How do you dry your washing without a tumble dryer?

[littleweeannie]

There is no space in my kitchen for a tumble dryer, although I would love one as it would make life so much easier, and I don't have a washing line. My back yard is absolutely tiny so can't fit a good sized line there.

I have a heated maiden but it doesn't really get that hot. I don't really like hanging washing inside because they often dry and smell damp and I don't like to leave the windows open all the time (I get cold easily).

How do you dry your washing?

When I lived in a small flat I would hang sheets/towels over all available doors, and use a maiden for the smaller items. It was shit having to wait for them to dry though so I could do a new wash.

@LoseLooseLucy Yes it's so annoying really need a tumble dryer but space doesn't allow! My clothes are always smelly when I leave them to dry inside

in a previous house we had a heated airer in a drafty lean-to conservatory.

in the current place we have an drafty attic room with a line.

It doesn't sound like you have any option but to use the small garden and dry indoors.

If no tumble dryer, no drying outdoors, no drying indoors, then there is no other options.

I would rig up a line the length of your small garden rather than around type, and use that for bedding, towels, jeans and use that if dry.

Indoors, put on rack next to open window. You can always put on rack in the garden, then bring indoors to finish off to save dampness

We have a rotary line as they take up less space in the garden.

If its wet however we mostly chuck the load to dry on the Lakeland heated airer. If you want it to dry quicker just add a towel or sheet on the top to contain the heat. We've never had a problem with it drying clothes and them smelling is it possibly you are overloading your maiden?

Other than that the radiators when on do a good job too.

Do you live near a laundrette?

When DH and I lived in our first flat we had a condenser tumble drier in our small passage way. Would this be an option?

How about a washer-dryer combo? Otherwise I’d have multiple surfers in the garden and then put them away.

Airers, not surfers......

Why do more people not know about, or use dehumidifiers? It will dry your clothes indoors easily. It prevents damp in the house and will totally solve your problem op! Put clothes on clothes horse, plug in and run dehumidifier with door closed.

Use a clothes horse and pop it in garden?

We have just a regular clothes horse. When we lived on a 2nd floor flat it involved lots of turning the clothes regularly to help them dry and wearing jumpers because you really must ventilate well by opening windows. When we had a small yard, same clothes horse, just put it outside. I’m 33 and have never owned a tumble dryer.

We're just about to get a new washer dryer, with a stacker, so we can put the dryer on top of the washing machine.

I've been making flagrant misuse of the radiators in winter, and also I will have it on clothes airers in the spare room, with the window wide open.

I read someone on here once had a tumble dryer in their bedroom. She liked the way it warmed up her bedroom and was able to lift clothes out and straight into the drawers. I think it's a fantastic idea!

During dry weather I hang it outside on a rotary dryer. It doesn't take up much room and umbrella folds down to just a pole when not in use.

During the winter months I use a couple of airing racks and stand them as close to the radiators in the kitchen as possible. I can get a couple of washing loads on both if I hang it carefully and it usually dries overnight. I'm fortunate enough to have a tumble dryer for towels/bedding.

I just hang them on a tall airer which takes up less space, and I also hang some towels and other bigger bits over the doors. I always do it in one room though where my dehumidifier is to prevent mould and damp.

I use a dehumidifier in colder months, plug it in and shut the door - always amazed by how much water it draws out. In warmer months just hang on a drying rack and crack open the window or put it outside in the garden

Clothes over an airer with a good quality dehumidifier. Dried in no time.

Could you get a washer dryer? We had a brilliant Beko one in our old kitchen.

Failing that I second what people say about using a dehumidifier in the room with an airer.

Finally, Lakeland do a 3 tier heated airer with a cover which I think is called “dry soon” and they’re brilliant.

Get a washer/dryer-we have one as only tumble occasionally.
I line dry outside as much as I can, user airers inside in bad weather. We don’t need the windows open though- the heating seems to suffice and no issues with damp.

Me: Outside on washing line in fine weather. Inside on clothes horse and socktopuses in the airing cupboard, plus dehumidifier on.

Other options: heated clothes horse from Lakeland, build a drying shed in the garden with slatted sides, clothes horse on patio.

Deffo get a dehumidifier if you're hanging laundry up indoors.

We use the clothes horse is that a maiden? and dehumidifier. I can dry two loads a day doing just that.

It does mean being pretty regimented with having a load ready to dry in the morning and one ready to dry overnight but we manage just fine as a family of four doing it this way.

We’ve got an airing cupboard and we’ve put an Airer over the door. I think it was around £10 from Argos, I bought a few more to put on the bathroom doors.

We've got a Lakeland heated airer. It's genius. Put washing on last thing at night, cover and it's all dry by morning. We use it as well for drying bath towels etc as our towel rads only work when the heating is on. Most importantly it doesn't shrink your clothes like a tumble dryer does. We only use the TD for bedding, towels etc.

It wasn't cheap but it's incredibly effective.

It wasn't cheap but it's incredibly effective.

It is also very economical in terms of cost per use. So glad to see so much love for the Lakeland airer on this thread my friends all think I'm mad but I blooming love the thing.