To think heated drying racks are a rip off

[iwearmysunglassesatnight]

I was talked into buying one. Its been on for 9 hours with a fitted sheet over the top. Clothes are still only dry where they are touching the rack, so the bits that aren't touching are still very damp.

Does anyone manage to dry their clothes this way? How?

I have lots of stuff that can't be tumble dried without shrinking, but it can all go on the heated airer. I layer it and find it very effective. I bought a reconditioned Lakeland one from Lakeland on eBay after seeing that recommended on here. I then bought the cover from a normal Lakeland. Mine is in the garage and it's great, no more damp clothes hanging around. I didn't get it to save money but I am careful to remember to switch it off once it's all dry

9hrs? Perhaps you need to use a better spin cycle on your washing machine. I love my heated dryers so much I have 2 of them! I've never waited 9hrs for a load to dry.

I don't have anywhere for a tumble dryer which is why I use both, and I'm not allowed to hang stuff to dry in the garden so I needed an all year round solution

Mine is brilliant. I suppose it depends what you're putting on it but I find it a godsend when I've been lazy and don't get around to washing school uniform until Sunday evening!

I hang underwear and socks on a normal airer in the spare room and they dry overnight. Everything else is on hangers on doorways or a rail. Again, most dry overnight or if jeans, within 24 hours. They're certainly not completely wet after 9 hours.

I don't see the point of heated airers at all unless they're going to dry stuff within a couple of hours.

Fair enough, my point was about all the posters I’ve read saying they aren’t going to use their tumble drier but are buying other expensive contraptions to use instead.

Same to the first paragraph - we have had the the three tier one from Lakeland for a number of years and think it’s brilliant! I can fit loads on it and it all dries fine. I don’t use a cover either.

Or you have a condenser dryer plumbed in to extract the water.

We are fortunate to have a heat pump tumble dryer. It doesn't shrink clothes because it doesn't get that hot.
It costs approx 35p to dry 1 load of laundry.
(900kW; approx 30p / kWh; drying time just over 1 hour)
The condensed water drains directly into the same outlet pipe as the washing machine, so doesn't add to the moisture in the air in the house.

For those who can't afford / don't have space for one, a heated airer +/- dehumidifier would be an option, but I suspect more expensive to run.

Yes, we don't use the cover either. Although I always assume it's so full that it sort of acts like a cover and we do occasionally drape larger items over the top.

I'm glad it's not just me though. I see threads like this all the time and makes me think, "I hope ours never dies because a new one might not work as well". We've had ours for about 8 years.

I’ve got drying racks fitted over the radiator in my utility room so all my washing dries really well on these, usually within 24 hours. The radiators are coming in anyway so no extra expense. And yes, I got pulled up on this last week because posters were all saying they hadn’t turned their heating on yet. But, I have had mine on for an hour at a time in the evenings, I’m such a reckless fool.

Completely agree about the heated airer problem - I use mine occasionally if it’s a day when the central heating won’t be going on, say in early autumn. Can’t say it’s ever dried everything properly and I use it with a cover. aAnd I only ever hang clothes on every other rack, so there’s plenty of air circulating.

I’ve mainly used mine unplugged as just a nice big airer in the summer. Can’t remember how much I spent on mine (about 10 years old) but it’s probably not been the most efficient use of my hard earned dosh.

I've got one of the Lakeland pod ones with a cover and I love it. Only use it over the winter though. Clothes go in on hangers which seems to help with creases too. Heavier items like jeans do take longer to dry but I just leave them in with the next load. We do at least one wash a day here so it's never hanging around for long. It's really good for school shirts and kids clothes.

I have the tall tower one from Lakeland and a load of washing is usually dried overnight. I don't layer anything or move anything around, I just hang stuff over every available bar.
I've got a small dehumidifier in the same small room to stop any mould /damp forming. Works well.

You need to lay things horizontally, not draped over the racks!

Get a dehumidifier. Game changer😃

Tower one here but not an expensive lakeland one, just a JL one.

Takes about 6 hours ish. I have a good spin on my washing machine.

I don't use a cover but have a sheet draped over.

Love it. It's 300w. A lot less than my ancient inefficient tumble dryer which also shrinks everything.