To think that heated airers are a swizz?

[Velvettoad]

We've got a new heated airer and it's rubbish! What am I missing, why do people rave about them?? It's red hot to the touch but doesn't radiate any heat so the only bits that dry are the bits touching the bars.

Also, we got a cover for it but it just seems to create hot moist air underneath so it seems to take longer to dry! I've done an extra spin cycle to dry out the clothes but it doesn't seem to help. Anyone got one of these and finds it useful? What's your secret?

YANBU Op they’re rubbish and yet regularly recommended on here! Top marks for the words swizz and foostie on this thread though

Just purchased one from Lakeland. Love mine. Loads of partners work T-shirts & jeans dry within approx 8 hours now instead of being damp the next day.

Mine is in a small box room - I've noticed that the room feels really warm when it's been on so maybe that's helping dry everything really quickly.

I had the Lakeland one with the cover and didn't rate it at all. Ended up sending it back after a few days. I bought a dehumidifier and my DH turned our under stair cupboard into a drying 'room'. I stick a normal clothes airer in there, plus he's put up a hanging rail so I can hang things on hangers from that.
So much quicker and cheaper than the heated airer.

About the same as an unheated one, then ..

I love my Lakeland heated drier. I put a sheet over it. It dries heavy duty jeans in around 12 hours - far less time than if we didn't use it.

I don't overstack it, there's a space between t shirts etc. Had mine for years.

What's the point of them if it takes 24hrs to dry the clothes?
Washing dries inside on an airer in that time without it.

Dehumidifiers are good for speeding up drying time.

Same! I sold my Lakeland airer to a student and bought a tumble dryer instead.

I wonder if some lakeland airers are hotter than others?

I mean I wonder if some Lakeland airers are hotter than other Lakeland airers*

What's the point of them if it takes 24hrs to dry the clothes?

all I can say is it doesn’t for me, it takes 3-4 at most.

We’ve had one with a cover for about 5 years and love it. The trick I’ve found is how you load it. If it’s a tiered one then lighter stuff at the bottom, heavier stuff at the top. It will take at least 6-8hr to dry a load, I tend to leave it overnight. And I put heavier items across 2 bars to make sure they dry well. If DH loads it it’s all still wet the next day 🙈

We’ve got the big Lakeland drysoon and cover. Older version as had for ages.

Thanks for this post, @Velvettoad
My sis has been umming & ahhing about getting a heated airer for a while, & can't afford to waste money on something she's not happy with. I sent her the gist of what everyone has said & she's not bothering getting one, so thank you!

See my washing doesn't but this is when it's maybe 15/16c inside
Washing for me can take 2-3 days to dry unless I use a dehumidifier or some form of heating

@WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps that's what I thought! Someone with too much time on their hands!!

I don’t get on with mine either, I have the large Lakeland tiered with cover and I just feel it’s a waste of the leccy , I use it switched off and it’s ridiculous

What?

We dry our clothes naturally on an indoor rack and they take about half that time!!

Put the clothes on horizontally, lay them flat!

I have one of these - on our second. First one air vents got blocked and it melted - think cat liking to be under it meant increased clogging dust - but we'd had it years by then.

It's great apparently though it's very energy intensive - but I've found it very quick.

Half the year it's all outside line drying but rest of year tend to dry most things on ordinary clothes horses with dehumidifier under - often on depends on ventilation. We tend to resort to driers when it's been wet a while or wet washing or washing is piling up.

Ours is great. If the heating was on then we probably wouldn’t be using it as the radiators would be quicker - although that does mean the place looking like a laundrette which isn’t great.

At the moment though we’ve not had the heating on and it dries things much quicker than just hanging them on a rack.

I've never used a dehumidifier, are they cheap then to run? Cheaper than a heated airer ? What else do you use them for .

Thanks

What is that ?

I live in a flat, no outside space. So looking at all options as usually end up putting things on normal airer and radiators in winter. This winter will be trying not to use radiators and worried lots of damp clothes.

clothes maiden = clothes horse.

If you can get a celling rack installed - those are good - out the way and where the hot air is.

Dehumidifier - just take water out the air - so stop houses and flats being damp. Damp air obviously do not help with drying times - less water in air quicker drying. How much to run I think depends on model.

I personally like the JML DriBUDDi - but they are electricity intensive.

Heat pump dryers - seem to be frequently recommended - but condenser dryers or vented dryers can still be worth running.

@MoriaRoseForever yes cheaper, and seems to dry clothes faster
Not much else you can use them for really except if your house is damp, or you have a leak or need to dry a room quickly
My bathroom extractor is rubbish so I sometimes use it after a shower

I got rid of mine, it just seemed to create warm damp. It only dries if you lay it flat. I now like dry to damp touch then 30 mins tumble in fairly large loads

I would assume people are mainly buying heated airers when they don't have a tumble drier. We don't have space for one, I'd rather have a dishwasher.