Best large load aired / clothes horse

[TheChineseChicken]

We have a LOT of washing to get through every week including lots of bedding. Now it’s not really possible to dry outside it’s becoming hard to manage without tumble drying, which I don’t like.

We bought a Lakeland heated dryer but it’s shit. I like the actual frame but it doesn’t dry things quickly and I can’t justify £200 just for the frame.

Any suggestions for something that will take two loads and is sturdy? Ideally a tower rather than winged IYSWIM. I’ve seen things like the Minky but most reviews suggest it is flimsy and buckles.

I have the minky tower and its never buckled or broken. I space clothes 2 rungs apart and don't put jeans or jumpers on it. I also have a concertina type and hang heavy stuff on it.

I'll put pictures so don't judge my hanging skills

I have a lakeland heated one and as long as you use the cover it works fine. We dry my sons motorcycle jacket and gloves on it (why we bought it really) but if you don't use the cover then, yes, it's rubbish, only drying in strips where the heated bars are!

The minky one I have is pretty sturdy, just buy a few of them so not to overload.

IKEA do a fabulous one... tall tower with flexible drying space. Reasonable price too

@dementedpixie

I have the minky tower and its never buckled or broken. I space clothes 2 rungs apart and don't put jeans or jumpers on it. I also have a concertina type and hang heavy stuff on it.

I'll put pictures so don't judge my hanging skills

Thanks, looks like you have as much laundry as we do!

@Yesyoudoknowme

I have a lakeland heated one and as long as you use the cover it works fine. We dry my sons motorcycle jacket and gloves on it (why we bought it really) but if you don't use the cover then, yes, it's rubbish, only drying in strips where the heated bars are!

See, I’ve been using the cover but even after 8 hours clothes are still really damp. I’ve been hanging them over the bars rather than laying on top but how else do you fit 15kg of washing?

@Izzadoraduncancan

IKEA do a fabulous one... tall tower with flexible drying space. Reasonable price too

Aha! I hadn’t thought to look at IKEA

I have a minky (has for 20 years or so) which takes kind of 1.5 loads. Never buckled. Strong ! Have the stainless steel type - maybe there are some which are more flimsy or they aren’t as good as they once were ??

@HeronLanyon

I have a minky (has for 20 years or so) which takes kind of 1.5 loads. Never buckled. Strong ! Have the stainless steel type - maybe there are some which are more flimsy or they aren’t as good as they once were ??

Wouldn’t surprise me if the quality had declined but maybe they are better than the reviews I have seen suggest

I got my minky tower from argos after it was recommended on here. I've had it for years

15kg is a huge amount of washing to be putting on one airer. You'd probably have more success putting half the amount on it then putting th other half on it. Alternatively in our house, anything that is going to be hung on a coat hanger to be put away gets hung on a coat hanger and dries in a doorway. They're normally dry the next day

@muddledmidget

15kg is a huge amount of washing to be putting on one airer. You'd probably have more success putting half the amount on it then putting th other half on it. Alternatively in our house, anything that is going to be hung on a coat hanger to be put away gets hung on a coat hanger and dries in a doorway. They're normally dry the next day

Yes, I’m wondering if I need a different solution. The main issue is all the bedding so maybe I need to find a drying solution for this and just keep a normal airer for clothes. I would like one of those things that pulls down from the ceiling but our utility room has spotlights so we wouldn’t be able to fit one

I put a sheet over my bannister and drape the duvet cover over the top of my smaller airer. I dont wash more than one set of bedding at a time

Bedding over bannisters over night. Dry by morning.

Our bannisters are unpainted wood so I’m not sure wet bedding would be good for them?

Obvious question, can you change your housekeeping routine so you wash less bedding? Use a top sheet or draw sheets, for example. Wash more often but only the top sheets, not the under sheets/pillow cases.

Without knowing your routine it's hard to know.

We switched the children to fleece blankets instead of duvets. Much easier to wash and dry.

Just thinking a bit laterally, is there any chance of putting something like a suspended "joist" a little below the height of the ceiling, attached into the wall either side? You could then suspend a Sheila Maid on that? Depends on ceiling height, of course. I've also seen nifty fold down wall drying racks, meant for utility rooms. These would certainly take shirts on hangers as suggested by PP, and v space saving.

Or is it worth washing all the bedding and taking it to the laundrette, chucking it in a massive tumble drier for 40 minutes and coming home knowing it's all done? I suppose it depends if you're just doing bedding on a regular basis or if you've got little ones still having accidents but I think it would still be easier to go to the laundrette once a fortnight during the winter and get it all dry at once

@picklemewalnuts

Obvious question, can you change your housekeeping routine so you wash less bedding? Use a top sheet or draw sheets, for example. Wash more often but only the top sheets, not the under sheets/pillow cases.

Without knowing your routine it's hard to know.

We switched the children to fleece blankets instead of duvets. Much easier to wash and dry.

Oh god, it’s so painful. There’s mine and DH’s clothes washing plus a baby and 4 year old whose clothes need washing after one wear. Plus towels for all of us, 3 hand towels and 2 bath mats, super king bedding from our room, double bedding from the spare room where DH currently sleep and cot and toddler bedding. Oh and tea towels etc. I’ve got quite a good routine but it’s relentless and I hate the utility looking like a laundrette with piles of washing on the floor for most of the week until I get it all done and it stays again. A tumble dryer helps but I don’t like what it does to fabrics

Are you reusing towels a few times before washing? How often are you washing everything?

Why don't you like tumble dryer op? They are literally the most time saving appliance in my opinion 😂
Especially if you have lots of laundry as you do. I don't know how people have space or patience for airers!

@dementedpixie

Are you reusing towels a few times before washing? How often are you washing everything?

Yep, towels and bedding are washed once a week. So I then have a week to get though the washing before it gets changed again. It’s doable but feels like a race so I would like it to be more manageable

@EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide

Why don't you like tumble dryer op? They are literally the most time saving appliance in my opinion 😂 Especially if you have lots of laundry as you do. I don't know how people have space or patience for airers!

I like fabrics to be crisp, especially bedding and towels. I find that things come out of the dryer floppy and creased and the material ultimately ends up damaged. I realise this is my problem

We put a fleece blanket over the banisters then hang the duvet covers over that.

Is your washing machine doing a full spin at the end? That gets more water out before you hang up so it dries faster.

I don’t mind chucking the baby’s clothes in the dryer as the only get worn a few times before he grows out of them anyway