Tumble drier broken can't afford a new one, can't get washing dry, help?

[sweetkitty]

Our tumble drier has always been pretty useless, it would take 3 hours to dry from straight out the washing machine so I would hang a load on an airer overnight and then tumble it.

The drier is now broken, it's old and one of the element things at the back is broken and the doors a bit funny so need a new one can't afford it until after Christmas.

There's 6 of us so a lot of washing typically 1-2 loads a day mostly 2. I reuse towels, the DCs don't have clean everything everyday but I still have loads.

I'm reading all about airers but I've had a load over an airer in the utility room for 2 days and it's still wet that was with useless drier on too.

Utility room is quite large, the sun streams in, in the morning, heatings on, I have a dehumidifier in there and open the window but still the washing never dries.

I honestly don't know what I'm going to do draping over radiators only dries a few bits a night.

Were in Scotland so one dry day a week if your lucky!

Extractor fan in bathroom is broken

Pity, it would have helped dry stuff at minimal cost, and prevented the rest of your home getting damp.

Always post too soon.

I meant to say sorry, I should of read OP properly. I thought I could of helped if you were closer. (I'm down south)

we used to have the airer downstairs out of the way but stuff just didn't dry quickly enough.
we now have a big wing airer in the top bedroom and another tower airer on the landing.
the air circulation seems to be better there and clothes dry within 24 hours.
another thought: how new is the extension? is there still some building moisture?

I agree wiith hanging the washing out. Unless its low cloud, thick fog and rain then it will be drier than when you put it out. I appreciate your days will get shorter in Scotland between now and Xmas but even 3 hours will help.

What heating system do you have? Radiators?

I hate it but in desperation that's what I do :(

If there is a breeze I always hang washing out even in December. It dries better once in, I then put it into tumble drier for a timed amount of time or onto an airer.
I would try and get a vented tumbledrier they dry better than condenser ones, mine is White Knight from Amazon

Extension is 10 months old.

Have usual radiators and combi boiler. It's things like bed linen with 4 DCs.

Problem with being up here is that it's very damp even when it's not raining it's still so cold and damp washing comes in as wet as it goes out.

Lakeland airers are free standing and just plug in

I would experiment with location of airer. Heat rises, so if in multi-level property can you put the airer upstairs? Air needs to circulate, so is there anywhere with lots of air space, such as top of the stairs?

Make sure items spin well in washing machine. Sometimes I find that if the machine is quite full then some items are wet when removed, rather than just damp. So re-spin items - most machines have a spin only option.

Do you have a fan, such as used on hot days? That can help circulate air.

I'm with Cindy - since getting a new washing machine that had a much more efficient spin cycle, we have not used the dryer, nor do we dry over radiators. We have an airer up most days, wherever we can fit it (goes to the bedroom when people come and we need to clear the living room )

And the fact that the dryer appears to be slightly broken has nothing to do with it. But really it's not been a problem so we've just never replaced it. Admittedly we're in the south, but we had minor drying issues before.

I'm just north of Glasgow and hang my washing out most days - it is drier and smells nicer than when it went out, it then seems to dry better when brought in.

try ebay for a tumble drier, it doesn't have to be new.

hang out as much washing as possible.

wash less. Towels and sheets once a week is perfectly ok. Socks, underwear, work shirts clean daily. Everything else goes several days.

get the extractor fan fixed.
get the washing off the radiators.

when my dishwasher broke, i couldnt afford a new decent one, so im now hiring one for £8 a month.

If anything goes wrong with it, it will be fixed or replaced, and i can update it every year or so

Launderette.

Hang washing outside.

Change sheets and towels less often.

Hang washing from washing machine on an airer next to a radiator.

But with 6 of you, maybe a weekly trip to the launderette would be the most useful if possible.

I hardly ever use the tumble drier, and certainly not to dry from soaking wet. Doesn't it shrink everything?

Reluctant being - I hang washing on the airer for a day then tumble to finish off, although the other day it took 3 hours hence I am no longer using it.

My plan is

1. put all washing on for an extra spin
2. reuse more clothes, already do this a lot hate ironing
3. hand washing out if possible (the pup has a dodgy tummy just now so hand to wash all her blankets hung them out, it's now raining)
4. have moved airers closer to radiator in utility room, utility room has an extractor fan which works
5. we have loads of radiators so going to hang washing on them as well (bad I know but needs must)
6. laundrette not really an option as I was every day I'd have to save up a tonne of wet washing although probably an option on bedding day.

Sorry, I actually meant use the launderette both to wash and dry, though that's not a cheap option. So if you've got a car, take 6 loads and use 2 big machines to wash it and then tumble dry it so you've got it completely done.

Sorry I didn't get that at all

I agree with empirebiscuit : I'm also in Glasgow and will still try to hang things outside for a bit, even when it looks dreich although not when it's threatening to chuck it down like it has the last few days and things do seem to be drier when they come in especially after they've come back to room temperature. as well as smelling nicer.

I also make sure to do any extra spin, especially the stuff that's been done on the coloured cycle as that doesn't do as fast a spin.

remebering that a typical tumble-drier load uses between 30p and 50p of electriciy, I find a laundrette very expensive. The 300W Lakeland airer runsd for about 10 hours on 50p.

another thought.
maybe try with different ventilation method. instead of keeping a window open all the time, keep it closed with the heating on but opening the window/door as far as they go a few times a day for a few minutes.

Can you rig up a washing drying facility in your loft? I knew someone who did this amazingly successfully, but you do need quite a steep roof pitch.