How do you dry your washing?

[littlebearsmummy]

Exactly that really. At the moment our washing is dried on drying racks dotted around any spare space in the house, with a tumble drier for emergencies and the odd bits (used a couple of times a week, but not daily). Obviously on a dry day it all goes outside, but at the moment the house seems littered with socks, the kids sports kits etc drying on every available radiator etc.

We are redoing our kitchen and adding a utility room so I have the chance to improve our current drying arrangements! Any suggestions?

I have a washer dryer but only use the dryer for towels. I don't have a utility room so if hanging out the washing isn't an option I put as much as I can in the airing cupboard and the rest on an airer/drying rack in our spare bedroom (out of the way).

Dryer for lighter clothes/underwear and a maiden on the landing for jeans/towels/thicker/heavier stuff, outside on warm/breezy days. Only got the dryer in Jan though, before that I dried everything on the maiden on the landing, was a nightmare with 6 of us.

I have a rack in the utility room that I winch up to the ceiling (can't remember the proper name). It's put of the way and dries more quickly. Also have a collapsible airing rack for overflow. Use line outside weather permitting for large items (can't be arsed to peg out socks). Don't own a tumble dryer.

That's "out of the way" not "put of the way".

If I can't hang it outside then I use 2 arises downstairs. I used to have a washer/drier but replaced it with just a washing machine. I don't miss the drier bit tbh.

I try saving our for dry days and hang it on a huge drying rack in the garden. On days when it might just rain we leave a huge umbrella balanced over the top!

Outside if it's nice, dryer if there's loads of it, 2 radiators which we use or on clothes horse in the dining room. I am getting fed up with laundry, it's never ending....

Oh and if I was designing a utility room I'd get one of those pulley things.

I get it outdoors as much outside as poss year-round (put it under log store if it looks like rain).

I have one small telescopic portable line and one small airer. I also use the octopus things from Ikea (but can get similar from Tesco) for socks and knickers.

When the weather is nice (all year round) I dry sheets and big items on the garden furniture. If it is sunny/blowy, they dry super quick.

Avoid putting wet washing indoors as much as I can inside (don't want damp problems). I will air dry things though on the bannister.

Recently got a tumble dryer but can't bring myself to use it straight from the washer. Don't know why - perhaps because I have always managed so it's more of a last resort/just for finishing off drier clothes?

Agree with PP it is good to wait for drier days for washing but can appreciate that might be tricky for those who work and are out of the house. I am at home so can do all of the above easily (and generally dash outside and bring washing in if it rains).

Lovepancakes You reminded me that I meant to look for this excellent looking invention I heard about but never got round to it until now. looks very reasonably priced for such a great idea-although ebay has all sorts of other makes and prices available.

I wonder if they work?

Having said that my rotary line is on its way out so I use the normal line for most things and even put washing out at night if the forecast is good enough .

Is it like a pulley maid that you winch up? Does it have to be over something warm (ie a boiler or something)? Seems unless you have a proper laundry, drying racks, outside and a pulley thing are the usual way!

Tumble drier and clothes horse in the airing cupboard

Outside if at all possible.

If not I have a ceiling pulley rack in the utility room + a dehumidifier. The dehum is ancient but quite big & large towels/jeans will be totally dry in about 12 hours.

I have a lakeland heated airer. Use that and radiators in winter: put stuff outside in summer.

Outside as much as possible. If not drying racks in the box room with dehumidifier on (dries a large load in about 12 hours). I don't have a tumble drier but do miss having one on the odd occasion.

I have just ordered my second Rotaire dry line. The first gave out after five years. I don't have a tumble dryer so I dry in the house when it's really cold, but it covers your rotary dryer so you can leave the washing out when it rains and it still dries due to convection and radiated heat from the sun through the fabric. I'm getting it tomorrow and I've been storing up a huge pile of washing so I can get it done outside. I do need to air the washing at this time of year as it's in a shady place in my garden but if if was positioned in a more open place it would work even better. Even so, I'm pretty pleased with it.

If I can't dry it outside, I use the condenser tumble dryer. If I use indoor racks, the window frames and plasterwork will rot with condensation, and we will all die of inhaling black mold, and the clothes never will have completely dried anyway. Alternatively, I could be running the dehumidifier constantly on top speed, which would still leave a wee bit of black mold growing condensation, and the clothes would still not quite dry, except the ones on the heated airer. I might even have to iron the seams on jeans and such.

Dryer,vs dehumidifier + heated rack + iron seems about equal power usage wise.

This being Glasgow I can dry laundry outside about 60 days of the year, mostly in July and August.

Using this. Best invention ever.

^^what 007 said!!

When in the UK had a ceiling pulley airer in the utility room. This room had the boiler and a small radiator in it. I never had to hang washing on radiators, ever. No tumble drier. Also worked in the summer - no washing line needed, as everything went on the pulley. Most clothes put up on hangers so space used well. I should say the ceiling was high by modern standards - Edwardian

It worked because there would always be some heat due hot water being run. Also more economical because the radiator was only ever on if the house was being heated.

Clothes horses by the loving room radiator and the radiator in DS's room. In summer it's sunny enough to dry quickly and in winter even quicker - everything is dry overnight. I have a tumble drier but use it maybe once every two years or so - I don't know why I keep it. I shy away from using it as they eat electricity and also wear clothes out quicker, plus need ironing and I hate ironing too. On the clothes horses everything dried flat and reasonably wrinkle-free.

*living room. Though I do love it!

We had one of those pulley things in a house years ago and it was fabulous - forgotten all about it until now! Here in Australia we dry outside all year - undercover when it's rainy as the air temp is still usually good enough for drying. In England I must say I used my drier a lot more than was probably strictly necessary and I do miss it as it's so much quicker and easier than hanging everything out - I can't really justify it though when the washing dries outside within an hour during summer!

I use the tumble dryer - that's why we have one. The few things that can't go in it get hung up to dry in the utility room. I cannot stand washing draped everywhere drying and can turn several loads round in a day rather than days. A tumble dryer is worth every penny imo.

Another vote for a pulley system. I designed our utility room around it, it's made a huge difference