Do you have a heated air dryer?

[EyUpOurKid]

I have just moved. There isn't space for a dryer, so I had to get a washer-dryer combi. I HATE it. Hate it. With foot stamps and folded arms and dramatic throwing of self onto beds in a toddler/disney princess style.

I am not being dramatic but it's more complicated to programme than a space ship, and I'm quite good with technology (DH hasn't got a chance, he's only just learned to use WhatsApp and thinks online banking is witchcraft).

It doesn't dry anything properly, it had two jobs and it doesn't do one of them properly. It beeps a lot when I'm not expecting it and changes its mind mid cycle from like, 13 minutes to 33.

I'm thinking of getting a heated air dryer, probably from Lakeland. They look good and fold down flat. Do you have one and are they any good? It could be the answer to my frustrations. Help.

Lakeland heated airer is not that great ime. It only really works if you load it very lightly. I still use mine but I rarely bother to switch it on because it makes so little difference. So a very expensive airer then.

My heat pump tumble dryer on the other hand is a bloody revelation. Takes longer than a standard tumble dryer but is much gentler on clothes and barely makes a dent in the electricity bill.

Magpie I’ve got the Meaco DDL8 Junior but if you use the filter here you’ll see which ones suit your circumstances: www.meaco.com/dehumidifier/home-dehumidifiers

So, with a dehumidifier, there's no heat, it's literally just removing the water from the air, so I'd need the heating on too in order to dry the clothes? I suppose if it's cold enough to warrant the heating being on then it's worth having a dehumidifier anyway.

Im just stressing because i have a toddler and a gym enthusiastic sweaty husband and I'm worried about being able to get stuff dry. we live round the corner from my parents so things like towels/bedding, in an emergency (sick bug scenario or whatever) I can dry at theirs

My Dri Buddi arrived today, but is still sitting in its box. Is it easy enough to put up/down? I'm planning on trying it out on Wednesday when I'll be at home all day.

I have the Lakeland one and it's rubbish imo. Takes ages to dry and also takes up loads of room. I wouldn't replace it if it broke and genuinely wouldn't recommend it

The dehumidifier does produce a bit of heat as it works but it removes water from the air which is then replaced but the water from the clothes, it doesn’t need a lot of heat to do this. They blow the warmed air onto the washing which helps to drive the water off. It needs to run in a closed room, if you have an open window it will try and dehumidify the whole world, same with doors, the smaller the room it’s in the better.

Pigletjohn recommends dehumidifiers, if it’s good enough for him it’s good enough for me. If you dry clothes any other way inside you have to ventilate really well.

Lakeland heated airer all the way. Set it up before you go to bed and voila, in the morning all dry and the cold kitchen is toasty warm. Throw a sheet over it.

chemenger Is Piglet John really a man though

Love mine. You can get a cover for it too which makes it even more efficient and looks neater.

I have a Bosch clothes dryer & Lakeland. They both do a good job. Bosch is easy but expensive to run & makes me feel lazy. Lakeland is laborious to hang up a million little things but once switched on it DOES work - definitely not comparable to the Bosch in time but dries a whole lot overnight & they smell nice even though they have been hung really close together. It's a cheap dryer for what it does, the volume it takes and the ability to fold it down & get your space back if you have guests etc.
However we try not to wash & hang clothes on it in the evening as the first few hours are rather 'wet' due to the volume. If it's not in your sitting/sleeping area then this shouldn't be an issue. I've heard good things about the cover though I've never used one myself.

I would definitely recommend Lakeland - it's cheap & effective but don't expect super fast magic.

I love my heated dryer. It's genuinely one of my best things. There is a bit of a knack to hanging stuff out for optimum drying but, IMO, that's part of the overall Dance of the Laundry and I find it rather soothing. Plus our heated dryer sits underneath our Shelia Maid so that benefits from the hot air rising from the heated dryer #system

There’s lots of dehumidifier love on here! We’ve recently moved to a house that gets lots of condensation, so I’ve been wondering whether a dehumidifier would be good. Thing is, the house is pretty open plan and is poorly insulated. Would it work? I have visions of it filling up the tank, spilling on the floor, and all the while new moisture comes in through the drafty bits...

When I spent hours time researching and looking through reviews, it was the Lakeland airer that came out on top. OP, have a look on Amazon and Google.

I am that people say it doesn't work or that the clothes smell! I've just walked into the kitchen and it smells of lovely freshly washed washing. All dry. I haven't missed the tumble dryer at all.

Is it possibly because some people's washing machines haven't spun as fast as mine? My washing is dripping wet when it comes out? Genuinely don't understand how you can't love the drier . Maybe it's not the same model?

You don't have to put a tumble dryer in the kitchen/utility. It can go in any room. You can put the hose out the window or drill a vent hole if feasible. Stick a tablecloth and lamp on it if you have guests round ;)

*NOT dripping wet.

And yes, I've had tumble dryers in various rooms in different houses...

Russet yes, it would help the condensation (which is just the damp in the air hitting a cold surface) - that's the additional benefit I get from using mine for washing. You'd only need one (have a look at the link I posted above to see which type would be suitable from that manufacturer) - you'd ideally leave it somewhere central-ish with the internal doors open (and external doors and windows closed whilst it's running).

They switch off automatically when the tank is full (or some can be set up to drain into something else - a sink, shower tray, bucket, etc). The draughty bits will be OK, my flat is the same, although I'd recommend getting some draught excluder to keep you warmer, it makes a lot of difference not to be able to feel the wind inside!

Yonijust I did think about putting him or her, just in case. Sorry Piglet if I have wrong gendered you.

Thanks witchmountain for the info and link. I will get a couple of dehumidifiers for the bedrooms as every morning we wake up to loads of condensation on the windows and have black mould too. But they are so expensive!!

Have you or anyone bought the cheaper ones for less than 50 pounds or is this likely to be a false economy?

Also as they'll be in bedrooms of v light sleepers how noisy have they been in your experience?

The cheaper ones will be a false economy.

The dessicant type of dehumidifiers are quieter than the condensing ones which have a bit of a hum to them similar to a fridge.

We keep ours on the landing rather than in the individual bedrooms. You'll only need one per house unless you've got separate wings

The blurb about each machine will tell you what size house they're best for.

Ours is a condensing one and I sleep with earplugs in. Mainly because it clicks on and off throughout the night.

Thanks heymacwey but we close our bedroom doors at night so would one in the landing still be sufficient do you think?

If you keep it running on auto during the day and leave the doors open it should be fine I think

It'll take a few weeks for it to get your house down to a decent level of humidity if it's really damp so it'll probably be on for quite a bit of the time at the beginning.

If I’m running it at night I don’t have it in my room and I’d put it on low but I am very intolerant of noise when I sleep. I tend to stick it on in the day instead. Then you can leave doors open and just have one decent one?