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.

We have a condenser dryer in our airing cupboard upstairs. My sister had a normal dryer in an outside plastic storage box ( big storage box bike sized). I put things on the line for as long as possible across the year. When it's damp and cold like now I blast the non tumble dry things in the drier for 15 minutes then hang them up in my side landing window.

We have an old fashioned vented tumble drier and a ceiling airer in a well ventilated garage. But if you have space to build a small carport type shelter with a clear roof (so it gets the sun) you could string washing lines in it.

I hate people using radiators to dry clothes. Firstly it looks awful and read this www.onlyradiators.co.uk/blog/heating-essentials/drying-clothes-on-a-radiator

Don't open the window when using the dehumidifier. Did you not read the instructions?

You're essentially paying to dry nothing if the window is open with a dehumidifier. You need a closed box that the dehumidifier can take all the moisture out of the air, and then eventually walls etc.

Also make sure you have a window open or if you have vents in windows, have them open. My previous neighbour never did this and when new neighbour moved in, I showed him
how to operate the timer controller as previous neighbour didn’t leave it behind. There was mould everywhere. I said she never had windows open even in the hot weather.

Got the Lakeland airer with cover. Very disappointing. I’m saving up for a dehumidifier

<strokes Aga>

Extra spin in the machine & line dry as much as I can. I have 2 long lines in the garden so can dry loads at a time.

This week has been great weather so I have done a load every day this week pegged out before I start work and it's dry when I finish apart from stuff like jeans

I have a tumble dryer but I try to only use it for towels really. Washing does build up in rainy/ damp weather ngl.

Not sure which heated airer you have op, I have one from Lakeland & it dries really fast & even faster with the cover on. Can dry 5/6 pairs of jeans hoodies etc in 4/ 5 hours with the cover on. Couldn't be without it now. It wasn't cheap but resolved my issue of drying in winter & I no longer need a tumble dryer. I dry loads of towels on it too.

I've just checked my machine and it doesn't actually have a spin cycle! It's really annoying, I didn't think it had. It's a Bosch as well.

I'm in Lancashire and when I see people say a heated airer or dehumidifier dries their clothes in 4hrs I'm like... how?!

Could you stack a dryer on top of your washing machine? I just have mine on top. It's a heat pump dryer so similar to a condenser doesn't need to be ventilated outside.

We had one in our previous home, it was great! But we have a combi boiler where we are now, so no airing cupboard. I really miss it.

They probably have a house set to 20 plus degrees at all times.

We have a washer drier and it's great in the winter

A washer dryer should work fine. You just need to remember they dry a lower kg that wash, for example a 8kg washer will probably only dry 5kg. So ideally get as big as possible, a 9kg washer with 6kg dry.

we still hung most clothing to dry on rack near open window if possible when in our old flat, but dryer meant all towels and bedding were easily dried and not taking up every door drying. Also thick items like jeans in dryer.

Aeg or lg are best

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I have the Lakeland one with cover and it takes AGES to dry things.

Are you overloading it? They need space for air to circulate.
They work double well with a dehumidifier.

Get a tumble dryer

You can put it in a shed

Have always dried laundry inside as live in a flat.

Top tip is not to ram the washer. I put a maximum of 8 (10 in the summer if everything is shorts and t-shirts) items plus socks in the washer at at time.

If you are at home all day, you can get away with wearing the same top for 2 days. Or do what I do, when I get home from work which I wear a uniform, wear the same top after work that lasts 3 days unless I drop food down it.

Garage/shed/the understairs cupboard /spare room/landing for a tumble dryer?
I really couldn't live without mine. I took a cupboard out to accommodate it. I'd rather have that, than no tumble dryer.

@Hercisback1 true! Mine is around 17c as that's what I find comfortable

Yep I have the Lakeland one too. Along with a Meaco dehumidifier. Still takes ages and slowly shuffling the clothes along the hot bit is giving me the rage.

Clothes on the line outside today and hope they'll get a bit dry before the inside 'finishing off' routine.

I think most likely I will end up with a tumbled dryer in a shed but I read that sheds or garages are too cold for them to operate to an optimum level because of the cold air. Not sure if that just applies to vented ones.

I have my radiator clothes rack over my banister in the hall so the clothes are dangling down over the stairs. Heat rises so they are dry pretty quickly. I have 3 of them over the banister, then my dehumidifier is in the hall. I also put the clothes horse in the bath and the clothes dry on there quickly too.