tell me how you'd dry laundry with my house set up

[alabasterangel]

We moved to a new house in the summer and have line dried since then.

I think we've reached the end of that till spring, mostly because the back garden is north facing, and it's still coming in very damp after 8 hours. Besides, I also need to think about winter drying.

The house is unusual. It's built into a hill (kind of split level) so the lower floor (living room, utility room, dining room) is downstairs and into the hill and (other than the living room) is palpably colder than the rest of the house. The utility is huge but has no window and is constantly about 17 degrees.

The upper two floors are toasty and without any heating on the temperature hasn't yet gone below 19 degrees (and more often is about 20).

I have a dryer, in the garage, but I am concious that costs about 60p an hour to run. I've thought about a heated airer but I guess it'll cost me the same as a dryer, plus the outlay. The dryer takes an hour to dry a load, and I think the airer would end up costing that if left on overnight so I might as well use the dryer, and this is an exercise in trying to cut down the costs overall. Plus I don't have a window in the utility only an extractor, so that would be adding extra costs.

If I put the stuff on an airer on the top floor, it does eventually dry (24 hours) but it has to go on the landing and gets in everyones way (and irritates me). Seeing as I do at least one load a day, it would be a permanent fixture and I don't fancy that. A dollymaid upstairs isn't an option - there isn't really anywhere suitable for it. Loads of room in the utility, but no warmth!

I've thought about turning all the radiators off except the utility room and just using that, but it's a small radiator (2ft) and is it really economical to do that? Running a whole boiller for one radiator?

I feel like I have no system!

Any ideas? Inspiration?

[suzannecaravan]

Do they still make mangles?
That would be a low cost way of extracting as much water as possible from laundry before hanging it up to dry and thus reducing the amount of water vapour produced ?

[NoSquirrels]

We've always line-dried and dried on an airer (no space for tumble drier in previous house) and I am considering the winter now, with a north-facing garden.

However, we recently replaced the airer with an Ikea double-winged one, and it is much much better than the old tower version, the difference is very noticeable. So if I were you I'd start there. Keep line-dying, transfer to double-winged airer in utility when most of the damp is off it, and tumble towels/bedding/jeans etc. that will hang around for too long or take up too much space.

[alabasterangel]

Okay.... off to buy a better airer later then!

[poocatcherchampion]

How about one of those pulley ones in a bathroom or top of the stairs. Would benefit from the warmth of the house and get it off the actual landing.

[Iamnotloobrushphobic]

If you spin everything on the fastest setting that the washing machine has then the clothes will dry more quickly because they will be holding less water.
Could you put the airer in the bath tub overnight instead of on the landing? I put mine in the bathtub because then it is out of the way. I also use radiator airer racks to dry stuff as they take up little space and get things dry really quickly when the heating is on.

[Mizuna]

Is there any way of putting a ceiling airer upstairs, where it's warmer? This is what I have and I really like it. Our house layout means it's over the stairwell, which helps both in terms of drying and not being in people's way. Could be above a bath. Google Sheila Maid.

[ifonly4]

We moved house last year and have a north/northeast facing garden. We have a rotary dryer outside in the part which gets the most sun, just happens to be at the side where there's no protection from the wind - my Mum has a south facing garden and says she thinks our clothes dry brilliantly here (she stays a lot when we're away). What I'm saying is do look for other places in the garden.

In our old house I used to have our washing drying in the hall as it slotted in nicely, but was cold and right in everyone's face coming through the door. In the end I put in our living room and in our new house it's in our dining room. I chose these rooms as they're warmer and washing is guaranteed to be dry by the time the next lot is done (like you do it every day).

You could have an average sized area and a couple of radiator airers, that way you're main airer isn't quite so big but you've still got space to spread things out.

Hope you sort something out!

[CMOTDibbler]

I have a dehumidifier - I can dry 4 loads with it overnight (5 if theres lots of things that go on hangers). It was about £300, but has been used a huge amount for 8 years, so well worth it. And you aren't making the house damp either, which things like the heated airer do

[Iamnotloobrushphobic]

I second what dibbler says about dehumidifiers - it is a good idea to get one if you will be drying a lot indoors. I always use a dehumifier if I have the washing indoors drying as I don't want to create a problem with condensation or damp.

[Fishlaar]

Would it be possible for you to put washing lines up in the garage? Ours gets used for everything but housing the car, but by far the most useful thing is for drying washing in all weathers. A day or so out there followed by an overnight in the airing cupboard and the job is done with no extra cost. :)

[WestLondonDeep]

Yes to what the dehumidifier people are saying. I could leave it at that, and stop me if I am boring you, but this is one of my things.

When you are drying something you are trying to persuade the water molecules to go from the clothes into the air. If the air is already loaded with humidity, the molecules on your clothes are more inclined to stay where they are. Also while clothes are drying, the area immediately around the clothes is shrouded by a thin layer of very humid air. The molecules that leave the clothes don't have any way to leave the area so they hang around till something bumps them out of the way – they might even hop back onto your clothes. This is particularly a problem if you jam as much as possible onto your airer. You are better off drying on an airer in two sparse batches rather than one jammed up one.

So the most important thing is to create a flow of air. Laundry dehums have an always-on fan to keep the air moving around or you could open a (big) window. The airflow means the molecules can depart the scene enabling others to escape the clothes. Second, keep the general humidity under control. Opening the window might do that too if it's a nice dry day. But then you would be line drying anyway (even in Winter). That open window might ramp up your bills while your house heating is on.

