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Original poster

Lakeland airer tips!

40 replies

FusionChefGeoff · 29/10/2021 14:52

Just got one - any tips??
Should we leave it on overnight??
Lay flat or drape??
Leave door to utility room open to allow better airflow / less humidity or keep shut to creat airing cupboard style heat?!

I'm excited!!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
FusionChefGeoff · 29/10/2021 16:53

Ha ha can't believe no one else is as excited about this as I am Grin

OP posts:
firedoornewname · 30/10/2021 08:24

Hi, I love my Lakeland airier! For me, smaller loads more frequently works best. I don't like to try and get too much dried in one go. I use a large flat sheet as a cover, have a dehumidifier running for a couple of hours too, and use a timer plug so I don't have to remember to turn the airer off. The top gets hotter than the bottom, so I put heavier stuff like jeans on the top bars.

icelollycraving · 30/10/2021 08:26

I only use it for items I don’t want to tumble dry. Small loads laid flat. I haven’t got the cover but sometimes throw a sheet over.

LillethCrane · 30/10/2021 08:28

I just got mine last week, and purchased the cover to go with it.

I’ve used it three times and I’m not as impressed as I hoped I’d be… I’ve found hanging items doesn’t dry them at all, even after 6 hours it was all still wet. I’ve had to lay them flat, meaning I can only dry a small amount of washing at a time which isn’t ideal. I bought it because I didn’t want to have to turn the heating on just to dry clothes- I hoped this might be the solution, but now I’m not so sure.

So I’ll be checking back for tips too OP!

Chrestomanci3 · 30/10/2021 08:34

Lay flat, layer items and put a bedsheet over the top to trap the heat. I put a full wash on last night, put it on the airer before I went to bed, over half of it is now dry. If I remove those items, the rest will be dry in about 90 minutes.
Ours is used mostly overnight - dh is wfh and works in the same small room - it gets too warm for him if the airer is on in the daytime (but he may change his mind in winter).

JumpLeadsForTwo · 30/10/2021 08:42

I love mine, had it for years. I have as the cover, but a bedsheet will do. Also have a dehumidifier. I usually use one side to hang tops on hangers and the other to hang leggings/ trousers etc. I can usually get I full load on and it is dry in 3-4hrs. I also have a hive timer switch as I often put it on and forget about it so can check on my phone and switch off.

Slacktacular · 30/10/2021 08:49

I use mine with the cover on and a dehumidifier running (we have nowhere to put a tumble drier in our flat). We generally hang items over the bars , but lay flat things like heavy hoodies for a bit as they take much longer to dry. I try and out things that take longer to dry at the top where it’s warmer and keep undies on the bottom. Can just spread out something thin like a T shirt on the bottom rack and spread the undies out on that to save the annoying thing of hanging up all the tiny kids socks! I love mine - of course I’d rather have a tumble but that’s just not an option and the Lakeland along with the dehumidifier does a good job and my house doesn’t get damp. If you haven’t got a dehumidifier then do make sure you open a window or you’ll have mould in no time

icelollycraving · 30/10/2021 09:24

@LillethCrane I’ve had mine for sometime. I’m a bit underwhelmed still! I bought mine on their eBay shop so didn’t pay full whack.

redmapleleaves1 · 30/10/2021 12:23

I love mine. Like others, it works far better with a sheet on top to trap the air (sometimes several sheets to dry them). Have had much less success when things hang, so lie things on the bars, with a tshirt or pillowcase at the bottom so smaller things like socks don't fall through. Mine is in the garage, no dehumidifier, and has been a complete gamechanger. Enjoy.

PacificState · 30/10/2021 12:31

I put things like tops and cardigans on hangers and hang them off the sides (the sort of superstructure of the drier) to maximise the benefit. Tbh mine is on almost all permanently and i usually find it dries a load in about 24 hours without putting a sheet over the top. Underwear and socks on the bottom rack, tops tights t shirts and leggings (anything I don't want to tumble dry) on the top two racks. I do use the tumble drier for things like jeans and towels though - the Lakeland drier is mostly for delicates or things that I don't trust the tumble drier for

Orchidflower1 · 30/10/2021 12:33

Please don’t leave anything like this on overnight @FusionChefGeoff

Some models specify not draping.

Original poster
FusionChefGeoff · 30/10/2021 22:17

We have a tumble drier but are hoping this will replace it ideally for energy saving purposes.

