washing - where am I going wrong?!

[SingleMumAndProud]

With all this rain, I have had to hang washing inside a lot. Its on an airer, same as I always have done (this is the first year in this house though).

It is taking 2 days to dry and smells of damp when I fold it! Its horrible!

Have you got some windows open?

Get a tumble dryer

use fabric conditioner

Same here, it's just because it's so damp outside it makes it a bit more damp inside too and some houses are just a bit damper than others. Just got to spread it out a bit more and open a few windows to get a draught going.

Or keep a good eye on the weather - the bbc weather site predicts the next 24 hours in 3 hourly chunks, I've just checked and can now hang the next wash outside!

The windows are all open - well the small ones anyway and there are quite a few. I was drying next to the window, but maybe that is what is causing it? Its a really horrible smell, like they have been stored in the loft for 3 years! lol

cyb - no, I am not going to get a tumble dryer

Have you got them spread out on the airer, sometimes this can help esp in damp houses. I have to spread mine out too as we dont have a dryer either

Get a dehumidifier? This is what DH & I used to have to do when we didn't have a tumble drier, and worked full time & couldn't put washing out....

we used to stick it in the spare bedroom with the clothes, and shut the door so it didn't dry the rest of the house too much!

fluffy - I struggle to pay the bills so don't really want to have a dehumidier on TBH.

Peachy - they are as spread out as they can get without taking over the house. I use 2 airers and the doors.

I put my airers over the bath and so far it seem ok. Maybe try and do less washing at a time so it dries more quickly.

iron everything ironable straight out of the washing machine

things will dry quicker, iron easily and faster

and hang things as far apart as you can - even if it means shirts on every door jamb and sheets hanging over the bannisters

I hang tops, dresses and shirts on hangers and put them on door frames to dry- it works quite well. I hang sheets and duvet covers over the bannisters, and everything else goes on the clothes horse. I hate damp weather- I sometimes have to put an airer full of damp clothes back into the wash because they smell so bad.

Can you nip down to the launderette? I went today and put three loads of washing into their commercial dryer and it was all dried within 20 minutes and cost only £1.