To be able to cope without heating on except for the laundry issue?

[A580Hojas]

Nothing gets dry! We have a dehumidifier, we have a tumble dryer (which I will only use as a last resort) and already the laundry is piling up everywhere. We don't overdo it with laundry either - bedding every 2 weeks, bath towels once a week, tops usually do two wears, jeans and trousers probably 6 or 7 wears. There's 3 of us living here atm.

It's horrible when your bath towel isn't properly dry from yesterday when you get out of the shower. The hand towel in the kitchen doesn't get dry.

Aarrggh!

Agree that a modern tumble dryer isn't that expensive to use. With 2 young men with SN in the family, one of whom is incontinent and soaks his bed, every night, 3 loads of laundry a day is standard. We compared our gas and electric bills with the average and fiscovered that, while our gas bills are high (old house, ds who won't wear more layers so needs more heating plu we use a lot of hot water) our electric bills are merely average.

It's not cold here yet. I was outside in a tshirt today and very warm. No matyrdom involved - just lucky with the weather so far.

And I've been line drying my laundry - no tumble dryer here so don't have that option. But I do work from home so am free to 'faff' (bring it in if it rains).

In a flat in london so haven’t needed heating yet for air temperature but facing the same with laundry. I spread it out as much as possible, and move the airer around the flat when it’s sunny, following the sun! Don’t have a tumble dryer. Have you thought about a heated airer my friend got a refurbished one cheap

Why do people click on threads when the subject matter annoys them or it’s something they just can’t possibly understand.. Just don’t read them. Instead of having to comment about how ridiculous people are being or not understanding the situations folk are finding themselves in.

The reality is some can’t afford to put the heating on. We’ve managed without mostly as it’s not actually that cold! But I did put it on an hour to dry the clothes on the clothes horse.

Because these are discussion threads and people have different opinions. It would be a bit boring if everyone agreed and said exactly this same thing, surely?

The damp towel thing is getting me down too OP.
We're still drying outside unless it's raining which will be more often than not soon. Dh throws everything through the dryer on the way into the house form the washing line, just to finish it off. Once it's wet it'll be on airers in the back room.

I've dried everything outside up to now, towel is drying fine on the (unheated) towel rack too. I have a heat pump tumble dryer so cost isn't an issue, but I prefer to dry outside for environmental reasons

I hang stuff up for 24 hours then tumble it for 10 minutes before folding and putting away. That's got to be cheaper than tumbling it straight out of the washing machine?

I also hang bath towels over doors which drives DH mad but they are usually dry the next morning.

Because I can’t afford the tumble dryer or the heating.

If possible use outside line during the day (maybe wash clothes at night, so you can take advantage of all the daylight hours, now autumn is here).
Otherwise, if you have children and do lots of washing, then I really think a tumble dryer is a godsend.
Maybe wash things a bit less, and allow extra time to dry.

I know people don’t like the “look” of it but putting stuff on hangers and then hanging them from curtain rails really does work.

Yeah we’re having the same issue. OH is in camp “austere winter, we will not heat”. I’m in camp “we need the fucking heating on to prevent damp and building issues if nothing else, and the dog keeps shivering”.

Apartment, so can’t hang it outside. Have a washer/dryer but it’s tiny, the drying function is shit, and it never actually dries anything properly. Laundry is taking 3-4 days to dry.

We’ve started putting the heating on for an hour or two on laundry days. Having clothes on airers by radiators.

Do you have a smart meter to estimate running costs? We don’t, but we’re looking at getting one today.

I posted the ‘babysat’ version of drying. I work FT (50 hours) have 3 kids and am alone with them mon-Fri as DH work away. I have to be organised on all aspects of daily life, work and home, or it would be chaos. I also have a drier which I only use on the basis I’ve quoted due to finances. Once it’s routine it doesn’t feel like a faff. Hanging stuff on an airer and moving the airer outside is 2 minutes more time than hanging it on an airer and not moving it outside.

It's definitely worthwhile investing in a good washing machine and a modern, more economical tumble dryer. The cost per use needn't be that high.

You need a Lakeland heated airer

When you are trying to dry things, what makes Huge difference is having the air around the wet washing moving. Dig out an electric fan (just the sort of basic fan you would use in the summer) and point it at the washing. It makes a huge difference. I used one when I was drying washing in an unheated cellar on wet winter days and, yes, it does work.

Aren’t air heaters plug in? So use electricity?

I said the same thing. It was a relavation! Yesterday I put 2 loads on a ceiling drier, dehumidifier underneath and a normal unheated fan aiming at the washing. Most of it was dry enough to put away by the time I went to bed. Would have been quicker if I had less clothing on it.

No room for a tumble drier and it's far too wet to dry outside now and far too warm to put the heating on. In theory the fan and dehumidifier cost pennies to run.

I've got 2 loads on the line now, it's chilly but a good breeze so will take off most the wet. I'll bring it in later and put it on the airers then tomorrow lay it bit by bit on the elec heated aired for take the chill off

I read on here that humidifiers cost loads to run?

I find tumble drying shrinks clothes, can’t seem to find a way around it. Suggestions appreciated.

Use the right settings and get a sensor dryer. Watch like a hawk too.

@Greyarea12 why would I put my heating on upstairs hasn't dropped below 20 and downstairs 19. We do have the log burner on occasionally for cosiness

YANBU,
but use the bloody tumble drier.
mine is a heat pump one and I’ve worked out that it is literally 61p to dry 8kg of laundry.
many dehumidifiers cost more to run for the 8-12hrs it takes your clothes to dry.

This is the problem I have. I have got to do washing today as we go away tomorrow. However the washing from two days ago is still damp. I’ve been putting it on the line and bringing it in when it rains. It is driving me mad.