great in the summer, but our house is so cold it's ridiculous in winter. Even in the massive window in the front room in full glare of the sun for a few hours when the sun comes round it takes ages... we've put it next to the heaters but not much better tbh.

I'm very tempted to give it a go I must say. The fact it can be folded away is a big plus for us, any kind of dryer isn't an option as we simply don't have the space to give up permanently.
At least with one of these it's up overnight or whatever then away again.

Hmmmm....

[MoorMummy]

I’ve just got a new one after the other died after 7 years constant use! Lakeland have a 3 year warranty these days, but when I got mine I. 2011,the guarantee was ‘satisfaction’ and so they refunded me! The new one was more expensive but I just can’t live without mine! I site it in my big kitchen diner and with the cover on and next to my tall radiator , it dries pretty quickly.

So it’s a yes from me!

[Veronicat]

Use your normal airer and get a dehumidifier . Works a treat and will help with the damp too.

[troodiedoo]

I'm going to try a cover, thanks for posts.

[nomorespaghetti]

We use our Lakeland heated airer with a small dehumidifier, so no damp, things dry incredibly quickly, and the room ends up so lovely and warm! We usually shut the door to the room it is in. Definitely recommend, but with a dehumidifier.