How do you dry clothes if you don’t have a tumble drier?

[Spotty528]

We currently have a washing machine in the kitchen and dryer in the integral garage. We’re converting our garage next year and DH is talking about putting the drier in the shed but I know that I won’t be faffed to trek to the bottom of the garden in the middle of winter to use it. Combo washer/driers are supposed to be useless aren’t they? What’s the alternative? We don’t have the heating on all the time and I don’t like the idea of clothes hanging around damp everywhere. We do have a spare box room that I could use to dry the clothes in during the winter but any ideas?

We have a clothes hanger. You can get heated ones for about £40.

I dehumidify mine. Its not super quick but they don't get damaged and most importantly they don't smell.

A box room is ideal for a clothes horse and dehumidifier.

Clothes horse and on radiators

i haven't used it before but this has great reviews. it is basically a heat closet so dries the clothes whilst they hang up. you could put it into the box room?

We have a washer dryer. It’s lovely and we will definitely get another when this one goes.

We have a washer dryer which is fab-AEG. It’s big capacity and fairly economical compared to some. Used to have a separate dryer but needed the space.
But I don’t use the dryer all the time, just bedding and towels unless it's an emergency. I dry clothes on an airer over a heated floor in winter when I can’t line dry.

sleepismysuperpower1 that looks good and then the clothes would all be in the spare room.

So does a dehumidifier help them dry quicker?

Snot-what make combo have you got please?

I'd use a combination of drying in box room with a dehumidifier and getting a decent washer dryer. No, they're not as good as standalone ones but I've had at least three over the years that have been excellent washers and reasonable dryers so you haven't much to lose by getting one: it's not as if the washer is worse than a standalone one.

Clothes horse. They're dry the folllowing day. Central heated house, and no problem with damp as we open the windows and air the house each morning. Works fine for us as a family of 4 with two under 5. I can get one load of washing on the after. Bedding I hang over the bannister and it dries very quickly. My MIL was horrified I didn't have a tumbler dry when our first was born, but honestly never needed one. In the spring/summer I put everything out on the line.

I have had a combined washer and condensing drier in the past and is was awful. You couldn't dry a full load of washing had to split it, and even then it still came out damp and fusty smelling. Complete waste of money so never bothered with one again when we moved house.

I have a washer dryer which is used regularly. Also have a dehumidifier and try to have to heating on when I hang wet washing up. Dry outside in summer.

Clothes horse and dehumidifier. We're in an apartment so no space for anything else. Dehumidifier doesn't help them dry quicker but it captures the majority of the water that would otherwise end up soaking into your walls causing mould, and also be bad you breathe in. It's amazing, we empty the tray every few days and it's full of water!

Clothes horse

I love summer when my washing goes out in the line and dries quickly. Thus time of year it's on a clothes horse/airier in the kitchen. It takes ages cos my house has terrible damp problems (I know the washing doesn't help, but I have no where else to dry it!)
Bring on spring/summer!

We're a family of 6 (4 DC under 8) so produce quite a bit of washing. I have a dehumidifier - it was about £100 but ours is 5 years old and going strong. We don't have a spare room to set it up in but the airer is in mine and DH's room. We don't have CH on all the time but in a closed room with the dehumidifier the clothes on the airer dry with 12 hours or so.

I line dry year round - if it's warm / dry enough to be evaporating puddles it's warm / dry enough to dry clothes. For me that seems to be around the 6 or 7'c mark. Windy weather helps too.

I also fast spin at 1400 for 5 minutes of anything that can tolerate it, especially towels and sheets.

2 airers in the spare bedroom in winter, outside in summer.

We had a washer dryer yrs ago and a dryer when we lived in the US. The latter was brand new but I thought the amount of hrs needed to dry stuff with the machine eating up power was not for me. Bought a hardware store airer and - just as at home - dry in a day. No need to wait in either if - like me - you don’t like leaving stuff on.

line in the attic.

This is the model we have markselectrical.co.uk/L7WEE965R_AEG-Washer-Dryer.html

Heated airer and cover from Lakeland. Worth every penny over winter. Outside line when its warm or dry enough.

I have a clothes horse and radiators, hate it in the winter, washing everywhere. Can’t wai for the spring/summer to hang outside

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I’ve just had a thought that to save trying to sell the dryer and then buy (potentially) the Lakeland’s airer could we put the dryer in the box room? My BIL is a carpenter so many he could build a nice unit to hide it in?🤔

I’ve used a combination of washer/dryer - not perfect but perfectly acceptable - clothes horse/radiators/dehumidifier for years now, line dry outside whenever the weather is suitable.
If clothes are dried inside the house you really need a dehumidifier. According to Google a 4 kg load will add 2 litres of water to the air inside your home, not fun if it’s condensing on your windows.

Just get an airer and leave the window open a bit. I thought everyone did this!

We have a dryer in the shed at the bottom of the garden and it's no bother at all. We keep a pair of crocs by the back door and carry all the washing up and down in Ikea bags which go over your shoulder so hands are free for unlocking the door, putting the light on, carrying anything else etc.