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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Airing cupboards - please explain!

96 replies

Notcontent · 18/10/2021 22:30

I should preface this by saying I am not British but have lived in the U.K. for many years. But I am still a bit mystified when people talk about putting their clean/wet clothes in their airing cupboard !

As I understand it, it’s a large cupboard which is warm because it has a hot water tank in it. But don’t most people have combi boilers now? And also, the cupboard would need to be pretty huge to hang wet clothes in it? And would it not get all damp and mouldy from the condensation!?

OP posts:
LovePoppy · 19/10/2021 00:15

I’m still so very confused by the airing cupboard idea

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 19/10/2021 00:27

I love my airing cupboard. We store folded towels and bedding and also have a few hooks to hang a small number of part-dry items which I don’t want to tumble (mainly school uniforms)

HeronLanyon · 19/10/2021 00:37

Grew up with a big airing cupboard - hot water cupboard.
Slatted wooden shelves.
Used to store bed linen and towels. And to make yoghurt !

StarCourt · 19/10/2021 01:51

Our house growing up had an airing cupboard where we kept towels and bedding. It always smelt lovely.
I'd love an airing cupboard

MrsLargeEmbodied · 19/10/2021 03:21

we have an airing cupboard,
the clothes go in there off the line, off the airer.
the towels and sheets are stored there.
dh proves his bread in there

GeorgiaGirl52 · 19/10/2021 03:53

I had one built into a new build here in the US. It has louvered doors, and a hanging rod and open shelving. There is a heat lamp installed in the ceiling and an air extractor to eliminate humidity and mold. I wash and spin items, then hang them to dry. Also use it to dry delicates that can't be stretched.

The builder was very confused. He kept saying I should put a toilet in the "closet" as it would be so nice and warm in winter!

MissMarplesGoddaughter · 19/10/2021 04:07

I bulk buy bars of soap and store them in my airing cupboard. The heat dries the soap out and makes it last longer.

gofg · 19/10/2021 04:24

I'm not in the UK but do have an airing cupboard, and yes they are for putting clothes in when they come from the line, but are dry. I didn't have one in my previous house and it just felt odd, even though strictly speaking one isn't necessary, I just like the idea of having one.

borntobequiet · 19/10/2021 04:31

I iron bed linen as the last stage in the drying process, so off the line in the summer or off an airer in the bathroom with dehumidifier in the winter. It then goes on a ceiling airer for a few hours before being transferred to the airing cupboard, which isn’t as warm as such places used to be because the immersion heater tank is now properly insulated.

MyOtherProfile · 19/10/2021 04:35

We use ours for rising dough and storing bed linen so it's nice and warm when you change the bed. And for towels - same reason.

Do most people have a combi boiler? We don't. We live in a 4 bed detached (ie not a mansion) and when we got a new boiler a couple of years ago they told us the house was too big for a combi. So we still have a tank and an airing cupboard.

Springplanting · 19/10/2021 04:47

Never ever wet clothes in there. Yes you would get mould.

Personally we do, line drying outside then finish off drying on the clothes airer in the house in a warm room and finally in the airing cupboard to fully air. Especially bedlinens. I don't like combi boilers anyway but the hotwater tank is a bonus providing a thoroughly dry airing cupboard.

We have a tumble dryer but we never use it as line dryin smells better and personally i feel it's fresher. Plus outside is free!

Donotgogentle · 19/10/2021 05:18

@MyOtherProfile

We use ours for rising dough and storing bed linen so it's nice and warm when you change the bed. And for towels - same reason.

Do most people have a combi boiler? We don't. We live in a 4 bed detached (ie not a mansion) and when we got a new boiler a couple of years ago they told us the house was too big for a combi. So we still have a tank and an airing cupboard.

Interesting. We live in a 4 bed semi detached house and have a combi, no issues with capacity. I thought that advice was out of date now.
Snozzlemaid · 19/10/2021 05:32

We are all electric here too with night storage and a hot water tank in an airing cupboard.
We use ours for storing towels and bedding.
When it was less full I used to put freshly ironed things in there for a bit but don't have space now.
We also use it to dry an item of clothing overnight and for proving bread.
I would miss it if we didn't have one.

MamsellMarie · 19/10/2021 05:35

When I was young heating and water was from one coal fire. No central heating. Clothes after washing, ironing, folding went into the airing cupboard for a day before putting them away as otherwise they could be damp.

SalsaLove · 19/10/2021 05:37

@LovePoppy

I’m still so very confused by the airing cupboard idea
I think it’s largely to do with the climate of the U.K. and of course the tradition of it. My PIL have one and keep bed linens in it. Seems like they should be called “warming cupboards” though.
Sunbird24 · 19/10/2021 05:44

My parents used to make wine and it went in the airing cupboard to ferment - there was a memorable week when several demijohns of something red exploded…

Carrierpigeon · 19/10/2021 05:48

I agree that it's to do with the damp climate of the UK and ROI. It is basically impossible to get linen completely dry in winter on the line. Even after ironing there will be damp patches. The airing cupboard dries that remaining five percent of dampness. I miss my airing cupboard.

Silkieschickens · 19/10/2021 05:55

We had one growing up in the bathroom and had hot water tank and towels in, dry not wet.

Here we had hot water tank as part of a bigger laundry room about the size of a bed and in that we can hang wet clothes and store dry ones. Though just converted to combi boiler.

Mumdiva99 · 19/10/2021 05:56

Ours is for storage.....and cat naps. The cats have discovered it's lovely and toasty so pop in whenever the door is opened. I have a small hanging space where I occasionally hang a few shirts and tops to dry but I don't regularly put clean clothes in there as it's just an extra step not really needed.

Silkieschickens · 19/10/2021 05:57

There are three types of boiler you can have and not all houses have combi boilers. Its especially if you have multiple bathrooms were you may be running a shower or bath each you may have a non combi boiler.

Silkieschickens · 19/10/2021 05:59

Yes our cat used to go in ours growing up and then go under the bath from there, it was like a cat toy cupboard.

torquewench · 19/10/2021 05:59

I wish I had an airing cupboard.

jennythesquirrel · 19/10/2021 06:00

relative got rid of theirs - they regretted it.

FreeBritnee · 19/10/2021 06:00

Agree about mildly damp things, not wet. I can hang up the things I don’t want to iron and the clean folded towels are also in there on a shelf.

porites · 19/10/2021 06:04

I have one and like how it stops occasionally used towels/linens from developing a musty smell.

Guess as PP say above thats because the last 5% of damp has been removed.

Also I think the low humidity deters insects/moths.

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