How easy is the Laundry Mac to set up?
Despite its hefty size (I got the larger size as we’ve a big rotary line) it was actually very simple to set up the laundry mac using the instructions. The mac has 12 holes around the perimeter and comes with a set of bungie cords to fix it to the arms of your line. As our line has four arms, I fitted the bungies on every fourth hole. I had to stand on a stool to get the laundry mac over the top of the washing line, but it wasn’t too hard to then loop the bungies around the arms. I then used the telescopic pole in the middle of the line to prop up the mac so that rain water can run off.
The first time I set the mac up I didn’t extend the pole enough and ended up with puddling so it’s important to remember to extend the pole as much as possible to create a tent-like effect.
I set it up when rain was forecast rather than when it was already raining as it does take a little while to get it set up properly - about 5- 10 mins the first time, which is quite a long time when you’ve got a laundry basket of wet clothes out in the rain!
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Does laundry get dry under the Laundry Mac?
Yes and no - it really depended on how rainy the day was, how windy and how much I extended the telescopic pole, which is way more crucial to how dry the laundry gets than I first realised!
The first time I used the laundry mac was on a very wet day and I didn’t extend the telescopic pole enough, meaning there was a bit of puddling when I came to bring in the washing. This meant that the clothes on the outer part of the line didn’t dry (and I had to be really careful of the puddled areas when I brought in the washing!) A bit of wind also meant that some of the outer ‘skirt’ of the mac flipped up on one area so this also contributed to the outer garments not drying quite so well. The washing hung on the inner part of the line dried better but I found most were still slightly damp even after being out all day - I think this was due to excessive moisture in the air as the rainfall was so heavy.
I’ve used the mac on days where rain is lighter (think showers rather than a downpour) and I’ve extended the pole more fully and tied the bungies tighter - and as a result found that all the laundry dried as well as it would have on a clear, sunny day. For this reason, I think the Laundry Mac is ideal for showery days rather than all day rain forecasts. (It’s even better if several showery days are forecast in a row as then you don’t have to bother bringing it in and putting it out again everyday!)
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Is the Laundry Mac easy to store between uses?
Yes - it comes with a handy drawstring bag which is nice and compact. However, you have to dry it before packing it away. The instructions say to hang it ‘anywhere you’d hang a wet coat’ but it’s about ten times the size of a coat so this isn’t really realistic… I ended up hanging it out on the line with my washing on a sunny day and it dried well like that (though it did take up a whole corner of the line!)
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Is the Laundry Mac good value for money?
I've given the Laundry Mac 12/15 for value for money, because at £79 I would expect it to deliver on keeping laundry 100% dry on rainy days, including during heavy downpours. That said, it's good quality material, stores really well and for days where rain is patchy, it's a viable clothes drying option - if you've the time and energy to put it up. It certainly works out cheaper overall than a tumble dryer or heated clothes airer, but I don't think you'd be able to guarantee 100% dry clothes using this alone all year round.