If you don't have a tumble dryer or don't use yours....

[LaCerbiatta]

How do you manage to dry your clothes? Need tips, please!

I'm really struggling with this at the moment. Used to put the clothes airer next to the heater but in this new house that doesn't seem to work as heaters not as hot, specially since we're trying not to have the heating on for more than a couple of hours a day.

Tend not to put them outside because half of the time it'll rain and I'm out of the house all day and always end up with damp smelly clothes.... Also, it's usually so humid, even if sunny, that clothes take forever to dry outside.

So, what do you all do? I'm almost giving in and buying a tumble dryer but only when I can afford a really efficient one. Absolutely refuse to give an extra £20 a month to bloody energy provider!

(i'm working so won't log on again until tonight but please don't ignore me )

We just use a clothes horse in the middle of the room.
When the heating's on, it takes a few hours to dry, but longer when it isn't.
having said that, if you put it in the way of the window, it takes less tiem to dry.

We also have those radiator hangers, some of wich go over the radiators, and some of which we put over the bannisters (sheets and duvet covers dry very quickly there)

and then outside on a sunny day - you can bringthem in when it starts to get cold and hang them over the bannsiters to finish off.

Clothes on airers in spare room. Sheets/duvet covers over bannister or stairs.

A few hours??? it's taking me 3-4 days if not directly on top of the radiator.....

I have a few airers, one clothes horse that lives over the bath to finish of drying stuff. the main dryer is a a bit like his from ikea small footprint, it is located in the draftiest part of the living room. I don't have outside space at all so have to dry everything indoors. normally I can wash/dry one load a day.

We just put them over airers - I think the trick is to space the things out as far as you can on your airer(s) as they dry much better that way. It's very rare that we run the tumble-dryer now, it just seems so wasteful.

oh, and what really helps reducing tpdrying time is an extra spin or two before hanging them up to dry.

I have one of these

When we bought our tumble drier our electricity bill only went up by approx £7 a month, money well spent I think! It's not a flash one either just a bog standard B-rated one.

I have four cheap Tesco's version of these they cost £1.99 each.

You can fit loads of pants, socks, tea towels etc on them and hang them in an airing cupboard or over a curtain pole.

Definitely try spinning them more - either an extra spin on the cycle, or turn up the spin speed, whatever options you've got really. It shouldn't take days for stuff to dry if its been spun reasonably well and then spaced out.

What's the spin speed on your washing machine? I just got a 1600 spin speed and the difference compared to my 1200 is amazing, clothes are drying on airers much quicker! I also have a tumble drier but I try not to use it!

As many clothes as possible on hangers on shower rail. Smaller items on those peg things from Wilkinson/ Ikea, always hung as high up as possible. Duvet covers thrown over bannisters. Always seem to dry overnight. But I always have windows open for at least an hour each morning to stop the house feeling damp and it makes it feel warmer too.

What about looking at buying a humidifier rather than a tumble drier? If it's taking days to dry clothes inside it does sound like your home is rather damp.

We have a pulley in the kitchen and as we also have a gas fire in there (a hangover from when it was a livingroom/kitchen) I can usually get a load of washing dried in a few hours.

Erm, that should be dehumidifier obv

bunbakers heated airer looks a very good idea

I agree with those hangers like what bloodredruby has. I ahve 2 which go over the dining room curtain rails and dry socks etc overnight, I also find that shirts and tshirts dry quickly if hung on hangers and hung either in airing cupboard, or over curtain or shower rails. With the door shut our bathroom can get quite warm.

the tumble drier setting on my washer drier has broken so I have put up some washing lines in our bathroom and hang it in there with a dehumidifier. it's usually dry after about 12 hours.

www.pulleymaid.com/Classic_Clothes_Airer.htm - pulleymaiden

what about one of these at the top of the stairwell? all the heat gathers at the top of the stairwell so drys faster

I run a dehumidifier in the bathroom - no steam or mould issues in the bathroom and the washing dries on an airer over the bath overnight.

Washing on the clothes horse beside a radiator and the de-humidifier going full pelt or clothes horse in the bathroom next to the radiator with the window open

Clothes outside when blowy (like today)then into the airing cupboard. Rest of the gloomy damp months all goes on a laundry rail by window, or hung on individual hangers in the doorframes upstairs.

Took me years to realise things dry much quicker when they hang like that than crammed together over the laundry rack/rails. Need plenty of air round the clothes! Bit more tricky at weekends whe there are people wanting to move around the house though.

On a clothes horse by a radiator. But I also have the window open a bit to let the air circulate, which makes a difference I think.

yes , I prefer my big airer leifheit pegasus as the lines are quite fas apart. only use the clothes horse to finish drying stuff, I think clothes hang too close together on it.
unfortunately it has quite a big footprint...

I have a tumble drier but do not use it because of the £££££££££££££.

I use a big old airer and the radiators (when we can afford that on!) and anything that hangs on a hanger goes in the doorways (they seem to dry well this way, plus less ironing!).