Drying clothes in winter

[Primarkcouture]

I have the heated airer, the dehumidifier and no less than 3 socktopuses. But no tumble dryer and no space for one. Spring, summer and into Autumn I'm line drying then finishing off in the heated airer and dehumidifier. Both taking up space in the living room.

AIBU for not knowing where to begin drying clothes in the flipping British winter?

Tempted to build an outbuilding for drying purposes or failing that moving to a hot country where I can dry my clothes outside all year round.

Unless it is actually raining I hang washing outside all year round. It comes in still damp but dries on my Sheila Maid pulley system in an aired room quickly.

The key is properly spinning. I spin mine at the highest number possible.

Apropos of nothing I was talking to a complete stranger in a queue the other day and we started talking about drying laundry. It was brilliant. I would be sad to miss this potential chance of instant social connection just by living in a hot sunny country where it is not such a complex and fascinating topic.

I'm going to get a heated airer this year as this drives me nuts too!

I've got this one and it does the job. I only use it for towels, socks and boxers, everything else goes on an airer in winter.

I find putting an old sheet over the top of the airer and tucking the dehumidifier underneath speeds things up quite a bit. That and putting in it the smallest room.

I spin mine again, and if it is dry, hang it outside. Did a full
load of bedding and tea towels the other day, hung out to dry. The sheets, tea towels and pillow cases were all dry, if cold, and I put the duvet over the airer in the bathroom to finish off overnight. The extra spin really makes a difference.

I have four teens and all I use is an airer with a dehumidifier next to it and a sheet on top of it all. I don't have the heating on very much because of cost. My heated airer died last year but to be honest it was such a pain and I had to keep turning things over to get them dry. Dehumidifier is brilliant!

do you have an attic?
we have put a washing line up there, plus a heated airer (which is only switched on if we need things dry urgently)

I agree. My W/D is a fairly inexpensive Indesit. It works well for lots of items, although some, like woollens, I hang on or near a radiator in the spare bedroom so they don’t crease. Window open some of the time stops condensation.

I hang my clothes on my curtain rail and slightly open the window, they dry fine and dont smell

I also have 3 extension rods on my stairs walls, clothes dry really well there

If your clothes are very wet - once your load of washing is finished, spin it again on the highest spin setting. They will dry quicker.

Have been debating this too.

Very tempted by a dry:soon except for the price. Does anyone have experience with these?

Can anyone recommend a reasonable priced dehumidifier?

Thanks

Continue to line dry even in winter. Need to plan a bit and keep eye on the forecast for the best days but it’s worth it to get some of the damp out. Then tumble dry towels, undies, bedding, but other clothes go on the minky. I’m lucky I have a utility so I can shut the door and use the heat from the tumble drier to help finish dry the clothes on the minky. Dehumified is also a good bet to stop too much moisture in your home.

Decent quality dehumidifier (meaco).

Double spin your clothes at 1600 rpm washing machine.

Do not buy loads of clothes that retain water. For example fleeces and joggers come out almost dry. Jeans will still have a lot of water in them.

You can get a washer dryer to take the edge off really damp stuff like jeans. I have one and it is OK.

Yes a dehumidifier helps a lot! We have two and we really couldn't do without them very well at all.

We have a small tumble dryer - it was about £200 if I remember correctly. It's in the garage now but in our old house it was in a tiny cupboard under the stairs - as in, not a full height door, about half size. It's not a condensing one but we had no issues with damp or mould under the stairs.

It's small enough that if you're handy, maybe you could sew a cover for it and fashion a removable table top so it can live in the bay window? A nice disguise!

I can't have a pulley maid as my ceilings are not 'solid' as it were. They are lowered and are thin plasterboard.

You can get wall mounted ones.

I pit a dryer in the garage ! Couldn't bear the clothes everywhere any longer.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

To those asking about the spinning. I always do an extra spin or two on 1400. By sopping wet I just meant wet out of the machine even after a spin or two, compared to being semi dry following a day on the line outside.

I've now discovered condensation mould in a corner near the heated airer, that's despite a top of the line dehumidifier and windows being open for most of the day.

Two times this week I've put off doing the laundry. Such misery.

I may bite the bullet and buy a tumble dryer. Although god knows where I'll put it.

I'm considering getting a shed or outhouse but read that tumble dryers don't operate well in a cold environment. At least I would have somewhere to put the flipping heated airer though.

I’ve got a condensing tumble dryer in the box room upstairs. Doesn’t need venting to the outside. It so much easier than lugging washing onto rails and lines.

Me too. The dry cold days are surprisingly good for drying sheets and towels. I bring in when it starts to get dark and they finish drying on the airer over night.

Do you have a shed? I have a small size tumble dryer in mine.

Or a top flat section of bannister? I got three of the drying racks that hook over with five rails each. I don't like to dry fully indoors but they work well for finishing off.

Sorry missed this. Well my vented one has been outside a decade and no one has told it this! I live in north Scotland so not warm.

I do have it on a shelf (off cut of worktop) so it is well away from the cold concrete floor.

I had no problems with it being in the garage in cold weather . Is on a wooden plank not directly on the floor and the vent goes outside

Omg I need one!

We have a rail in our airing cupboard and it’s amazing for drying stuff in winter