Great tip re sheet to trap heat and we do have a timer plug. May shift it into the garage to prevent humidity issues in the ulitity room though.

OP posts:
JustSinginInTheRain · 30/10/2021 22:26

It dries ten times faster with the material cover over it.

IncessantNameChanger · 30/10/2021 22:28

I have just bought a much smaller one from Argos and using it for the first time tonight. It is indeed very exciting. Now the weather is turning I'm hoping it's going to be a useful addition

lisaandalan · 30/10/2021 23:41

Hi I love mine.
Lay clothes flat and drape, leave mine on all day.
I'd keep utility door closed to keep the heat in.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 31/10/2021 22:17

I was thrilled to get one (with cover) but was totally unimpressed.

I split a wash load evenly between the heated airier and my usual unseated aired. The washing in the regular airier too about two hours longer to dry - and I’m in the south east so no heating on at the time if the “experiment”. I decided that two hours was not worth the cost of the airer plus the electricity and got my money back.

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 31/10/2021 22:48

I know this isn't a thread about tumble dryers but I had a Bosch washing machine which died and I replaced it. My tumble dryer was drying the loads much faster. I literally went from a 1200 spin to a 1400 spin and it made a huge difference to how dry the clothes felt just coming out of the machine.

I wonder if those unimpressed with the Lakeland airer have a high spin washing machine or not.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 01/11/2021 08:16

I wonder if those unimpressed with the Lakeland airer have a high spin washing machine or not

Well mine is a high spin speed…. Maybe that’s why my laundry dries nearly as quickly on a standard airer as on the heated version.

icelollycraving · 01/11/2021 08:53

I have a choice of spin settings. It can certainly go up to a high speed. I think I’d be more impressed if I hadn’t got a tumble dryer.

Triffid1 · 01/11/2021 08:59

Why do people have a dehumidifier? We find that the Lakeland dryer seems to act as a dehumidifier. We have it in a small room with the tube dryer and don't suffer from any mould (and that room has form for mould).

I only lay things flat if I'm in a hurry. Otherwise we hang it up and a very full load will dry in about 12 hours. If it was turned off, the same load would take at least 24 hours to dry. The top definitely works better so heavier things there. Or I'll use the top for light things that will dry quickly, allowing me to re-use the space for a small second load shortly after.

LefttoherownDevizes · 01/11/2021 09:07

I have a large one with the cover, and find that two loads dry in about 12 hours on it. And no mould/damp either. It's next to my desk so keeps me toasty too.

Hang over the bars and use hangers, and Def big things up top and smaller at bottom. And spread things out and remove often items as they dry so air can circulate amongst remaining things.

Never, ever use tumble dryer now, want rid to reclaim the space (although fancy a spin dryer!)

PickupaPenguin8 · 03/11/2021 21:21

I find mine causes lots of condensation. I have bought a dehumidifier but it is useless. Also th clothes still take days to dry. I really don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

Canigoonroblox · 10/11/2021 06:06

I love mine! If weather ok I hang my stuff outside for a few hours, bring it in at tea time and layee it on the dryer with fitted single sheets used as covers. It’s great

Hedgesgalore · 10/11/2021 13:20

I've found putting it in an upstairs room worked best for me.

I hang thin items on the lowest level.

Allow two rungs per item (all adult house here, no kids clothes).

Things with legs (trousers, joggers & jeans) get put on the one rung that has the holding clip/cup thing. One leg either side of the clip and the waistband gets threaded through to hang over the rung beneath it. Legs hang outside.
So I can get four pairs of trousers on my three level airer.

If I have hoodies or more trousers/jeans these get draped over the very top level. They do kind of overlap but they do dry after a shift about.

The whole thing is covered with two spare kingsize duvets, one for each side of the airer, they overlap on the top and sides. They also go down to the floor to keep heat in.

Since moving to a house with an Aga my airer hasn't been plugged in but I still load it the same just no duvets over the top. Can get more on a lakeland airer than a normal one.

loomer · 06/09/2022 13:11

Commenting to 'bump' this thread as am considering purchasing one of these to compensate for not using the tumble dryer (which we had in daily use last winter). Does anyone know how much power these consume? Lakeland just says 'pennies to run' but I can't find any data on actual usage. Anyone got any further tips?

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