Does anyone have a Sheila's maid or other ceiling airer?

[lentilpot]

I'm trying to convince my DH that one of these is a good idea, but he needs a little convincing as the only place it could go is in our open plan kitchen/living room and he thinks it might make things look cluttered (probably right but I think the benefits outweigh this!). I've been trying to find pics of them in use with normal clothes in normal spaces, but all I can find online is dreamy pics then in beautiful farmhouse kitchens with a few bits of naice linen carefully draped on the bars!

Can anyone share a more realistic pic??

I had to Google! I've never heard it called a Sheila's maid before!

We have one, but it is on the roof above the stairs where there is a big void which catches all the hot air.

I'm not sure I would like one in the kitchen tbh, I don't know for sure, but I would guess that the clothes might pick up the cooking smells.

I'll go and take a pic.

Mine is in the utility room and it still feels cluttery - sorry.
I refused to have it in the logical place (over the Aga) as I also thought the clothes would pick up smells and I'm not the most organised person so the kitchen would permanently look like a Chinese laundry! (Sorry again).

It's called a pulley round our way. We have one in the utility and we have had one in a kitchen in our previous house. They are marvellous and never picked up any cooking smells. Because the kitchen is usually warm it dried clothes in no time.
It can look a bit untidy but tbh I just took the clothes down if we were having guests.

Here we go.

I hang the washing any old way, but I know there are people on here who have a more anal methodical way than I do, hanging things in order of size/colour etc which might look a bit better.

I used to live in a small flat and had one in the bedroom. Is that an option?

I'm planning on getting one (sick of washing cluttering up the lounge!) and it's going over the bath - only place!

I have one - there was one when we moved here but the bars were looking a little shot so I bought a new one and replaced it and it's fab.

I can put one full load on, it sits in the bathroom above the radiator and next to the airing cupboard. It is in use most of the winter and half of the summer.

I wouldn't have one in the kitchen though.

I had one in my last house and absolutely loved it. But it was in our miniscule utility room (which also housed the boiler) and I could close the door on it.

I really don't like seeing them in kitchens, sorry. And I definitely wouldn't have one in an open plan kitchen/living room - I agree with your dh.

Thanks for all the opinions! I am happy to be convinced it's a bad idea. We have a teeny two bedroom house and will (hopefully!) soon have a baby in the second room – I'm due in July and already worrying about where to move the washing once the baby is in its own room this winter (currently have a big airer in that bedroom). Can't do any clothes drying in our room, just not enough space (even over head) and feel uncomfortable with too much washing in baby's room - maybe a bit PFB but worry about mould!

@mawbroon, thanks for the pic! Space above the stairs sadly a no-go thanks to tall husband and awkwardly placed light fixture. Ditto bathroom. I'm sure there has to be an answer but it hasn't come to me yet!

Congratulations. A July baby is lovely. Can you dry stuff outside ? I put my airer in the bath. I put plastic bags under the legs to stop it scratching. If heating and extractor on it all dries overnight. Morning bathing in my house. I do have a powerful extractor that operates independently of the light. If heating on in bathroom the drying speed is magic. Even really heavy things like big duvets dry overnight . Much slower if heating not on. If stuff still damp in morning I move into bedroom. Helps if a big strong man shifts it for you. I draw the shower curtain over the bath if there are visitors and I don.t want to show off the laundry.

I have a washing line in the kitchen. I generally put stuff up after I've cooked and leave it over night.

Our bathroom is tiny and north facing, the radiator can cope with drying towels, just. Other washing is a step too far. I hate the noise of extractors.

I love my pulley airer, but I have an AGA and a large utility so I just shut the door and wait for everything to dry. Wouldn't have one in a living kitchen.

Have you thought of one of those Lakeland heated driers? Lots of threads on here with people loving them.

We have a ceiling airer in the utility room. It works really well but I wouldn't have one in the kitchen - would stink of cooking.

Here's a link

www.lakeland.co.uk/p21736/Lakeland-Dry-Soon-Range?intcmp=INTSRCH:drysoon

When I was a child, we had an airer in the kitchen, and I used to lovingly sniff my sheets in bed because they smelled of chips. I thought that's what Persil did.:o

Thanks guys, I think it's back to the drawing board for now! DH is still 100 per cent not on board with my laundry master plan .

I think we will probably end up juggling washing between our room during the day and the bathroom at night. The first few months won't be a problem - we can use the line in the summer and the lovely big airer in the baby's room while he's sleeping in ours.

Maybe after that it'll be so annoying I'll get my pulley airer after all . We are doing cloth nappies so will probably end up with clothes drying in the kitchen anyway - I get that it's not ideal but we live in a 1900s two-up-two-down council house so needs must!