To ask how you dry your laundry in the winter?

[Marie0]

I seem to do washing every day - there are only 4 or us that seems too much.

Any way - although I do have a tumble dryer I’m reluctant to use it because it’s quite expensive- so just in ‘emergencies’.

But I don’t really like washing on the radiators all over the house - just doesn’t look nice.

I currently have a de-humidifier plugged in and 2 clothes airers set up.

But they take up so much room and because I wash every day - they are in constant use so a bit of an eye sore.

How do I overcome my laundry challenge?

Heated airer with cover.

I put clothes on the washing line nearly all year round.
If the ground is dry then clothes will dry, yes sunny warm weather speeds up the drying but the wind will blow most of the water out even if stuff doesn’t come in fully dry.
Then I stick it on an airer in the kitchen if still feels damp or in the airing cupboard, often right on top of the water tank if just cold

I use a tumble drier, my electricity bill isn’t high

I have a heat pump tumble dryer, I dry in at all year round as I have no outside space and when I see the amount of water collected in the drawer I know I don't want that up my walls and windows.
The first year I used it I avoided putting a meter reading in because I was a bit worried how much it would cost, when someone came to read he meter I had a lovely email from British gas about them reducing my DD, the gas bill fell a lot, I think it's true that heating a house with moist air costs more, so radiators on plus dehumidifier to dry the air may not cost less than an energy efficient tumble dryer.

Tumble dryer all winter but it knocks the bollocks out of our clothes. I am really contemplating a heated airer this year

Outside whenever possible. Otherwise larger items in tumble dryer and smaller ones on drier

There are 4 of us and I usually wash daily. 3 sets of sheets weekly, towels, 2 x swimming kit, 2 x PE kit, 1 x dance clothes, tea towels , day to day clothes, blanket from cat bed and mysteriously last week THREE extra unlabelled towels as somehow managed to bundle into swimming kit washed and returned to school. It seems never ending

Heated airer is fine. Does wobble a bit but I never cover it over and the only reason I ever lay anything flat is because it's knitwear.

It also does a lovely job of heating the room!

I wait until there's about 3 washing loads, wash on a 50 minute cycle then underwear in the tumble drier and everything else on hauled up to the ceiling on the laundry maiden. Dries overnight as we're lucky to have 10' ceilings and the maiden is next to the stairs so good airflow.

Do people call clothes horses (floor dwelling drying racks) maidens now? I always thought the maidens were the pully racks, and the clothes horses are on the floor. Clothes airers seems quite a new term, is it american?

Tumble dryer. I'd just rather get dry and away than mess around with an stand or whatever.

There are five of us here and I wash every day. Bedding for five is two washes at least, then there are towels, swimming stuff, kitchen cloths and clothes inc ds2 who does rugby.

On the line as much as possible all year round, things dry fairly quickly as there is always a good breeze in our garden.

We don’t have a tumble dryer and I hate having stuff on the surer/radiators so when it’s wet we wash our stuff and drop it at the laundrette, the man does it all, folds it nicely and even pairs socks. It costs around £4.50 for two loads.

I use the dryer year-round.

Tumble dryer always for towels, and for non delicates when I've got more than one load.

Clothes horse for most clothes, radiators too when they're on.

I use the radiators all year. I live in a rural village, with birds nesting and feeding all over my garden, and they already crap on my car - I don’t want them crapping on my clean washing as well!
I tend to put underwear out of sight on spare bedroom radiators, but am happy to dry my T shirts or bedding in the sitting room. It’s only one day a week. I don’t own a tumble drier.

if your heating is coming on twice a day (in winter) it will only be hanging there looking untidy for about an hour?!

How thin are your clothes / hot and dry is your house if everything dries in about an hour?

Are those heater airers with a cover any good?

I'm asking because sailing people keep talking about a "dry buddy" for drying wetsuits overnight at events in hotels etc, and I think that is what they are talking about. So I'm wondering about getting one to use generally, but being able to pack it up in the car for events as well.

Dry on low heat for 30 to 60 mins, then finish off on airer. I also have a dehumidifier, which works really well. I use the tumble drier only on socks, underwear, towels and bed linen. Everything else air dries, but if I'm in a rush, I'll tumble dry for 60 mins.

@BiddyPop Tge problem with DriBuddi and other heated airers is that, while they will dry the clothes, they will release all the moisture into the air in the same way as drying clothes on radiators (unlike tumble driers or dehumidifiers which will both collect the water extracted from the clothes). They would be alright I suppose if you can ventilate your room really well afterwards, but otherwise you may end up with damp problems.

@Chesterfieldsofa - I have always called it a clothes maiden. It's a north west term.

We're a family of four, both parents full time working, kids getting older (12/10), and there is no way we could get through winters without a tumble drier. Not unless we were prepared to use a sizeable chunk of the (limited) free time we have on hanging stuff out, and getting it back again from assorted clothes horses and radiators. Buy a couple of coffees fewer each week, and use the drier.

Tumble dryer. It's the only practical way in my house.

I’ve got a question for those of you with heated airers. Can you use them for clothes that can’t go in the tumble dryer? I’m thinking delicates, gym clothes, swimming costumes, wool school cardigans and jumpers etc? I have A LOT of washing and when the weather turns grim use the tumble dryer, but I have a lot of clothes that can’t go in the tumble dryer, which I normally dry on the kitchen radiator (it’s the only one with tiles behind it, I’ve previously had paint peel off above radiator when I’ve dried washing that way in other rooms, which is why I don’t do that anymore). Basically I suppose I want to know if the heated airers are around the same temp as a radiator or hotter? TIA x

Clothes tumble drier of course. I don't even know what a radiator is, shrugs, only that cars have them.

We're in a two bed flat and we have a storage cupboard in the hallway where the hot water tank is. It's effectively like a big airing cupboard. I pop my clothes on the dryer and stick it in there overnight while the tank reheats. Everything's dry as a bone by the morning and kept out of sight. I also have one of those mini clip on hanging things for socks, underwear, etc. Cost £1 out of Poundland - it's brilliant. You can clip your socks up together, so they stay in there 'pairs'

Our washing machine tends to go on once a day. Lights, darks, my bedding, DD's bedding, towels, DD's school uniform, and then a quick wash for any random bits left in the basket come Sunday night. I never cram the machine full. The clothes wouldn't wash properly. About 3/4 full, which works out perfect for out little Minky two tier airer to fit everything on!

If I can avoid drying inside, I will. I much prefer things to be outside on the line and getting lots of fresh air. If it isn't raining or snowing, it's a good drying day and the washing's getting hung oot!

*their pairs. Doh!

airing cupboards are so useful for drying.

we used a heated airer on holiday. to dry the delicates, I laid them on top of other nearly dry garments. (eg jeans or tracksuits.) and dried them that way.

at home stuff dries on the airer in a few hours. (summer) longer in winter. (up to three days if it is full, but taking things that are nearly dry off and hanging them somewhere else helps)