What does heat do? It makes the whole process go faster. So if you have a slow+inefficient set up because of the thin layers and generally high humidity, warming it up will make it go faster. These days electric heating is expensive compared to a motor in a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier in a closed room will heat it up slightly, especially if you throw away the cold water that collects at the bottom of the machine. A tumble dryer uses the tumbling to get rid of the layers, but cheaper models use a lot of energy and turn adult clothes into dolls clothes. More expensive ones have a built in heat pump (same as a dehum). If you have the space, a dehum plus airer will be much cheaper on running costs.

In this country there are more houses that are too damp than too dry. If yours is already too damp and add loads more damp to the air by drying on airers might end you up with musty smells, mould, even asthma. Then you will need a dehum anyway.

Now, I feel much better.

[ArcheryAnnie]

I've got the tower one that BertieBotts recommended, and it's wonderful - small footprint, but takes a lot of washing, and is adaptable.

It's got two sides, which you can fold out both or just one. One thing I did with it is just on one side I used a pair of wirecutters to clip out every other one of the wire struts - ie halved the amount of drying line it has. Which seems counterproductive, but it's made it much less fiddly to hang very bulky things like jeans out on it, and spaced them further apart, so is worth it.

[rabbit123]

We bought a spin dryer for exactly the same reason. Whilst our washer spins at 1400rpm, the spin dryer spins at 2800rpm. It extracts about an extra litre of water from a load, more for heavy stuff. T-shirts come out dry enough to iron and its cut time in the tumble dryer in half for towels. I don't tumble dry jeans or jumpers, but they dry overnight on the airer after 3 minutes in the spinner.

It uses virtually no electricity as there's no heater in it - just a motor and a drum.

ao.com/product/isdg428-indesit-spin-dryer-white-23243-20.aspx?WT.z_PT=MDA&WT.z_AT=Spin+Dryer&WT.z_MT=Search&WT.z_RTM=PLA&WT.z_MAT=Indesit&WT.z_DT=m&WT.z_FT=Free+Standing&WT.z_PC=ISDG428_WH&WT.srch=1&wt.z_ag=type+generic&wt.z_kw=aplus&wt.z_cn=MDA+-+Tumble+Dryers+-+Gen&gclid=CIWurca5nMgCFVG6GwodwAEDWw

[starfishmummy]

Air circulation will help, so stuff in a room on an airer with an ordinary fan will dry quicker than just on the airer. Not sure about the cost though - could be as dear as a dryer

[suzannecaravan]

I don't know why spin dryers aren't more popular, cheap to run and they massively cut down on drying time and the amount of condensation that results from indoor drying.
Having one also means you can get along fine with an inexpensive low spin speed washing machine

[BertieBotts]

Oh, good idea, Annie! I usually hang things one line apart but I do use every line if I have a lot of washing to dry.

[Tiggeryoubastard]

We spent £200 on a dehumidifier whilst waiting for new house to be finished. It was the best money I've ever spent. We use it in a spare room with our washing (and currently son and families washing whilst waiting for a machine repair). It's not dear to run, can dry 2 full large capacity loads overnight and actually warms the room a bit as well. High initial outlay but worth every penny.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Bertie I just got fed up with having to push the clothes through the little gap! It makes hanging stuff out so much quicker. And the other side I have kept all the struts, so can still do a big wash when I need to.

[Sapele]

I think I know why spin dryers aren't more popular. It's because they are terrifying and they try and walk round your kitchen by themselves.

Also mine used to hump about no end if I filled it slightly wrong, which was very easy to do as there was only one proper way to do it which I didn't understand.

And then hardly any water came out of anything.

[DrivingMissLazy1]

I hang clothes on hangers and have them hanging from my bedroom door frames. I prefer this rather that putting stuff on airers. I can't see that you've described where your bedrooms are. Is this an option for you? Would they be hanging in the toastie bit of your home?

[suzannecaravan]

I think I know why spin dryers aren't more popular. It's because they are terrifying and they try and walk round your kitchen by themselves

mine doesnt, you might have hada haunted one :o

you do need to make sure the load is balanced but that's a very simple thing to do:)

[Sapele]

So people keep saying but what is this elusive, simple method? Because in years of having the things I've never sussed it out and it's always been more luck than judgment if it accepts a load or not!

[alabasterangel]

Gosh. So many good ideas. I'm trying the bathroom and a better airer and we'll see, I might well think about a dehumidifier. After all, it would actually make use of the utility space which would be the whole point? I'd rather not hang stuff all over the upper floor. I'd have to cart it up there two flights then cart it down to iron it while this big empty utility 15ft x 12ft (!!!!) does nothing! I really can't line dry because it's a sunken north facing garden. We get some sun where I've positioned the line from early summer - mid summer it's pretty good all day - but by autumn is very shaded and little wind because it's 'down bank'. I can't stand not having a 'system' I look at the washing and don't know what to do with it! Daft!

[suzannecaravan]

you just sort of shift the wet clothes about a bit Sapele, the aim being to have the weight evenly distributed

turn it on and if it 'hammers' switch it off and re shuffle

if I only slightly hammers sometimes you can just hold it down till it reaches full speed then it'll be ok

dont be defeated by a spin dryer...I know you can do it! :o

[hookedonamoonagedaydreem]

My dehumidifier has a hi fan setting specifically for drying washing, it is fantastic. I hang stuff in a small room on an indoor washing type line, hangers and a clothes horse. You can also buy a hose for the dehumidifier (ebac) so that you don't have to keep on emptying the tank.

Even if stuff is crammed in it still dries, I don't have to be particularly careful about leaving space for stuff to 'air'. I also have a condenser dryer in the same room so do need to make sure that I can let some heat out while the dryer is on.

The stuff that is dried on hangers often get put straight into the kids wardrobes so that saves a bit of time.