AIBU so tired of washing

[Tircongal]

How do other people manage washing?? Have 4 clothes horses full of wet washing this evening and another 2 washes waiting to go . There are 2 adults and 3 kids in this house. Was ok during summer but weather awful for last few days so no outside drying. I work full time and this may sound odd but it's really getting to me tonight. Can't move for wet washing 😡 any tips how to make it easier.

Higher spin washing machine makes a difference or a double spin , heated airer or hang light stuff up in a spare room with a light on overnight

We have all always had different clothes for lounging around the house/walking the dog/nipping to the local shop etc..Shorts & T-shirts throughout summer, jeans/track pants/hoodies/sweaters in winter....and the key point here is that they are all dark colours: black/purple/brown..Can last all week as necessary ( I am a conscientious clothes sniffer btw )😉

Heated clothes horse. Inherited one in 2013 and its still going strong. Window open to help with damp.

Can someone recommend their dehumidifier, please?

I find I do have to think about laundry a lot, even though it's just me. I leave for work before 7 am and get home at 6.30 pm. If we ever have a long spell of hot weather in the summer (!) I wash in the evening, hang on the airer overnight and peg out at about 6 am. Not fun. But it's dry when I get home. None of my work dresses can go in the tumble dryer, and can take ages to dry when the heating isn't on. Feel your pain, OP.

I have an electric clothes horse which I got from Lakeland. Ok you still have to wash the stuff and hang it on the drier, but the process is much quicker. I drape wet towels around the boiler too. We also have a tumble drier, bought ages ago, but do t use it much as I don’t think it dries particularly well, but great if you do have a lot of wet washing which you want to get dry quickly.

I don’t have any suggestion about putting it all away though. I have the same problem!

I would also strongly recommend a heated clothes horse if you don’t already have one. We don’t always use it but when there is a lot to do or the weather is that horrible type where nothing ever truly dries, it’s a game changer.

I've banned hoodies, made a huge difference. The bastard things never dried, so I've told everyone if the want a hoodie laundered they can do it themselves, no one does, so I've not got damp hoodies hanging around for days.
Aside from that dehumidifier, load every day, everyone has their own baskets for small items that they have to put away, ironing is so much quicker as I hang things carefully over the dehumidifier so can get away with a quick press.

Can someone recommend their dehumidifier, please?

EcoAir DC12 is ours. It’s just an electrical one, about knee high, and collects the water in a condenser that you empty each cycle. Occasionally need to de-fluff the grill like a tumble drier but it tells you when. You can change the speed to suit the humidity level eg I turn up the powder in autumn then put it down when the heating’s on. You need a fairly small room to dry the clothes in though, with a plug so you can shut the door. Very economical.

I hardly use the tumble drier, it doesn’t seem to get anything dry unless I’m just finishing off slightly damp towels or bedsheets!

[quote daytripper28]@ThinWomansBrain

wow - what a great idea! I've never heard of that for a home but have seen similar spinners for swimming costumes at a pool (wondering if your one is the same as them?)[/quote]
thomas spin dryer

there are other brands - White Knight is another one. Fast spin speed is the key. this is 2800rpm, the spin in the washing machine is only 1000rpm - and just love that everything comes out soooo flat - even cotton trousers and tops that would have previously needed ironing, and great for jumpers that require handwashing and drying flat.
There are cheaper versions that are intended for caravans - but don't have the power.

when I was growing up, my mum had a twin tub - when she upgraded to an automatic washing machine she was disappointed that everything was a lot wetter, so kept the twin tub as well for the spin dryer.

@FateHasRedesignedMost

Can someone recommend their dehumidifier, please?

EcoAir DC12 is ours. It’s just an electrical one, about knee high, and collects the water in a condenser that you empty each cycle. Occasionally need to de-fluff the grill like a tumble drier but it tells you when. You can change the speed to suit the humidity level eg I turn up the powder in autumn then put it down when the heating’s on. You need a fairly small room to dry the clothes in though, with a plug so you can shut the door. Very economical.

I hardly use the tumble drier, it doesn’t seem to get anything dry unless I’m just finishing off slightly damp towels or bedsheets!

Thank you!

@Clarefromwork

I’m not sure if you iron but if you fold the clothes when you take them out the washing machine and kind of flatten them out with you hands as folding. Pile them up and leave for about 20 mins and then put on the clothes horse you shouldn’t need to iron them. (Doesn’t work for shirts and the like!)

A midwife told my mum to do this rather than ironing everything

Excellent tip! I'm going to try this.

My tips are similar as mentioned but concern buying clothes that don't need ironing and then getting them on hangers before the dryer cycle finishes so they are hot but still very slightly damp so the creases drop out.

Drying clothes on hangers on stairs and backs of doors works too if space is an issue.

We'd all be naturalists here without our dryer over winter so if space is an issue, you can buy a stacking mechanism quite cheaply so it sits on top of your washing machine.

My iron is largely redundant. My w.machine has a spin speed of 1600, so after that I take stuff out ASAP and give everything a good shake. My mum used to say - shake the creases out, and it works. Then fold carefully and smooth out any wrinkles. Put in a pile and wait a bit before pegging out. Even Tshirts come out crease free. Brilliant.

I have a dehumidifier but it doesn't have a laundry mode will it still do the same job.
Its about 14 years old got it after moving into a house what started getting mold every where. After a lot of complaining at the housing associations they put in a eurovent in the attic which blows out cold air. I have a airer in the front room near radiator and one in a down stairs bathroom which I usually just open window to try stop it going moldy in there.
Should I get one with a laundry mode would it work better.

Sal