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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I'm 28 and have no idea how to dry clothes.

82 replies

Buddhagirl · 07/12/2013 18:57

Iabu to use AIBU for advice.

But, how do you use a washing line? Dryer is too expensive so dh and I brought a outside washing line but I don't really get it. What if it rains when your out? What if it rains when your in and your left with a basket full of wet clothes? Will stuff dry in the cold air? Do you leave it over night? We have an inside drying rack but stuff takes like 2 days to dry on it.

I'm not a proper person :(

We've just brought our first house, last month I googled "how to mop a floor" +sigh+

OP posts:
mumofboyo · 07/12/2013 22:52

We bought the one in CerealKillerMom's link. At 2800 RPM it's almost 3x faster than our washer and the clothes are noticeably dryer than when they're straight out of the washer. We've gone from only being able to do a load of washing every 2-3 days as we were waiting for the last lot to dry to being able to do a load daily and reach the bottom of the basket.

BertieBowtiesAreCool · 07/12/2013 22:56

Oh come on, don't be an arse to OP, everyone has to learn this stuff some time. DP is constantly baffled by the household things I don't know Confused I've lived away from home for longer than him as well.

IMO the heated airers are not necessary but you do absolutely need an airer which spreads the clothes out properly, one where they are draped over each other is pointless. If there are just the two of you and no DC then you don't need stuff to dry in 8 hours anyway.

BorisJohnsonsHair · 07/12/2013 23:03

Theres a book from the 80s which is called the Dairy Book of Household Management. Although many ideas are a bit outdated it's really helpful to have as it teaches you all sorts of stuff. You can probably get one on ebay or a second-hand book shop. I relied on mine a lot when I had my first place, and it just goes to show that lots of us don't know how to do stuff Smile

Joysmum · 07/12/2013 23:32

I bung everything I can on hangers and hang over the door frames or picture rails above the rads. Stuff that doesn't go on hangers goes straight on the rads. I'll even drape stuff over furniture to get as much air to it as poss. It's quicker to dry indoors in the warmth than outdoors in the cold in winter, even if it's not raining

clippityclop · 07/12/2013 23:47

Further to what Prima said, you really need to re-consider the tumble dryer thing, save up and get a good condenser model. That they cost a lot to run is a bit of a myth these days. Have a look on the Good Housekeeping website for reviews. Being able to wash and dry clothes quickly means you save time, don't have to re-wash stuff that's been soaked in the rain, you need less bedlinen, towels etc, and having wet washing dangling about all over the house isn't healthy. Cuts down on the ironing too. I reckon mine's paid for itself over the years simply because I can tumble dry down duvets, and sleeping bags which I'd otherwise have to take to the launderette. Wouldn't be without one.

lovefifteen · 07/12/2013 23:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BlackeyedSusan · 08/12/2013 00:03

I use an airer to dry clothes. rotating the clothes from the middle to the outside and turning the clothes over helps to dry quicker. the airer is next to the radiator, which only goes on for a couple of hours a day, if at all. i also have an airing cupboad which finishes things off quite quickly.

Nojustalurker · 08/12/2013 08:09

No sure if this. Had already been said so here it goes, if you are drying you must open the window in te room to prevent damp.

Nojustalurker · 08/12/2013 08:10

And the Kim and Aggie how clean is your house book it good for learning the basics of house work.

PrimalLass · 08/12/2013 08:12

save up and get a good condenser model

Mine was only about £200. The last one I had (Hotpoint) took forever to dry, but my new one is fantastic:

ao.com/product/DCU7230W-Beko-Condenser-Tumble-Dryer-White-23584.aspx

poppy77 · 08/12/2013 08:18

I don't think anyone else has mentioned this solution:

  1. ignore washing all week
  2. spend a day shoving loads of washing into washing machine whenever you walk past
  3. put all washing into big bags and place in car with children and dog
  4. take washing to laundrette, place in one or two of their lovely big tumble dryers
  5. about 6 pounds and one dog walk later, remove wonderfully soft and dry clean clothe and take home
  6. sort all clothes out at the same time

Well worth 6 pounds imho, I don't have the space for a tumble dryer and I'm sure it would not cost much less to run/buy one anyway, and I barely have space in our tiny house/garden for drying clothes (plus I can now have the heating on noticeably less).

Janek · 08/12/2013 08:26

Can i second what someone up there ^ said about 'balcony airers'. I've lived in germany and been on holiday to italy and everyone has one, presumably due to the prevalence of apartment living.

