Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Getting laundry dry!

32 replies

Weelady77 · 09/12/2013 08:09

How on earth do you ladies get your washing dry in this weather?

I'm lucky enough to have a balcony that I can hang clothes out on clothes horse if it's raining then bring it back in at night to air but it's still taking ages to dry! I've got a tumble dryer but it's a small one only really use it for underwear as it costs a fortune to runHmm

OP posts:
Indith · 09/12/2013 08:14

a pulley airer. washing hung on the laundry maid is dry in no time, washing on the clothes horse takes days even in front of the fire. and pen windows fit at least a little while to show air to circulate. I've never had a tumble, have 3dcs, use cloth nappies. Don't struggle with laundry unless someone had a sick bug or wets the bed 2 nights running Grin .

Original poster
Weelady77 · 09/12/2013 08:31

I used to have a pulley in my old house but this house hasn't even got the roomHmm I bought one of the minky tower clothes horse it's huge but the spars are to narrow no good for adults clothes jeans etc!

OP posts:
DialsMavis · 09/12/2013 09:08

It takes ages & if I dry too much indoors I get terrible condensation on my old wooden windows. If it's not raining big stuff goes on the line for a day or sometimes overnight. Smaller stuff goes in aired in bathroom by airing cupboard with the windows open. Shirts etc hang on hangers from DS ( South facing) curtain pole with windows open. Big stuff from line gets finished in drier or hung on rads if almost dry, smaller stuff gets put in airing cupboard to finish to make room for the next lot to go on airer. It's all v labour intensive and I'm not sure what we will do in Jan when we will have 2 full time and one part time job between us.

Indith · 09/12/2013 09:57

perhaps a heated lakeland airer then? Or a dehumidifier or both.

SwimmingMom · 09/12/2013 10:07

We've got 2 rods fitted in the boiler room (3feet square room) where we put the washing on hangers & then hang on the rods. Works brilliantly. All the warmth from the boiler dries everything (1 load) in 6-8 hours - crispy dry.

If not this then the heater airer (Lakeland) should work equally well.

Drying without heat does take ages, smells damp & makes the room go cold.

specialsubject · 09/12/2013 10:53

what's the problem? Just about to put my bedding out on this lovely sunny day. It will be dry in a few hours.

Indith · 09/12/2013 11:38

What's the problem? Hmm

  1. not everyone lives where you do. Weather varies.
  2. not everyone has access to outside space to dry clothes.
  3. even if they do have outside space it may not be suitable. Eg my yard gets no sun at this time of year as it doesn't get high enough to shine in. I can put stuff out but it won't dry. Trust me, I've done it many a time. I could put my sheets out today but they will still need to finsih drying overnight inside.
  4. some people work and are not at home to put washing out or to take it in before it gets damp. It gets dark early at this time of year, if you don't bring it in before dusk it will get damp again. 5)sometimes it rains or snows in winter. Often it rains for days on end. You can't hang it outside in the rain.

Shall I carry on?

Original poster
Weelady77 · 09/12/2013 11:46

Good old Scottish weather is the problemHmm

I live in a flat and do have drying area so I can hang out but it's not drying so I hang up on horse and put out on the balcony to air then bring in at night,

I'm at bit overwhelmed with washing today as I've not done any all weekend due to a hangover and now I need to catch up!

OP posts:
specialsubject · 09/12/2013 11:50

I do appreciate that not everyone has outside space, and that weather varies. (I am in the UK!!!) I even know that people work. I work too - just not today which is why I am doing the washing.

No sun isn't necessarily an issue as long as there is wind. (looks outside where it has clouded over AGAIN!)

ilovepowerhoop · 11/12/2013 22:32

re: the minky tower airer - I space the clothes out onto every second rung but do have a concertina airer for jeans, jumpers, etc

bigmumma73 · 11/12/2013 22:39

I use an airer for some, the stuff that can be hung I hang upstairs on hangers on the door frames the hot air rises and dries quite quickly, its a pain as the house looks like a laundry but I don't have a drier and most days now its too cold outside. Shame as I love fresh laundry! As you are in a flat I am guessing you don't have an upstairs but hanging over door frames may work?

Damnautocorrect · 11/12/2013 22:40

Laundrette for the tumble dryer.

chemenger · 11/12/2013 22:50

Dehumidifier with a laundry setting.

PigletJohn · 12/12/2013 17:57

I have occasionally used the drier at the laundrette for duvets, and am pretty sure that it costs a lot more than a home tuble drier.

A typical modern drier will do a full cotton load for about 50p, and a light or mixed polycotton load for about 30p.

Original poster
Weelady77 · 12/12/2013 18:10

I've only got a tiny tumble dryer piglet!
No use to man nor beast tbh lol only use it for underwear and the football kitsHmm

OP posts:
Damnautocorrect · 12/12/2013 18:19

I don't have space for a tumble dryer nor can I afford to run it as my electric is already £300 a month. So for the few months I can't dry outside its the laundrette

Damnautocorrect · 12/12/2013 18:19

It costs about 1.50 to dry three/ four loads

Original poster
Weelady77 · 12/12/2013 22:41

Wow £300 pm!!!

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 12/12/2013 23:11

have you got an extractor fan in your bathroom?

does it work?

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 12/12/2013 23:21

Well currently i'm sending half of it to my wonderful best friend to go in her dryer and the other half i'm hanging on the radiators (2 loads a day as ive been ill for 2 weeks and none done so backlog).

However i am going to re-employ my dehumidifier and tumble dryer which are both currently broken. I just need to get up enough cash to get them fixed.

e1y1 · 12/12/2013 23:57

How on earth can your electric bill be 300 a month?!! I pay 146 a month and that's for electric and gas

PrimalLass · 12/12/2013 23:59

Even in the height of the summer this year the washing was a pain to dry in my garden. It drives me mad.

PigletJohn · 13/12/2013 08:56

To cost £300 on drying, you would have to put between 600 and 1,000 loads through a tumbler. In which case it would be better to get a White Knight gas-fired drier, because gas is a much cheaper fuel.

BTW have you got an extractor fan in your bathroom, and does it work?

Original poster
Weelady77 · 13/12/2013 10:59

I've got an extractor but don't think it's any good infact when I go home from work I'll check it cause I don't think I've heard a noise from it in a bit!

OP posts:
Original poster
Weelady77 · 13/12/2013 11:01

I'm only £80-£100 max a month on both gas and electricity I'm in a flat right enough but even when I lived in my 4 bedded house I wasn't much moreShock

OP posts: