winter washing overload

[time4tea]

hello

any tips for getting washing dry in this weather? I seem to be washing bedlinen for DS1&2 on a daily basis, and there is a build up of pongy towels... but it is an absolute nightmare getting these big things dry. Clothes at a pinch can be done in the airing cupboard/on the radiators but with the bigger stuff it is just impossible.

What do others do? I'm not keen on using the dryer for environmental reasons. Is doing a regular service wash at a launderette (fairly thin on the ground around here nowadays) an alternative?

thanks for any tips...

It has to be the dryer for me too, but you could always iron things so that they dry a little bit and then hang them over the radiator.

I don't wash bedding so often. I have a gallery landing and find that it dries over the banister in just a few hours and towels would dry over them overnight also.

I bought my first dryer about 1 yr ago, can't work out how I coped before (used washables too!) I went for a big load A rated one and use it on night electricity (green supplier).

DS has respiratory problems and drying lots of stuff on the rads can cause (unseen) damp = spores. Also it stops heat getting into the room triggering your heating system to work harder to keep the thermostat happy!

I try to only change childrens towels (heated towel rail keeps the dry) and beds once a week.

I must admit my stuff is all drying outside still at the moment, even our king-size bedding. I dry outside all year except in the very wettest weather. Sometimes things are only 50-80% dry, then I finish them off on a clothes horse or in the airing cupboard.

I think your problem is the frequency you're washing bedding, I presume that's because of small children and 'accidents'?

Have you got room for an airer/clothes horse in any room? Two would be even better! You could spread some sheets etc on those, they dry quite quickly. Airers are great! Or like someone else said, hang them over the bannister or even over a doorway.

I think though that if you're washing bedding that often, as well as 'normal' washing, you're going to be hard pushed not to use a drier in wet winter weather.

I use my dryer for most stuff. I can't bear having damp washing hanging around the house.

Airer for me to keep on top of it, mixing and matching with the dryer.

my mum and dad have their bedlinen layundered for them by laundry service which seems a lovely luxury !

by the way, in my old house,we had a Sheila Maid clothes airer suspended from the ceiling above the landing on the stairs - clothes etc dried in a trice from the warm air rising !

www.sheilamaid.com/

No dryer here either - I know if I had one it would just be too tempting!!

At this time of year I watch the weather and if I think it's going to be dry tomorrow I try and wash the night before so the washing can go out early and have the best chance of getting dry. If it's been outside, it will probably finish drying overnight on an airer, but if I had put it inside initially, it would probably take 3 days!

I agree - it's a nightmare though. Our bedding is last in line to get washed so it doesn't very often!

great, thanks for all of this. yes, the problem is accidents, that needs a separate solution. love the Sheila gadget.

it helps a lot to know I'm not missing some obvious trick and being a total numpty

I think at this time of year you have to weigh the environmental factors against the health of the atmosphere in your house, and having damp stuff festooned everywhere is not good, esp when it starts whiffing.

Bedlinen really doesn't take that long in the dryer even if cotton (and polycotton takes no time), and IME if you divide a washload in half to dry it is quicker overall than having a huge lump going round and round with a damp centre.

Like others here I use a combination of banisters, airers and dryer in the winter.

I'm trying to minimize my use of the dryer, but last year when DD was bedwetting there really wasn't much choice. I can't see that using a launderette would make any difference to the amount of energy used unless their machines are vastly more efficient which I doubt. Not sure that ironing dry would be that energy-efficient either (and certainly not time-efficient!)

I try to air-dry (on clothes horse which I stick outside if dry enough) - and finish off in dryer or airing cupboard.

Bramshott, I do the same as you - I time my washing so it finishes before I go to bed. Then I either put it on airer if the next day's weather looks lousy, or next morning hang it outside about 8 a.m. so it has maximum time outside. Even in winter it usually dries between 30-100%, depending on the type of garment and whether it's cold, sunny, windy or whatever.

I like the pulley-type airers too like the Sheilamaid thing - my husband's making me one as I speak!