They are brilliant - no clothes overlap, you can use pegs so things hang a single layer thick, rather than overlapping themselves, like you would on a washing line, and you can put the airer outside without the washing blowing off (cos of the pegs), but get a full load in quickly (carry in the airer) if it starts to rain.

I also use mine with the arms folded in to finish off line-dried washing - we don't have an airing cupboard, but i fold and spread out the washing on top of the airer and leave it in front of the woodburner overnight and by morning it's dry as a bone. And already folded so i can just put it away.

I didn't know they were called balcony airers, now i do i may be able to replace the one i have from bettaware which is on its last legs.

comingintomyown · 08/12/2013 08:32

BertieBowtiesarecool I think I love you ! I brought back an air drier that you linked from Italy years ago and was worrying only yesterday about how I would replace it little knowing all I need is a trip to Argos !

I would never have stuff draped over radiators ,horrible to look at and the cause of condensation problems

OP get the cheaper airer that Bertie linked they are brilliant

Janek · 08/12/2013 08:41

Oh, they are sometimes called table-style airers too, vileda do one.

Janek · 08/12/2013 08:47

comingintomyown be wary of one you buy in england, my one from bettaware is not as capacious as the one my in-laws have in italy, nor as sturdy. And i think mine is supposed to be 18m, that argos one is only 14m.

Some friends bought a lakeland one, which was apparently rubbish, so they returned it. And you can get them in ikea, but they look small and flimsy too. My one, which i thought was fine, now has a bent arm as i draped a towel over it and it gradually bent as the day went on. It's still usable, but now seems much more crap.

I am currently frantically googling and my preliminary investigations reveal this one from vileda (which might be foreign and therefore good!).

Janek · 08/12/2013 08:52

this one has better reviews though, the main complaint seems to be 'takes up too much space' and 'falls over in the wind'. I prop mine up between two garden chairs. All airers blow away if you don't, don't they?

mousmous · 08/12/2013 08:55

I have this leifheit wing airer
very sturdy.
agree with others, those
X
X
style clothes horses have the rungs to close together so air can not circulate very well.

feelingfuckingfestiveok · 08/12/2013 08:55

Im going to fucking order a heted drier, they kepp popping up on threads all over and Im fed up. even if I didnt have a laundry problem i want one so I dont feel bloody left out (rant over as you were MN)

Janek · 08/12/2013 09:02

Spooky cross-post mous

comingintomyown · 08/12/2013 09:04

Janek thank you for the advice that second one is a good discount . On a separate note why would someone buying an airer buy an upright dustpan and brush ? Those customers who bought bits on Amazon make me smile !

Mousmous washing obsessed as I am that drier is very expensive

Anyway I am just happy I don't seem to be alone in considering these matters to be of great importance !

BertieBowtiesAreCool · 08/12/2013 09:59

That one looks OK Janek but the bottom supports are very close together so I would worry it may be unstable. We have a rickety one (Also living in Germany!) but the base is pretty wide and it doesn't fall over unless you put heavy stuff on one end and nothing on the other.

I had the upright one back in the UK and found it great as it doesn't take up much floor space, plus you can fold in one side and you can fold down individual layers to accommodate long things like trousers and towels.

Quoteunquote · 08/12/2013 10:11

we use lots of these you can find decent strong ones, with proper hooks on top,

At this time of the year, we put the washing directly on them, put the washing on the line outside, then bring in quickly if it rains, still on the hangers, and we have stainless steel screw eyes fixed into the ceiling ( joists) all over the place, so just put them up on those and they dry over night.

be careful what you put in the tumble dryer, it tends to ruin a lot of clothes

Mia4 · 08/12/2013 10:23

OP December/Jan/Feb are bad for drying outside. If you can get a heated airer then def look into it. Make sure you do a seperate full speed spin on any heavy items jeans, towels etc) after your wash has finished- wring out all that water.

When it gets warmer then peg your clothes up and out. In very warm weather i peg out before work, or leave over night. If it gets rained on, leave it to dry unless more rain is due. In which case spin the clothes and hang on the airer.

Janek · 08/12/2013 10:26

I thought that too bertie, although the one we have is this one which looks similarly unstable, but isn't (unless you have stuff on one end and not the other). Although i have bent one of the wings - i can't imagine that happening to the amazing one my mil has. I'm tempted to get her to bring me one back from italy, although that seems ridiculous.

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