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Original poster

My airer has broken, what should I replace it with?

56 replies

Endofrelationship · 17/01/2019 16:32

As title says, my trusty minky airer (upright concertina, shaped like two 'X' on top of each other) has been on its last legs for a while but has now totally broken. Sonic can buy a shiny new one! But what do I go for?

  • a Lakeland heated number?
  • a like for like replacement?
  • a basic stand alone airer in a different shape?
  • a Sheila maiden?
  • a tumble dryer and basic airer? (Currently have a washer dryer but rarely use the dryer).

Radiator airers are a no go due to the radiators we have.

OP posts:
borntobequiet · 17/01/2019 18:05

airer

Petitprince · 17/01/2019 18:14

No, I think because it isn't up long it's no problem. Maybe if you cooked really stinky fish or something, but we haven't had a problem.
The joys of Victorian houses often include high ceilings so the airer is way above our heads and takes up no floor space. My mum dries herbs and flowers on hers too, which smells lovely,

GiantKitten · 17/01/2019 18:31

Endofrelationship
GiantKitten we've just spent a fortune on a new bathroom, no way am I spoiling it!

Ah - my bathroom is also my laundry room so it never looks beautiful at the best of times Grin

I have just tried putting the overbath airer across the stairs & I'm thrilled - it's right out of the way there, and it will catch all the donwstairs heat rising up! I might buy another one to go alongside it!

GiantKitten · 17/01/2019 18:32

Perfect Smile

My airer has broken, what should I replace it with?
ginghamstarfish · 17/01/2019 18:44

We have a variety of airers but the best one is from Ikea - a metal one attached to the wall which folds flat when not in use. It's above the storage heater in our utility room and gets most stuff dry overnight (using all the night heat from the stupid heater). You could have one over a radiator in bedroom etc. I've also seen similar on Amazon, a metal concertina type one that pulls out and goes flat.

PickAChew · 17/01/2019 18:53

GiantKitten Ds2 would lob that down the stairs just like all the towels and duvets I've given up hanging over the bannister!

Original poster
Endofrelationship · 17/01/2019 18:56

One of those wall hanging ones is what I plan to put in the utility room when we build it, but that's a few years off.

I'm thinking ceiling airer and a like for like may be my best bet. We've another small person arriving soon so don't think one will cut it anyway

I was expecting more of a consensus though!

OP posts:
HorseDoorBolted · 17/01/2019 19:01

@PickAChew you’ll get a decent replacement for that in Ikea.

DonutCone · 17/01/2019 19:45

Lakeland airer. Amazing thing.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 17/01/2019 21:03

Lakeland heated one!

They use a reasonably small amount of floor space, and you can use them unheated.
Dd (with 2 very little ones) uses hers nearly every day.

LongDivision · 17/01/2019 21:15

Yes, also came on to mention to @Pickachew that it is the Frost one from IKEA. It is sturdy as fuck and does not tip over glares at cheap Addis airer. Very Highly Recommend to anyone else. It's massive too.

INeedNewShoes · 17/01/2019 21:22

Just before DD was born I had a pulley airer installed. I put it in the warmest area of the house which is at the top of the stairs, so the airer hangs above the stairs and I can hang washing on it by standing on the landing and leaning (a tiny bit) over the bannister.

It's absolutely brilliant and by far one of the best home improvements I've made. All washing out of the way, dries quickly up there and looks reasonably ok.

PickAChew · 17/01/2019 21:47

I'll have to look at that next time I'm in ikea. The lack of flimsy plastic hinges or not much thicker than tin foil rivets is promising.

Mine has been abused by the kids and bent all over and we've just bent it back.

borntobequiet · 18/01/2019 09:02

gingham storage heaters do heat up overnight but they shouldn't be producing lots of heat as they do so. If you turn the output to very low overnight they will store rather than release more of the heat (though your washing will probably still dry better than if not over a heater).
At present, in a house that is challenging to heat, I have storage heaters set at 5 (input) and 1 or 2 (output). Towards the evening I increase the output to utilise the remainder of the stored heat. Input is at 6, the highest setting, only in the very coldest weather.

Petitprince · 18/01/2019 09:19

Our ceiling one is brilliant - as a side note, we found waxed cotton sash cord rope much better and cheaper than the rubbish one we bought from pulleymaid.

Drogosnextwife · 18/01/2019 09:23

I just got a pulley for the ceiling, it's got to go in the kitchen unfortunately, I have nowhere else it can go. I'm so excited to out it up. I think I'm on my 15th clothes horse (airer) it's had 3 legs for the last 2 week's so it's propped up against worktops or the back door all the time.

Drogosnextwife · 18/01/2019 09:28

@Petitprince

That's the one I ordered the other day! I'm even more excited to get it up now that someone else has said it's good Grin

Angie169 · 18/01/2019 09:59

I would love a pulley type one it would go over the stairs but I don't know how I would fit it . It would have to go into the joists ( i presume ?) The ceiling above the stairs is high so i would have to have ladders on the landing and lean across the stairs while measuring drilling which sounds just a tad dangerous!
How did you all put yours up ? ( nobody to hold the ladder for me either )

Angie169 · 18/01/2019 10:10

I do have a relatively new free standing airer bought from Wilkos I think for about £35 , it's big and very sturdy . My old one would collapse in a uncontrollable gibbering heap if I dared to put more than a t-shirt on it .
It had a habit of throwing it's self on the floor anything between 30secs and 10 mins after me loading it . It frighted the bejesus outa me a few times !
I also have a retractable washing line which is great for big things like sheets & quilt covers.

Bloomcounty · 18/01/2019 10:11

I'm a Lakeland heated airer/dryer fan. It's my most essential winter item, as I don't have a tumble dryer, I live in a cold Victorian house and I have a filthy family who do filthy sports. It dries a full load of cycling kit in just a few hours, and a jeans wash in about 10 hours. My jeans used to smell fusty, they took so long to dry in winter.

INeedNewShoes · 18/01/2019 13:43

Angie - I paid a handyman to do this amongst a list of jobs. He went into the loft and did some of it from there as you're quite right you have to get in installed by attaching to the joists.

Petitprince · 18/01/2019 14:24

It's surprisingly easy - we followed the tutorial and it took about 15 minutes vimeo.com/107690358

OutPinked · 18/01/2019 14:29

Tumble dryer. Could not live without ours. We had airers before that and I hated how they looked plus it always seemed to take forever to dry things.

Aridane · 18/01/2019 14:41

Lakeland heated!!

SciFiScream · 18/01/2019 15:18

Putting an airer over the stairs like that is genius. Thanks for the picture. It really helped.

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