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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Heated Airer

22 replies

crockydoodle · 09/10/2012 08:42

So excited, I am awaiting deiivery of a Lakeland heated surer. They were out of stock last year. It's going to change my life isn't it?

OP posts:

horsebiscuit · 09/10/2012 11:02

Mine arrived last week. It is enormous. I mean that, truly giant.
I haven't put the central heating on yet but the airer makes the kitchen nice and toasty and DD1 likes to take her clothes straight off it to put on warm.
If you've got space for it, it's a hit in this household. It doesn't perform miracles but I'm glad I've got it. Would be interested in your review too!

attheendoftheday · 09/10/2012 15:36

I'm looking at getting one of these, please come back and review it when it comes!

doinmummy · 09/10/2012 15:49

I'd like to know what you think too. I have lodgers and during the winter one of them hangs washing on an airer on the landing but the condensation seems to go into my DD bedroom making the windows all wet. I'm forever wiping up puddles off the windowsil.

Would you get a tumble dryer ( are they expensive to run) or would a heated clothes airer be the way forwar?. Would it cause condensation too?

Original poster

crockydoodle · 09/10/2012 17:22

I already have a tumble dryer but there are some things like the school sweatshirts that I can't put in it and they are often needed for the next day. Eh moans about the cost of the tumble dryer. I worked it out at 35p per hour. The heated airer would be about 4.5 p per hour. If my sums are correct.

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TheBigKidsDidIt · 09/10/2012 23:55

Ooh I want one too. Ditto on school sweatshirts festooned near radiators - please review it for us!

Almostfifty · 10/10/2012 12:28

I bought one for my student son. Apparently it's 'Beast'.

harbingerofdoom · 10/10/2012 19:14

I've been wondering about this too.
Is it better to use a normal airer and a dehumidifier or a heated airer with a window open?
The house gets wet windows every winter. Perhaps a post in 'Property' where an expert helps.

AngelDog · 11/10/2012 00:26

It's a huge beast but it's been worth it for us.

We had even worse than normal damp problems when we started using it (even with a dehumidifier in the room) so DH rigged up an extractor fan in the ventilation hole which was already in the little bedroom where we use it. The fan goes on alongside the heater and has made a huge difference.

I usually dry one load of washing during the day (doesn't take quite the whole day) and one overnight.

It works much better if you hang a big sheet over the top as it keeps the heat in but allows the water to evaporate out.

There are lots of things I wouldn't be able to dry on it which is annoying, but that's mostly cloth nappy-related.

Original poster

crockydoodle · 11/10/2012 08:32

Well I tried it with a load of towels. It was switched on for about 5 hours yesterday evening then left off overnight. I've resorted to putting the towels in the tumble drier to finish them off and soften them a bit this morning as they weren't dry. I will have another go with some regular laundry this evening. I didn't think the bars gave off much heat. I probably need to leave it on overnight but dh was complaining about electric bills and would switch it off if he thought it was on for hours.

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AngelDog · 11/10/2012 08:35

You also need to lie things flat on the shelves (horizontally) rather than drape them vertically like you would from a washing line.

I find it takes more like 7 or 8 hours to dry a load of washing (I put it on when I go to bed and turn it off when I get up in the morning). Without my king-sized sheet over the top it takes considerably longer for things to dry.

ParrotsEtEmAll · 11/10/2012 10:22

How many things do you layer on top of one another Angel? I'm still at the draping stage with mine, maybe I'll buy a kingsize sheet though.

Original poster

crockydoodle · 11/10/2012 16:04

The few things I had on there which were not towels were dry when I came home from work an didn't need ironing which is a bonus. I am now experimenting with four shirts hung on hangers from the top bar with the very bottom rungs laid out flat underneath. The other half has all bars horizontal and there is a single sheet draped over the top of the whole thing. Lets see how it goes.

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CaroleService · 11/10/2012 16:13

Shrouding the whole thing in a sheet definitely helps to ge tthe things on the bars dry.

Merrow · 11/10/2012 16:31

It's big! We don't have a tumble drier, and it's really great only having to cope with laundry drying for one day. Before it seemed we permanently had washing out. We haven't had any trouble draping things, but it helps if you strategically position things that are likely to take longer, like the belt bit of jeans.

I don't think it will do much in terms of condensation though ? I try and make sure to have the windows open when using it.

doinmummy · 11/10/2012 18:03

If it causes condensation then I don't think it'll work for me. I'd like to get a table dryer but think lodgers would abuse it.

PixieHot · 11/10/2012 18:30

I pit my heated airer and my dehumidifier against each other.

I suppose that any drying gadget other than a condenser tumble drier will cause more condensation though? I love my dehumidifier .

AngelDog · 11/10/2012 22:56

Depending on the thickness of things I put 2-4 layers on each shelf. So big bath towels will be folded at least twice to get one on a shelf.

I have dried things which aren't supposed to be in direct contact with the bars (mainly cloth nappies) by hanging them on delicates airers from the top shelf, and folding down the middle shelf to allow them to hang down. They take loads longer to dry and I will probably be using the washer dryer for those when we re-start using them for DC2.

Some of those things I now drape over the top of the sheet over the airer - they don't get properly dry, but it does make a difference.

I don't lay most of our adult clothes on it as I don't iron so I always put them on hangers rather than laying them flat. But I hang them off the sides of the airer underneath the sheet which seems to work well.

Original poster

crockydoodle · 12/10/2012 20:00

Things hung from the top bar with the bottom shelf opened out below (on hangers) have dried really well while I have been at work, even a rugby top and a heavy hoody. I am very pleased.

OP posts:

out2lunch · 12/10/2012 20:06

sounds good - how much space does it take up when open?

Original poster

crockydoodle · 12/10/2012 20:53

I think it gives dimensions on the Lakeland website.

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AngelDog · 12/10/2012 22:50

Ooh, I might try that, then, cocky - thanks for the tip. :)

fussychica · 14/10/2012 12:10

I have one as I'm not a fan of the way tumble dried clothes feel or the cost. It's not much good if you have huge piles of washing though as stuff takes a while to dry but it's good for us. It is massive when open and it goes in my conservatory when on and stored behind the spare bedroom door when off.

I try and put washing on the line if possible and finish it on the drier but the shit weather in the Uk means that's not always possible. Def works best if you cover with a double/king size duvet cover. Think of it as an extension of your airing cupboard (if you have one). All things considered I think it's pretty good but don't expect miracles.

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