How do you dry clothes?

[mrsjimhopper]

Tumble- dry towels pants socks joggers and bedding and most t shirts.

Everything else on an airer. It can take DAYS, especially as we have no heating on.

I hear of people who tumble dry everything- what is this witchcraftery that leads to no shrinking?

I'm trying to be energy efficient too hence (no central hearing on and I'm trying keep it off but we do have a nice big log burning stove and we aren't cold at all)

Tell me your secrets!

@Maireas and the generation before, ie my grandma! Her washing routine in tThe 30’s didn’t even involve a machine, no heating, no indoor bathroom etc, how life has improved in 100 years - well the laundry side of life
I guess my dad would have worn the same clothes for days on end

Sorry I’ve derailed the thread with reminiscing!
Its a cloudy but dry day so far here on the south coast so washing on the line, then in the airing cupboard to finish off as no heating on here yet.
Everyone is different is always my mantra.

Extra spin on the washing machine
Airer’s next to dehumidifier and floor fan
Iron them even if they don’t feel quite dry and put them on a hanging rail or on the airing cupboard overnight.
I miss my ceiling airers in my old utility room everything used to dry so quickly in there!

I use coat hangers on a single rail in my airing cupboard, I can get a full load on hangers in there. Dries overnight. Sheets outside on a nice day or folded over the upstairs bannisters - can get a duvet cover, fitted sheet and four pillowcases folded on the length of the bannister.

One of these in the airing cupboard for socks/pants.

Towels - heat pump dryer.

I only hang clothes outside if its a guaranteed drying day - too work intensive otherwise I might as well hang them in the airing cupboard.

I don’t have a tumble drier. This weekend I’ve done 3 loads, all put outside to dry. A few bits from the second load yesterday weren’t quite dry by the time it got dark so I put them on the airer. They were dry by the morning. My one tip we would be using a ‘sock chandelier’ so I can put all the socks on and if it rains I can grab them in quickly without having to do lots of unpegging. I potentially live I a very dry house as thing dry off without the heating being on.

I put scent beads into the washing machine so it smells nice even if it takes ages to dry off.

Outside on the line wherever possible, I love the smell of washing dried outside. Sometimes it needs 10 mins in the dryer on very cold days to finish off.

On wet days, if I'm desperate for it (school/work uniform) then ill tumble dry it. If its non urgent ill stick it over the airer.

Airer in conservatory , line for heavy stuff Tumble dryer for 20 mins to finish off .

Tumble dryer on the eco setting. I work FT and find it very timesaving. Also find that clothes smell if left on airers too long

Outside as much as possible. Got a load out there now. Otherwise it’s airers or on the radiators (although the new radiators don’t have any space behind, so you can’t put anything on them). I miss the line we had in the conservatory of our old house, as things used to dry so quickly!

Only use the tumble drier for towels, as they’re like cardboard if I don’t put them in at least for a short while. Whenever I put in clothes, like socks, they just shrink.

I am in awe of people who work full time and manage to line fry clothes. I can barely drag myself and family up in time to get to work. I definitely don't have time to hang up a load of laundry. And by the time I am home, I am tired and hungry and don't have the effort to get in a load of not quite dry clothes and hang them up somewhere to finish off.

I hate tumble drying for environmental and monetary reasons, but it's so much quicker..

I am in awe of people who work full time and manage to line fry clothes.

why?
the clothes do the drying on their own. no need to watch them dry.

It’s sunny and windy here today, perfect line drying weather if you have one!

Probably because it is another ten minutes to add onto your morning routine.

It's cold but bright and breezy here today so I'm on to the second load of washing on the line.
We usually do most laundry during the week but we're just back from our holiday. I often put a wash on as soon as I'm up and then once I'm ready for work I get it out onto the line. It's amazing how quickly I can get it pegged out when I know my bus is due
If its wet I hang shirts up on the curtain rails and use the tumble drier begrudgingly for towels/jeans etc.

I read on another thread to double spin. I did last week, then put the clothes speed out over 2 clothes horses. They dried quicker than usual, so I think the double spin really helped. I am still putting things out on the line when I can and try to bring them in by 5. I work full time so I usually put a load on and the tomer set so its finished as I arrive home. I find even an hour out side helps.

6 of us in my house. No tumble dryer. A load goes on every night around 7 then onto an airer with a fab on it. If one of us is at home during the day it will go outside so it can be brought in if it rains. Bed sheets done at the weekend (5 sets) and hung over the bannister or doors or hung outside. Towels are the fuckers for us - take ages. Always do an extra spin and not needed the heating on yet but stuff still dries within 24 hours.
Had a tumble dryer last year but it broke in the spring - was going to buy one for winter but with prices going up just can’t afford it. We are coping well so far though may try pp tip of the airer on the landing rather than downstairs.

*fan on the clothes not a fab!

I dry outside all year round.

We don't live in a particular wet area, but it is coastal, so windy. I am still managing to get a load out most days, even if just for a few hours in the afternoon. It's amazing how dry they get. Even if they don't feel very dry, I just hang them back on an airer on my upstairs landing and it's usually dry ready to be put away at bedtime! I don't know how long this will last though!

I do put the tumble drier on for bedding, towels and pants and socks as with 2 small humans, I would never have enough dry 😂

Washing outside today

Then on a wash pile on work surface under the boiler to air or on an airer overnight

South facing utility room with a ceiling rack on a pully. Dehumidifier underneath. Dries in less than 24hrs. In the summer, overflow will go on a big airer in the conservatory. In the winter, we just make sure not to do more than one load in 24hrs. Never felt any need for a tumble drier even with two kids in cloth nappies. I'm back at work fulltime and our cleaner helps us out by putting the dry washing away in the bedrooms. Now THAT'S luxury.

We have a 2 in 1 washing machine/tumble dryer.

2 spins at 1400, then chuck a clean dry towel in and put the dryer setting on low for 10 minutes. Then hang it straight out onto the airer, tops, dresses etc go straight onto hangers, rest gets hung up with plenty of room between each item. Pop the airer in a sunny part of the flat and open the window. The unused exercise bike also makes a handy addition for airer space 🤣. Usually dry in less than a day.

I grew up with musty smelling washing, so have a thing about having nice fresh smelling clothes now.

We’ve put the heating on in a couple of rooms, because the humidity was becoming very high and it was taking several days for things to dry on the airer. There’s heating in the smallest bedroom for a couple of hours and I’ve put the airer in there. Stuff goes outside if it’s fine and any chance of drying.

Scotland, north facing garden that doesn't get much sun, so that is 10 months of the year! For clothes -

• Encourage hanging up and wearing more than once to reduce amount that needs washed - looking at ds who can go through 4 t-shirts a day!
• Do the washing early morning (on timer) with highest spin cycle
• Don't overload the clothes horse(s) - only use every second rail to let the air in between clothes
• If dry outside put clothes horse outside and watch for rain, or,
• Put them either at a south facing window(s) where the sun is shining in (and window cracked open) during the day
• Put next to radiator(s) in the evenings
• Turn clothes occasionally

Usually dries within 24-36 hours even in winter.

Big items such as towels/bedding are more difficult, we don't do bedding every month week. We watch the weather forecast for a "good drying day" and put the machine on timer so ready in the morning and dh will quickly hang out before going out to work (he starts later than me). I WFH most days so can usually bring in if it starts to rain, then they either go in the tumble dryer or over the stair banister to finish drying. Mid winter we use radiators, banisters or if necessary tumble dryer. I have also been known to hide the bath sheets in winter and tell them to use the smaller but still adequate bath towels instead 🤣