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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Laundry airers for students in halls

25 replies

Loveden · 19/08/2020 10:32

All the packing lists advise them.
Do they actually use them or do they just tumble dry everything?
DD's room in halls is likely to be tiny - would an overdoor airer be a better choice?
Or what about a compact heated airer? They're bulkier to store and more expensive but might help get the laundry dry quicker?
If anyone who has experience of drying laundry in halls of residence has any advice or recommendations, I'd be very grateful.

OP posts:
SisyphusAndTheRockOfUntidiness · 19/08/2020 10:36

IME, many students have their doors open a lot. Wedged open, in fact. So an over door airer might not get used. I'd most likely have used one of the little ones that hooked over a radiator, useful for anything that would get ruined by tumble drying, & anything that gets dropped in the mud/snow etc. Also for drying their towels on so they don't go smelly, even if they don't actually use it for drying clothes.

Baaaahhhhh · 19/08/2020 10:36

The reason they are recommended is cost, tumble drying at uni is really expensive, and the dryers are mostly awful, either old/broken, or just frag everything. DD had an airer in her "under the stairs" teeny, tiny, first year's room, she just had to work around it. But it was a necessity.

SisyphusAndTheRockOfUntidiness · 19/08/2020 10:38

If I wanted to dry anything in my room - I think I got clothes hangers & hung them on the curtain rails by the open window. No special equipment needed. Minimum damp.

Mixingitall · 19/08/2020 10:43

Halls tend to be super hot (so hot I wore shorts and t shirt the entire time and only put jeans on to go out!) so washing will dry quickly. I would just buy a normal £10 airer and an over the radiator one for towels.

LooseyGoosey · 19/08/2020 12:58

I guess it depends on the set up of the laundry facilities but when I was at Uni (12 years ago), the laundry room had lots of space for drying and we mostly put our own airers up in there and left things to dry. There were also a few of those ceiling mounted pulley system ones in the room that anyone could use. Stuff did occasionally get muddled up but it wasn't a major issue.

Original poster
Loveden · 19/08/2020 15:02

Ah @LooseyGoosey, that's interesting. I hadn't considered that the airers might not be for your bedroom but for a laundry room.

OP posts:
Divoc2020 · 19/08/2020 17:49

DS1 used his quite a lot (extending one from Wilko).

laundry and tumble driers can be quite costly and time limited and sometimes things still need to be 'finished off' even after the tumble drier.

MyMagicStars · 19/08/2020 19:20

DD4 has an extendable one, but DD3 wasn’t allowed one in halls- not sure about the others, my twins are the chatterboxes!

DominaShantotto · 20/08/2020 10:10

From the number of them I saw being carried back from the city centre to the campus halls of residents in the first couple of weeks of term last year - they're pretty essential.

PlinkPlink · 20/08/2020 10:23

Tumble drying used to be a luxury for me at uni. Couldn't afford it often.

Standard clothes horse was all I needed.

Got me learning those important laundry skills 😂

Ginfordinner · 20/08/2020 10:29

Some halls won't allow them due to damp/fire safety issues, so check first. Also, many rooms are just too small. DD was lucky that her laundry costs were quite low, and she often shared with one of her flatmates. Her airer never got used. Her second year house has a tumble dryer, and they have just put a washing line up in the garden, so she gave me the airer to bring home.

hellojim · 20/08/2020 10:35

They are useful for drying stuff and for airing damp towels. I wouldn't get a radiator airer though until you've actually seen the radiators as they seem to come in all shapes and sizes in halls.

ErrolTheDragon · 20/08/2020 22:27

I wouldn't get a radiator airer though until you've actually seen the radiators as they seem to come in all shapes and sizes in halls.

Yes, they may not have a domestic central heating type radiator type of thing.

In yr 1 DD tumbledried or (I think) hung things up in her en-suite shower - the bedroom wasn't really big enough for an airer. She acquired one in the second year I think.

hastingsmua1 · 20/08/2020 22:31

I went to uni 2015-19.

Does the website of her accommodation mention “circuit laundry” or another laundry company? If so, she’ll probably have tumble drier facilities on site so no need to buy an airer rack.

To be honest rooms in halls are small so an airer would take up too much room, especially once it’s loaded with laundry

raspberryrippleicecream · 21/08/2020 00:04

Neither of mine wanted to pay for tumbling. Both used their airers.

howells · 21/08/2020 00:13

Ds1 isn’t allowed one in his room according to the bumf we’ve received. I was thinking of getting him one anyway, because sometimes things come out of the dryer still a bit damp. Possibly one like this, which isn’t going to take up much space.

ListeningQuietly · 21/08/2020 16:22

Wilko folding ones are the best.
Cost less than two weeks of tumble dryer bills.
Slide under the desk when not in use.

littlealexhorne · 21/08/2020 16:39

If it is Circuit laundry then you're looking at around £2 each tumble dry, so an airer is definitely well worth it, seeing as you can easily get one for around £10.

BackforGood · 22/08/2020 18:05

My older two found them invaluable - it isn't just for washing, but to spread out / air your towel each day. However, we've just had the bumf for dc3's accommodation and for some reason it says clothes airers aren't allowed Confused
Tumble drying stuff does cost a lot if they do that all the time.

ListeningQuietly · 22/08/2020 18:07

Backforgood
Is it all airers or just the radiator ones
just that hanging a big weight on the radiator and then piling laundry on top nadgers the wall and the thermostat systems

worth checking if freestanding fold away is allowed

BackforGood · 22/08/2020 20:28

Part of the 'agreement' she has signed for her contract for room in student halls says {student shall} "not wash, dry or hang laundry in the Room"
Sounds a bit bizarre.
We have an airer that her brother brought back, so we'll put it in the car and she can see - I can't see that they'll be inspecting the rooms that closely - it's not a fire hazard or anything. In the same list, there are things like "not keep or use anywhere in the Residence any firearms, offensive weapons, explosive or flammable materials." ...... which I kind of thought might be taken as read Hmm Grin

hastingsmua1 · 22/08/2020 20:39

To be fair my halls had a clause stating students must not have furniture in halls, but they didn’t bat an eyelid at my 6ft mirror or clothing rack during room inspections.

My halls were only fussed if the furniture (inc airers I suppose) would get in the way of exiting in an emergency or would impede doors/windows from opening

hastingsmua1 · 22/08/2020 20:40

I suppose the risk of drying clothes indoors is the risk of mould perhaps

Ginfordinner · 22/08/2020 21:11

I can't see that they'll be inspecting the rooms that closely

They did in DD's halls.

Serin · 22/08/2020 23:06

Not allowed at DDs or DSs unis. I 2ould definitely check first.
PITA really as DS is nursing and is spending a fortune on laundry.

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