Drying LOTS of laundry - your tips please

[TinyTeachr]

We generate a VAST quantity of laundry. 4 children with uniforms and extra curricular things, and we don't rewear things often as the baby has a knack for getting snotty nose/sticky fingers on people when she goes for a cuddle. Middle children often get food on school jumpers too.

In summer it was fine. We dried a lot outdoors - nice big outside thingy and I'd wheel the indoor airer outside when extra capacity was needed.

It's now getting tricky! Most things are dried in one room (we're very lucky to have that space!). I have a heated airer and a normal airer, and a large socktopus for small. I tend to shut the door so it stays toasty and run a dehumidifier to stop the Windows steaming.

Towels and sheets go in the tumble drier.

It still doesn't seem enough! That holds up to 3 loads (If they aren't jam packed) but it takes 48 hours to try when it's not summer. During the weekend I really need to do 4 loads or more most weeks, as although I do some during the week I don't stay on top of it.

What are your solutions? Ceiling airers exist, but sound like a lot of work, so I don't know if it would be worth it. I could put things on radiators as the heating will be on soon enough (probably Monday I'll give in!) But the baby will pull things off which is annoying. I prefer to save that for energencies rather than being something I do every week.

I have a dehumidifier that has a laundry setting. Have it in the utility room with the door closed. Works really well

Are you still drying outdoors? We had laundry on the line yesterday and today and they are drying fine, obviously it takes a little longer.

If you are able to, in one of the bedrooms that won’t be used during the day, open all the windows fully and hang all the wet clothes on coat hangers on the curtain rail and close the door. Being up higher and the air flow generally gets all the clothes dry pretty fast. Also in the winter I always double spin washing

Using your tumble dryer more would be the obvious solution to me. Mine is a heat pump so costs very little to run and is gentle on the clothes. That combined with a dehumidifier keeps on top of my drying for a family of 5.

Dehumidifier, or point a fan at the clothes, helps avoid a musty smell.

Also, if you have a Laundromat near you bring your semi dried clean clothes and finish them all off in the dryer, friends who live in a humid flat so this in the winter.

I have started doing an extra spin at the end of the cycle on 1600. It makes so much difference! Put an old dry towel in the tumble dryer with every load. I hang things on hangers when wet and they dry quicker and need little to no ironing.
Maybe ask your children to get changed after school so they get more than one wear out of them as these probably take longer to dry than other items. Also will help uniforms look new for longer if being washed less.

Yep this, it's a great solution and the only way we manage without a tumble dryer!

Get yourself a large electric airer, place it in a small enclosed space with a dehumidifier.

I always do 2-3 extra spins - makes a huge difference.

Also, if the weather isn't too cold, I hang my washing on a rotary airer with a shower curtain tautly pegged across it. It traps the heat and if it rains, the washing stays dry. I think the neighbours thought I was a bit mad when I first did it but it really does help!

I do an extra spin, it really does make a difference.

I knew today was going to be good. So put a load in the machine last night on timer so it could go out on the line when I got up. It's drying lovely.

Another spin cycle
Does your electric airer have a tent? If not drape a sheet over it, it makes a huge difference.
Make a tent over the non heated drier and the dehumidifier (ensure safe airflow to it).

Basically try to make smaller spaces so they can warm up better.

Use your drier. I use it for most things, all the uniform, jeans, underwear, sports clothes.

Do bedding and towels on days where you can dry outside.
Honestly, we try and at least partially dry outside all year round.

I don’t have as many people to wash for as you but we have a laundrette 5 minutes walk away. I take bedding and towels out of the equation by washing them at home but taking them there to dry. Costs £4 for 30 minutes in the dryer and they all come out crispy.

We have a heated airer with an cover, and a ceiling airer. The latter is good for socks/underwear and takes about an airer’s worth. But I probably wouldn’t put one in unless I was having other work done at the same time. The heated airer is good but if I have it on overnight, it still takes 2 days to dry washing indoors if it’s fully loaded. We don’t have a dehumidifier - that would make a difference. And it dries stuff much faster if you don’t put much on it.

I wouldn’t put stuff on radiators, personally, unless unavoidable..

Wow, so many replies, thank you!

Dehumidifier: we do have one. But not a utility room. We have a small room off the sitting room (no idea what it was initially intended for!) Which is where I dry things. I can just about squeeze in one heated airer and my one normal one.

Outdoors: I was until this week. i was finding it tricky though - we are very often out and about so I can't really hang if it might rain as I won't be there to bring back in. I also work 3 days during the week so can't always choose which day to do laundry. This is why it is backing up till the weekend a bit.

Tumble dryer: I use for sheets/towels. I find with other things it does tend to shrink them a bit unless you stop it before they are totally dry. Maybe it just isn't a good one?

Launderette: none near me. Going into a nearby town would be a massive faff so not worth it.

Will have a go at pointing a fan at washing, because it's trying in a small room there's not much air circulation. Might speed up the dehumidifier. Thanks for the idea. Hanging on coathangers is also something I hadbt considered, so I'll give that a try. The curtain rail in that room does NOT look sturdy but I could ask DH to put a pole up, he could do that pretty quickly and it'd be a much better way of hanging shirts I think.

Again, thank you all for the ideas. This has been very helpful! Lots to consider and try out.

The simple solution to me seems to be dry part way in the tumble drier and then onto the airer. Quicker drying but no shrinking.

Dehumidifier

I think just use the dryer. Sounds like you are time poor and this is easiest and quickest solution since you already have one x

Also seconding an extra spin and a dehumidfier. Make sure you have one of decent size and power to handle all that moisture.

My worry would be the amount of moisture building up in your house using any of the other drying methods and with so much washing. That's another reason you need a really efficient dehumidifier.

Agree with PPs with regards to an extra spin and giving items a short blast in the tumble dryer (I give 15/20 minutes). Also make sure that you aren’t hanging too much stuff on the airers - I tend to leave larger gaps between heavier/thicker items such as jeans or heavy sweatshirts. Lastly, if you have the space could you get a second airer? Maybe one of those ones that go over the bath if you’re tight for space.

I hang most stuff on hangers and hook them over the doors. When the heating is on, if I hang first thing in the morning they are usually dry by the evening.

Its a bit tricky this time of year when the heating isn’t on that much, but the ambient temp, is not quite high enough to dry, but even so most stuff is dry in 24 hours. Anything heavier like jeans, gets a quick blast in the dryer to finish them off.

Sheets I hang over the banister, and they dry really quickly, but you can only really do one set per day.
I also started doing the extra spin after reading about it in here, and was really surprised at how much extra moisture it takes out.

I use my tumble dryer as it costs way less than the 'scaremongers' want me to believe! If your dryer is shrinking things you should look ar the care label and adjust the heat setting on your dryer accordingly. By using the low heat and delicate settings I can dry woollen, silk and other delicate items without issue.

Put a sheet over your heated aired.

Could you send your large items to a laundry and so "outsource" the problem (and get them ironed too).

We use the tumble dryer for everything other than my/dh clothes that we care about, sports kit etc. All the kids stuff etc just goes in the tumble dryer and if it shrinks, it shrinks. Nothing shrinks that much.