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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

What do you do with your wet washing when it's raining and the heating is off?

106 replies

Worried123456 · 22/10/2013 10:55

The energy hikes sound terrifying so I know I must use the drier less. What do you do with the washing though? I could put it on the radiators but they are off?! Is it cheaper to turn the heating on then use the drier? Or do I get an airer and just wait for it to dry? The house isn't very warm (but I have a jumper on!) so it would take rather a while!?

OP posts:

DameDeepRedBetty · 22/10/2013 10:58

It would take a couple of days to dry if the weather's the same as here today!

I would have thought the drier would be more efficient than turning the heating on, all the heat is being used on the clothes rather than some going round the house.

TheCrumpetQueen · 22/10/2013 10:59

I would use the dryer

Ruprekt · 22/10/2013 11:01

Launderette without hesitation. I can get 3 loads dried in 45 mins for £2.20!

RedPencils · 22/10/2013 11:02

Anything that hangs on a hanger I hook over doors. Creases drop out quite well too
An airer for stuff that's too small for hangers (DCs clothes mostly)
Towels, bed linen thrown over the bannister
We have had our radiators on for a couple of hours a day so I have airers which sit on them for socks and undies.

Most stuff takes a day to dry

My next door neighbour puts washing out every single day so long as its not raining. So long as there's a bit if wind it will dry eventually.

evertonmint · 22/10/2013 11:05

I have one of those old fashioned pulley ceiling airers and things dry much quicker on that than on a normal floor standing airer. And the laundry is off the floor and out of the way so you don't mind it taking a little while to dry anyway. Genius product!

EuroStar2013 · 22/10/2013 11:07

"What do you do with your wet washing when it's raining and the heating is off?"

Well at least if you cry all over it it won't get any wetter.

I do as red pencils does - and iron as soon as it's dry enough

holidaysarenice · 22/10/2013 11:08

I don't wash it until the rain stops!

OneLittleToddleTerror · 22/10/2013 11:10

I'ms ure it's cheaper to turn the drier on. And healthier for you too without all that moisture in the house.

We have a conservatory and just hang them all in there, windows open and doors closed to the rest of the house. Best use of the conservatory in winter months

OneLittleToddleTerror · 22/10/2013 11:11

Oh and it takes two days to dry in the conservatory. I guess it'd be similar inside the house. Our heating is off as well.

UsedToBeNDP · 22/10/2013 11:11

I use the tumble drier

slightlygoostained · 22/10/2013 11:17

Could you do half & half and get it part-dried on the airer then a quick go in dryer to finish off if you need to get the next load done? Don't have a dryer here, so will try to get it out for a few hours then bring in to finish off if it's showery (obviously can't do that at the mo as rain is continuous) - makes a big difference.

I also try to make sure heavy slow drying stuff gets done on any good drying days. If we don't have to wash e.g. jeans & towels, then they can wait a few days till they can dry outside.

Also, make sure it has enough room to dry properly - better to have some stuff properly dry & ready to put away than all of it still a bit damp.

shelley72 · 22/10/2013 11:17

I'm having this problem too. Have had clothes over airer for two days now and they're still not dry. I do at least one load a day. At the moment I have caved and put the tumble dryer on and just switched the heating on for an hour to see if I can get that and this morning's load dry before I put another wash on.

Last night I ordered a heated airer from Lakeland so will be interested to see if that makes a difference.. We don't have much space, and I am getting fed up of damp washing in the living room. It's going to be a long cold winter.

ArthurCucumber · 22/10/2013 11:22

We've got the same problem. Today, I've got a load on the airer and am hoisting the fecker in and out the back door in between showers to avoid too much condensation.

waikikamookau · 22/10/2013 11:22

I don't like a tumber dryer - it shrinks the clothes. I put washing on the line every day. and get angry at the rain.

Original poster

Worried123456 · 22/10/2013 11:34

Thank you for all the replies! I have put anything I have that will go on a hanger, hanging in the airing cupboard, put the towels on a rather makeshift washing line DH once strung up to dry our tent in the garage and put the smaller bits into the drier for a short zap.

Am v interested in the Lakeland airer, Shelley72-can you do a review for us when it arrives!?

OP posts:

Bluecarrot · 22/10/2013 11:43

I've washing that's been drying for 4 days now! We recently purchased a drier but only used it for towels and bedding so far. Most of our clothes say don't tumble dry on them, so have decided to switch heating on for a few hours today to get them to dry faster.

aaaahyouidiot · 22/10/2013 11:44

We have a small bathroom and the only heating in it a storage heater. I bought a dehumidifier and I put all the clothes on airers, even standing one in the bath. Smalls get hung on one of those pound shop multi hanger things. Storage heater on. Then I shut the dehumidifier in there overnight. Dry clothes by morning :)

aaaahyouidiot · 22/10/2013 11:46

But yes, I use the outside line all year round. You just need to be careful when it snows because snow+heavy wet washing=buggered washing line

Dogonabeanbag · 22/10/2013 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BjorksNorks · 22/10/2013 11:47

I've bought an Ebac dehumidifier, the washing is on the airer, heating off and the clothes are dry enough to just finish off in tumble dryer after a day or two depending on how thick the item is. It's amazing how much water it sucks out of the air.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 22/10/2013 11:48

bluecarrot I tumble dry clothes that says not to tumble dry. Same with washing everything in a normal cycle when it says delicate or hand wash only. I reckon clothes are cheap enough to not worry.

Also, another thing I do in winter is to tumble dry the sheets and towels first before resorting to tumble drying the clothes too. (We need to do a load every other day, so even with a conservatory, sometimes things don't dry fast enough in winter).

usualsuspect · 22/10/2013 11:48

I just put mine on an airer, open the window in that room and shut the door.

usualsuspect · 22/10/2013 11:51

I use radiator dryers for the stuff I need to dry quickly.

Even if the heatings only on for a short time, they tend to dry over night.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 22/10/2013 11:57

Towels you have to put in the dryer, they will take forever otherwise with no heat of any kind.

People have said on threads like these before that a dehumidifier works very well and dries washing out pretty quickly - and is cheaper than running the drier or the heating.

sandyballs · 22/10/2013 12:14

I should show this thread to DH as he thought I was ridiculous insisting on a 'drying cupboard' when we extended our house last year. So did the builder and I had to insist .

It's basically a small cupboard on the landing with a small plug in radiator, the cupboard just fits a tall airer. I suppose it's similar to an airing cupboard but gets much warmer with a radiator, than it would with a boiler in there, particularly if the heating is off! I can hang a full load of washing there late at night and it's dry and warm first thing in the morning. Haven't noticed any difference in the electricity bill.

I think I'm more thrilled with this than having an extra bedroom . DH and the builder thought it was a waste of space and would be better used for proper storage, ie fill it with crap we never look at it.

Sorry, that doesn't really help you, we used to just put on airers in the bathroom or hall but I hated having washing everywhere for months.

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