To ask again about heated airers

[motheroreily]

I live in a cold flat. There is no room in my kitchen for a tumble dryer. It takes days for clothes to dry. Sometimes I end up ironing stuff dry.

I remember seeing posts about heated airers. Just wondered if anyone could tell me about their experience of using one and whether they do actually dry clothes. The other option I have is keeping a tumble dryer in the bathroom but the bathroom has no window so I couldn't put a hose out.

I'd be so grateful for your advice.

I'd recommend a dehumidifier too. Dries everything well and gives out some heat.

I have the Lakeland 3 tier tower. It's pretty big but you can just have half up. It turns the room into a sauna if you don't open the window!

I use mine with a dehumidifier when I'm organised, it dries things ridiculously quickly. Because it's quite big I hang things over 2 bars each so they're quite spread out.

I also use the dehumidifier with a normal airer and it does speed things up, it's really useful.

Hi I have the Lakeland one. They are really good. They now do a cover for it which makes drying time quicker. I have noticed a sheet over the top helps although they don't advise it. Fire hazards etc.

Blue, my hanging system is this:

Bottom layer: socks / underwear draped over 2 rungs at a time.

Middle layer: Tops / child pyjamas / pillow cases hanging over individual rungs.

Top layer: Trousers angled over each corner - the seat of the trousers flat and the legs hanging down the outside, one each side of a corner.

Jumpers then lie flat over the other clothes on each layer.

Sheets / duvet covers / towels / dressing gowns drape over the very top.

You have to shake the clothes and stretch them out as fully as possible to avoid the damp patches.

Thank you this is all very helpful.

An airer will be cheaper than a condenser tumble dryer (especially if I buy a reconditioned one) so am leaning towards that. I will be coming back to this thread to read the clothes drying method!

Another vote for a dehumidifier instead. We do all our drying in the small third bedroom using the dehumidifier. Costs pennies to run.

The clothes are on four sides around it - on airers.

I think you would need a relatively small room to put it in to work best.

IMO a heated airer is one of those MN things that people rave about but are actually shit , along with steam mops!

Condenser drier is the way forward and if your flat is cold it won't be good for it to have washing draped everywhere.

Blue - I tried hanging stuff on the rungs when I first got it, but nothing dried. I then started laying them flat on the shelves and it was great. The bars get hotter. I can lay 3 t shirts on top of each other and they all dry perfectly. I try not to leave any of the rungs uncovered (as they don't get as warm) It can be a bit of a pain loading the stuff on though.
I usually run the dehumidifier at the same time.

Dame I love mine. ponders buying a steam mop

Remember that a heated airer on its own doesn't made the damp disappear. It can't. It only moves it from the clothes into the air. You then need to remove it from the air with a dehumidifier, or sent it out the window.

Oh, and
But if your bathroom has space for a tumble (plug socket?) then a good condenser would be best to avoid condensation problems.
It's dangerous and illegal to have a power socket in a bathroom.

Another plug for dehumidifiers! Mine is great and even has a laundry drying setting on.

I love my 3 tier Lakeland heated area. Throw a cotton sheet over top to speed things along, and it helps heat the room too.

Sallying that's what I was thinking about when I wrote that,the op said about having a dryer in the bathroom and I was wondering how that would work.

We have a family of 4 in a small 2 bed flat. The Lakeland heated airer is a godsend we would be out of clothes without it. We don't have the space or money for a tumble drier.

caleb are you me??

This is my exact hanging method - and I love my heated airer. I really do.
It saved my sanity with 5dcs in a small flat, and now it's only me and 2dcs , my washing basket is hardly used.

Clothes go straight in the machine, a quick wash, hang on airer in the evening, and put away in the morning before work.
Need uniform /pe kit for the next day - no problem.
Sheets/towels draped on top, dried overnight too.

Did I say I love it?

Would definately recommend the Lakeland airer. Like other posters have said , I can get 2 loads on sometimes . Really handy now summer is here and the heating off - but too wet / chilly for an outside line . I have the cover too .

I'm in the dehumidifier camp. It has revolutionised my life. I can get stuff dry in just a few hours, with none of the damage a tumble dryer would cause.

I put tea towels or muslins on the bottom rack, layer smalls on these. Then hang stuff on the bars so they drop down (makes the most of the space). An old double duvet cover on top and the whole lot dries in a few hours.

It's a bit of a faff but it works really well, no damage to delicates and economical. I wouldn't hang washing on rads as I want to avoid condensation and heat my rooms not my clothes, and no room for a tumble dryer.

I get the same kind of weird satisfaction drying on this as I do hanging out.

I also find that the more I put on the Lakeland airer the better it dries. I make sure all of the bars are covered and ocassionally cover with a sheet or towel if no more space...that also helps. I usually put it on late at night and it's dry by the morning.

I have the Lakeland three tier one. I love it more than life itself. It takes two loads of washing, dries everything overnight if you thrown a large sheet over it to make a tent and it heats my large, cold kitchen so it's pleasantly warm on winter mornings. I haven't used the tumble drier since I've had it (about 4 years) and can't imagine going back to a tumbler at any point.

It folds away easily when not in use too.