my washing is taking the piss!!

[HeresTheScaryThingBooyhoo]

ok so i've been letting things build up since my washing line feel down 8 weeks ago and my tumble dryer stopped working a month ago. (any excuse not to do washing ) so today was really windy and i put the line back up and put a second one up aswell. i hung the wash, there was already 2 drying inside from yesterday between all the radiators, radiator racks, a clothes horse beside the radiator, curtain rails, banisters, hotpress and on hangers in the doorways. the heating has been on all day at 16 and the windows open for the curtain rail and doorway stuff( and to let the moisture out). and apart from the stuff that was directly on the radiators NOTHING has dried. i had to bring the washing off the line when it got dark, it's still damp and no space to hang it. the stuff on teh racks on the radiators isn't even dry, never mind everything else. i am boiling up in this house with the heating on, it is no doubt costing a fortune and it's doing feck all in terms of getting my bloody washing dried!! i give up. i know the tumble drier costs a fortune too but at least it done the bloody job!! can't afford to get it fixed at the minute though so i will have to persevere but seriously, it's taking days to get a wash dried. this isn't normal. i know for a fact people live without tumble driers and washing lines (fat lotta use mine was today) and have perfectly dried washing without having to par boil themselves in the process!! i have another wash in the machine that will be ready to hang in the morning. is there even any point me turning it on?

You poor soul - understand completely. I have been battling with laundry piles myself as have no tumble dryer & line is currently inaccessible. Have been using heating for rads & house then smells of lenor . Also have backache as had to catch up on backlog of ironing...feel like I have my own sweat shop.

This is a hard time of year if you don't strike lucky with a bright windy day.

Actually we have had a few of those this week thank goodness, so apart from Thurs when it rained I have got all my laundry dry (no help to you OP sorry).

You need to get it in before anything like dusk I reckon, which by now means 4pm at latest (makes it tricky if you work).

Get it out dead early, how sunny is yr garden? I ask because ours faces North-east which doesn't help esp in autumn.

Otherwise get a Sheila maid and hang it above the Aga

i'm lucky with the garden, it's south facing so have the sun (when there is any) from early morning til the afternoon. i did leave it out a bit late this afternoon, i think i was hoping the wind (it was very windy) would cancel out that damp you get in the evening. it'll be out before i even wake the dcs in the morning (fingers crossed it's not to rain tomorrow) i've just been looking on argos website at dehumidifiers. they are very dear and would normally eb totally out of the question but i have a credit voucher with £45 on it for argos and i also am £20 in credit on my argos card, their value range dehumidifier is £95 and i can pay the balance (which would be £30 after deducting the credit i already have) after 3 months as it is interest free on an argos card for 3 months so i think i will go and get one tomorrow. my mum has one of those sheila's maids (thanks for reminding me of the name), they are a great job, not sure if i can put one up in a rented house, would have to ask landlord. think i'll try the dehumidifier first as it is money i can't spend elsewhere and they dont do the sheilas maid. also, i have enough drying space, just obviously not enough heat/too much moisture. also being very strict with what i am allowing dcs to put in wash basket. if it isn't walking to the basket itself, it isn't ready to be washed

This is the exact reason I have bought a drier, with 3 kids and limited space for airers, not to mention we try to not have the heating on it was never going to work.

The drier is expensive, but what can you do.

draping wet washing around the house or over radiators is also the most common cause of condensation and mould in UK houses Driers are expensive to run so life is difficult if you can't use a washing line.

If you have an extractor fan in the bathroom, and can fit one of those roll-away indoor lines, that will suck the humidity out. An extractor fan is typically about 20W and will run for 50 hours for 12p. A tumble drier is typically 3000W and will run for 20 minutes for 12p.

Could you take a couple of bin bags full to the local laundrette and dry everything there? It would not cost much.

I think WitchofWoo is spot on, but you really can't afford to let your washing build up like that at this time of the year.
My dryer is broken and I can't afford to fix it at the moment, and let's face it, it's crazy putting washing outside to dry between November and February, so I think you should draw up a schedule for your laundry and stick to it no matter what.
I know I am very lucky as I only need to do 4 or 5 loads a week (only 3 of us and change bedding fortnightly).

we dont have launderettes here. we have dry cleaners who do washing and drying but it's £10 a bag of washing (i've had to use them before and just couldn't afford it now) and you dont do it yourself, they take it off you and do it. there are probably launderettes in the city but that is over an hour away by car.

no extractor fan in the bathroom, just the window.

it's dry and windy today so i have put the latest wash out. the stuff on the airers still isn't dry but is getting there.

i have to order a new argos card as it turns out my current one has expires and i cant find the replacement, or remember if i received one so will do that and then once it arrives i will get a dehumidifier from argos.

you're right i do need to be doing at least one wash a day, more if i have drying space/washing line just to catch up on the back log. once that is dealt with i think i will be doing one every other day.

I have seen a heated drying rack from Lakeland which is meant to be cheaper than using a drier. Might be worth a look.

What is wrong with your tumble drier?

Is it not heating/ is the drum not tumbling and have you checked the fuse?

extractor fan in the bathroom is a worthwhile investment

it will also reduce humidity, condensation and mould from the steam of baths and showers (and not make the room cold like an open window will)

I was going to say about the heated drying rack like FAB mentioned. Maybe something similar from the Argos catalogue? They're more economical than tumble dryers.

the dryer is only blowing cold air, an engineer i called said it was the element and wanted to charge me £104 to replace it!!

i rent this house so it would have to be the landlord that would fit an extractor fan. I'm not intending to stay here once the lease has ended so i tink it would be a bit cheeky to ask them to fit one and then leave.

i did see heated airer on argos reduced from £44.99 to £17.99 but the reviews on it weren't great, people saying it only drys the part of the clothes that is touching the bar and you have to keep moving the clothes on it to get them dried.

I think it would be a good investment for the landlord too, and good for any future tenants. No harm in suggesting it.

clearly the Lakeland one is far superior! I guess that's why they charge so much.

Sorry to hear you haven't got a launderette near you. I agree it just wouldn't be worth your while to use the dry cleaners. Fingers crossed you get a lot more stuff dry today!

yes sticky, no harm in mentioning to them. i have heard that the lakeland one is good but i just couldn't afford it. i will persevere with what i am doing, slow but steady and i will get there eventually. i know i am washing faster than we are making dirty, i just need to get drying speed up.

Get an old fashioned ceiling suspended hanging airer and fix above a fridge - warm air from back of fridge (yes, really) dried mne straight out of the machine in a day.

To avoid condensation, just have nearby windows slightly ajar, dont need to pay for dehumidifiers.

I bought a heated tower airer from Lakeland, costs about 5p an hour to run so I put the wash on it in the evening and leave it on overnight for 12hours drying (60p?).
The thing I have found with it, is that it works much more efficiently if you put all the clothes on then cover the whole thing with a massive sheet or duvet cover (I bought a really cheap kingsize sheet from ASDA to do this). This effectively 'traps' the heat and gets all the clothes dried. It was worth £79 IMO, don't know what the argos ones are like though.
Plus, you don't get condensation problems like when you dry on the radiators.

well EXP's maintenance money came through yesterday so i was able to call a repair man and have my dryer fixed (£65!!) still intend to get a dehumidifier but need to order new argos card. keep forgetting to do that.