Dehumidifier vs tumble drier

[Cristiane]

Our laundry takes an age to dry... And we do get a bit of condensation on windows. Currently we wash and then hang up on an airer in our room or the study-spare room (DH works from home in this room).

I have been reading on here about dehumidifiers helping a lot, and speeding up drying times too, and I love the idea of them, however, I still don't really like hanging the washing up and taking it down again (such a boring thing and we don't really have a spare place to have it!). I have got a pulley that was here when we moved in and I could resurrect it but then it would have to go in the hallway which is a bit depressing when you come in. Do-able though.

We don't have an extractor fan in the bathroom so an airer over the bath doesn't really work.

Could hang laundry outside too, but not in winter, we have had such horrific weather (Scotland). Fab over the summer though.

However, I am also thinking about tumble drier, in terms of it being so quick and easy to shove from washing machine into the drier and reduces ironing needs. There is such a huge range of them, is it possible to get an efficient one that doesn't cost the earth as an outlay and is not too manically expensive to run?

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I have every drying thingy going - tumble dryer, dehumidifier, pulley (in the kitchen), clothes line, clothes horse things.

By FAR the best thing is the pulley. But in our old house, before the pulley, I used the tumble dryer and it was a godsend. I think it would have the edge over the dehumidifier, and I'm sure the new models are much more energy efficient.

You'd still have to hang some stuff up though. I'd be inclined to reinstate the pulley and get a tumble dryer, then you've got options

I prefer the dehumidifier based on results tbh. My now defunct TD was fab for jersey & towels and not much else I found, based on how bleddy creased it all was when it came out. I prefer the dehumidifier since it doesn't make stuff crispy dry IYSWIM, therefore easier to iron. Dehumidifier works best if you have a room somewhere reasonably small where you can confine it. I stick ours in the downstairs shower room with the stuff on airers. But it takes far longer than the TD so if it pisses you off that your house looks like Widow Twanky's then go for a TD. Oh and industrial pegs for extended drying outside. I used to live on the edge of the Pennines and industrial strength grippy pegs were a godsend - windy weather there in abundance!

You know what I covet? My neighbour has a carport - just bits of wood and a plastic corrugated roof. She pegs washing out in every kind of weather - nothing stops that woman! That is my Holy Grail of washing - a carport. Possibly with pulleys.

Thanks both!

cavemandave bits of wood and plastic? Pulleys? Sounds well dodgy! We have a store (where the washing machine is) but it is v cold and damp in there.

mistressploppy I think the sensible thing to do is to out the pulley up, see how that goes, and invest in the td if we need to.

I have a tumble drier but end up hanging most stuff up on my airer as so many clothes have labels which say you can't tumble dry them. I use it mostly for towels and bedding.

I also have a drier but only use it for towels/bedding. I think it shrinks clothes so dont use it for this.
I am about to invest in a sheila maid as I think this is the most discreet way to dry washing and prob the most effective, since heat rises and our ceilings are over 3m high!

"We don't have an extractor fan in the bathroom"

Get one.

I think it depends what you are drying ... I put nearly everything DH owns and everything DS owns in our TD along with bed linen, towels, dishcloths, tablecloths etc. I put in my shirts, t-shirts, vest tops pants, socks and a few other things and hang the rest. Our TD doesn't shrink stuff, and if you take out stuff as soon as it's finished it really doesn't require ironing ( which is brilliant in my book, hate ironing esp shirts and imo makes up for the energy use of the TD)
Since I have a 3yo DS it's been a godsend with night time accidents & earlier with potty training as it's so quick to stick his bedlinen, pj's & duvet through.

Ok piglet John. Are they expensive?

wonky the convenience aspect is so compelling. I don't think I can tumble much of my clothes but certainly could do kids stuff, bedding and towels.

Just need to get DH to out up the pulley. Really din't know where to out it, it is a hard call

Where to put it I mean

An extractor fan is not at all expensive (they start at about £15 and will run for 50 hours on 10p of electricity)

if you do not already have a suitable hole in the wall, you can hire a core drill from a tool hire shope that will make a neat, round, 110mm hole through the brickwork that a plastic duct will fit. The fan should preferably be connected so that it comes on automatically with the light switch, otherwise people will get in the habit of only switching it on for special occasions.

You can also fit one to suck through the ceiling and vent through trunking in the loft that runs through the wall or eaves (it must not be allowed to vent steam into the loft) and that enables you to fit a more powerful one. The cheapest extractors vent about 80 cu. m per hour which is not much but will do if they run during and 20 minutes or so after a bath. Centrigugal fans are generally quieter and more powerful than axial fans. Do not have a fan fitted directly above a bath or shower as the electric safety regulations are then more onerous and expensive. Electrical work in bathrooms must be carried out by an electrician who is a member of a self-certification scheme.

here are some examples
a cheap one

a fixing kit

one with a timer

one with kit and shutter

one for the loft

Many many thanks that is so helpful! Well have a look and report back