Boring (sorry!)...talk to me about heated airers

[StewPots]

We need a way of drying our clothes effectively in the winter and one that doesn't mean 2-3 trips to the dryers at the laundrette.

We can't have a tumble dryer as we have no space for one, plus our house is a sod for damp at the minute, so I was thinking of a heated airier, but don't know much about them.

Do they take ages to dry clothes, and how much do they dry at a time? Do they create lots of damp?

We only have electric radiators in the house (no CH) and they're expensive to keep on so drying clothes on them isn't an option.

In the summer it's a non issue as the sun hits the garden then and stuff dries in a few hours, and we can also hang lighter items ( like my work uniform) in the windows as it gets so hot there.

However I am sick and tired of lugging a huge bag of wet washing to dry to the laundrette, as well as the cost (£8-£10) each time.

Anyone got any advice?

TIA

We do have a dehumidifier but it doesn't do much for clothes at the moment, even when downstairs. I think it's because the damp is so prevelant at the moment that saps all night ya energy.

I really would love a dryer but we've tried to see where it could go so many times and there is nowhere suitable.

I have just had a look on the Lakeland site, they look pretty good. It would probably be in use 4 months of the year...I just need to have a better solution then trekking loads of heavy wet clothes down to the laundrette. It's such a costly way of drying right now. £9 it cost to get like 3 loads dry today.

I don’t get the love for the airers. I have one, with a cover, and it took as long as on the normal airer drying naturally. I have a dehumidifier and in a closed room it was just as good. It certainly didn’t dry a load over night.

Could you get a washer dryer?

I know you said you didn't have space but a standard or a space saving slimline condenser drier wouldn't cause damp or condensation issues. Would also heat up the room really nicely. My Lakeland surer is good but not sure it actually sped things up massively.

I have the three tier one from Lakeland I and I love it. Stuff dries so much more quickly. I try to put a big sheet over the top but even without it it works fine. We haven't noticed any damp issues but we're going to put a strong extraction fan in the wall of kitchen due to pre existing damp issues

@Ohforfoxsakereturns we did think about it but I've heard so many bad stories, including my own DM, hers packed up after just a few years and I think that put me off them.

Feelingchipper - do you lay clothes flat or hang them over the rails? And if so, over one rail or do they need to go across a few?

We also have the big Lakeland one with the cover and I love it! I pile things up on it in layers rather than hang them as that seems to work best.

@troodiedoo ah another bloomin' inadvertent double entendre. I make a LOT of them
(I do have a sizeable rack, mind)

I got mine the day after my fully serviced tumble dryer caught fire, somewhere inside where I couln't put it out. It had only been on 5 minutes. I guess the lint filter wasn't working and there was a build up inside the machine that had caught. It was, bizarrely, in my bedroom (tiny house) and I actually commanded 3yo DS not to move a muscle, picked it up like The Hulk and carried it fully smoking down the corridor, stairs, through the house and into the garden. Then out of the garden gate into the back lane where it could safely billow smoke. I went to check on it half an hour later when DS was in bed and I had a large gin, and it was gone! Bloody terrifying. Would never have another tumble dryer.

I also now have a proper fire extinguisher in my bedroom, despite no longer having a dryer! Shat me right up

@DrRanjsRightEyebrow bloody hell! That's terrifying! Glad you're ok after all that, I think I would've just screamed and legged it!

If I want something to dry especially quickly or it is thicker, I will tend to lay it across more bars. I mix and match depending on need. If I'm covering with a big sheet i tend to hang more stuff vertically because the air heats up all around the items and so there's less need for direct contact.

The airer has definitely sped up the whole washing process for us and helps us to get through the washy dry put away cycle much more quickly.

I have one and it works well.
it's in the drafty, i.e. well ventilated but generally cold porch/conservatory. a large load (8kg washer) dries over night, so I could deal with 2 loads a day rarely do

but if you have damp problems already it might not be for you. the moisture has to go somewhere, it will not just dissapear.

you need to ventilate your home well. if what you are doing is not working you need to change, like opening all windows a couple of times a day as far as they go for ten min each time, heating more, getting a dehumidifier. try a few things and see what works best for your house.

I've got the Lakeland one and I love it but I do think the cover is the key. I've also got the mesh shelf which I wouldn't be without now so I put smalls on that on the bottom, small items on middle like kods clothes and larger items on top rack. Drape towels, muslins, fitted sheets over top of the cover.

It did ramp my electricity bill up massively though until I started using the timer as I was using it constantly and forgetting to switch it off !

I love my heated airer. I tend to do small regular loads of washing and it works best with that. I open the windows so there is plenty of airflow. It's not super speedy but your clothes don't get the slightly mouldy smell they can get if they dry slowly naturally. We can't use any perfume because of allergies, so any mustiness really does stink through without the ether airer.

forgot to say, I don't leave it on over night.
I did a wash this evening, gave it an extra spin (makes a real difference wrt drying times!) and I will switch it off in a couple of hours before I go to bed.

We've borrowed my mum's dehumidifier and aim it at the airer (it sucks & blows from the same side) and the amount of water it removes is amazing.

I got a heated airer from Lakeland. It was useless. It their customer service was great when I sent it back.

What make is your dehumidifier op ?

I think in order for a dehumidifier to work well it needs to be a decent one and be regularly maintained. I bought an EBac and keep the filters changed, it has eliminated the damp that we had in the house and can dry a rack of washing overnight (I shut the doors on the clothes horse and the dehumidifier).

If you're using a £20 B&Q dehumidifier you won't get the same results as with a good one.

They are brilliant!
My tips are...
Get the 3 tier one. Wash clothes. Give them an extra spin in your machine.
Hang you clothes up in the evening / thickest things at the top.
Cover with kingsize sheets.
Stuff all dry in the morning.

"I do have a sizeable rack" 🤣🙌🏽

I've had my Lakeland heater airer for around 7 years and it's the best thing, I use it more than my tumble dryer. Just lay clothes on it and leave and they are dry in a few hours. Helps to cover with a duvet as it dries quicker but it's the best invention ever!

I've not got a cover just sling a duvet cover over the top much cheaper than the cover and works just the same.