Boring Alert: Drying Laundry Outside in British Winter

[Honestlyy]

Does anyone?

It's been so rainy this month I've used the clothes horse which is fine in summer but it's made me think of winter.I'm not sure we'll be able to run the tumble dryer this winter.

Every year I say to myself I will try to use the line but it always end up in the tumble dryer. I would say I use the tumble dryer from Oct- March.

Often it looks so damp outside I wonder if there would be much point but I'll try if anyone says it makes a difference.

Winter is fine, because the heating is on, and our utility room is pretty cosy. Hanging laundry on a rack it is dry within a couple of days. We have a space in the room where the rack just fits, so it doesn't get in the way.

Summer is fine because it goes on the washing line.

The difficulties occur in Spring/Autumn, where the heating isn't on, so indoor drying isn't as fast....but it might be raining/damp so can't use the washing line. In that case I tend to use a laundry rack but put it just outside the back door, so it can be whipped inside if necessary.

I only ever tumble dry towels.

Don't have one. Wash only what needs to be washed and put it on a heated airer in the living room. It's draughty so not a humidity issue.

I use the outside line in the winter on dry blowy days then either finish it off on a clothes horse or put it straight into the airing cupboard. If it's raining or below freezing it's clothes horses and airing cupboard.

As my mum said if the flags are dry the washing will dry
have pegged it out before work not great forecast put pop up gazebo over rotary washing line seems tho keep showers off

going to try clothes horse in greenhouse ( plastic portable one ) next see how that goes

Being as you have a garden, get a cheap or free second hand greenhouse and paint the glass black. Make sure it has air flow and you will be amazed how well it works even in really shite weather.

I'd probably do it the other way round - on the line then finish in the tumble dryer if needed.

Even on a cold day the clothes will dry especially if blowy, and better than onside on a clothes horse and less creased.

I dry outside winter or summer. Sometimes it means that I have to pick my washing days, a challenge in itself.

I only bung it out on days when there will be enough wind and time without rain to get it even half dry. Usually above 12K wind will do it. Even if it doesn't dry completely, it will smell better, iron more easily, and cause less humidity in the house.

No tumble dryer ever, but you do develop a pretty accurate washing 'sense'!

I use a dehumidifier. It's been a game changer .

@crumpet and @Whataretheodds thanks that's good to know it's worth the effort.

I am very lucky in that I have quite a large kitchen plus a separate dining room, so I do dry most of my washing inside on a clothes horse in the winter. The big difference I made last year is to buy a dehumidifier. I did this because I knew we wouldn't have the central heating on much. I could get clothes 80% dry and finish off in the tumble drier, or actually properly dry when we did have heating on. I always put small items like socks and pants on radiators - I'm not proud. They take 10 minutes to dry if they've been on the airer for a day first.

I think I’m doing something wrong with my dehumidifier - it has to be on for hours before anything gets even vaguely dry.

We have a cover for the rotary which is good - still won’t dry if it’s tipping it down, but if it’s on/off showers then you can put the cover on and go about daily life instead of constantly monitoring the laundry.

We got a tumble drier because I couldn’t bear my winter life being a Gant chart of laundry drying strategy any more. But we still use the line where possible.

@SgtCawood which cover do you have? I’d been looking at some on Amazon but wasn’t sure if they were any good

I live in a wet part of the country and although it's not the prettiest, I use either a sheet of tarpaulin or a cheap plastic shower curtain over a free standing airer which I've weighted at the base.

Everything dries quickly even when it's pelting down. Saved me loads even in winter as everything can still go outside

We don't have space for a tumble drier but I wouldn't part with my dehumidifier for all the tea in Cornwall...

What about a creel? I've used one for years. It's great.

We put a canopy up in June to provide shade during the heatwave (!)
It's very useful in rainy weather for drying washing under. I'm half-tempted to keep it up year-round, except that it would probably blow away in the gales, even with the sandbag weights. We also have a small overhang by a back door and I often stick the clothes horse under it.

For dreadful weather, we have a dehumidifier with a clothes-drying setting and a tumble drier, for when we're desperate.

I try hard not to wash towels unless I know I can get them mostly dry without using the tumble dryer, though I do sometimes fluff them up in it briefly. I look at the MetOffice website to see when the best days are likely to be for line-drying towels, jeans, duvet covers--heavier things.

A washing machine with a high spin rate is essential. A good windy day will work. You may still need 10 min in the drier after that but it's better than drying the whole load straight from the washing machine.

We don't have a tumble drier. We will often hang washing out during the day in winter and then air it inside overnight with the dehumidifier on for a few hours. On very wet days it's on airers with the dehumidifier on.

But we dry outside fully from early March to late November.

A friend said if the paving slabs are drying your washing will. It's true, especially when it's drizzling and breezy.

Ours dries a full load of washing in about 8 hours. A small room with the window shut and the washing on airers in front of the radiator and the dehumidifier on clothes drying setting.

Dehumidifier! Works really well.

We use clothes horses next to radiators/ heated towel rail in winter.

In summer we use clothes horses outside on possibly rainy days and as I’m wfh I just run outside and drag them in if I see it is raining!

we have 3 clothes horses so we can spread things out

as long as there is a breeeze and it is above about 15 degrees it seems beneficial to put them outside

It is! But often in winter the paving slabs seem to be wet all day. 🙃 I will use the weather app to check humidity levels too. Apparently humidity must be less than 70% for washing to dry?

In winter I put washing on overnight on the Eco Cycle , give it a further spin when I wake up then DH (who WFH) will put it outside and keep an eye on it .
I di have a tumble drier but lots of things go onto a small heated rail (Aldi bargain) or on hangers in the Dri-Soon which is in the small room with the window open.
I've got rails in the small room, and over the doorway and the stairwell , then they get put away when I CBA the next day or so when dry .

Towels and sheets wait for a dry day then a quick go in the dryer when they come in.