Anyone ever used / bought a drying cabinet? (Like these?)

[samosamo]

www.pekodryingcabinets.co.uk/product-type/peko-domestic-drying-cabinets/

www.nimoverken.com/en/produktkategori/drying-cabinets/

I hadn't even heard of them until last night when I had drunk too much coffee and couldn't sleep.

Are they any good?

I had a desperate urge for one about 10 years ago when we did our kitchen, but the one I'd chosen went out of stock and then almost doubled in price. What I do have though, is underfloor heating, windows with vents, and a ceiling hanging rack. And a tumble dryer. What the heated cupboard is, seems to be a heated rack with more insulation and venting.

I don’t have any experience of these - but if you have space for one, why not just get a tumble drier?

I’ve never used them but Mum has had (the same) airing cabinet for at least 50 years, basically a tin box with a heating element in the bottom compartment and hanging rails at the top. Dates back to pre-central heating days when the other option was a clothes horse in front of the Rayburn.

She now has a condensing tumble dryer as well and uses that instead, except to air slight damp out of things. I use tumble dryer, radiator racks and a clothes horse.

The non-condensing versions of this look functionally the same at a quick glance. If drying wet washing, you need to consider where the water is going. Mum’s version also makes the room too hot if used in summer.

My Mum had one on the upstairs hallway. It was a slightly different design to the ones you link. Worked fine, although she still had to iron it all once dry. It also heated up the hall outside the bedrooms.
As soon as she moved house she swapped it for a tumble dryer.

I’ve got a peko dry one. Had it installed when the kitchen/utility were remodelled 5 or 6 years ago. We also have a tumble dryer but the cabinet is great for finishing stuff off after being line dried at the moment. It’s so cold nothing dries fully on the line but 15 mins n the cupboard and it’s perfect. Also great for stuff that can’t go in the tumble drier like sports kit (I seem to have a lot with 3 boys who run). Before the cabinet I used a Lakeland heated airier. I was going to get a vented cupboard large enough to hold this put in the utility room but that would have taken lots more space.

Was also going to mention Lakeland heated aired as maybe a cheaper and easier solution.

How much are they? We are converting our garage into a utility room, we live near the beach so have wet suits etc to dry.

Thanks, that's really useful.

I don't like using tumble dryers so much, only use for towels really. I'm thinking of putting my washing machine in the upstairs hallway as there's a perfect spot. Just wondered where to air dry the clothes. Don't always want knickers hanging in the bathroom. Was thinking to just put a radiator in the hallway. Build a vented cupboard around it and hang clothes in there (a big radiator cover at the front?). But then came across these and wondered if they're better. Seems not. The vented cupboard would also still heat the hallway.

I think they are much better than a vented cupboard with a radiator. For one thing I can dry clothes independent of running the heating. It also uses warm air rather than just a heating element (like the Lakeland drier) and finally the water vapour is extracted to the outside in my room model. But it’s not silent and I think they may have gone up in price since I got mine. For us it has been a well used piece of equipment.

Any chance of using an airing cupboard?
Mine has shelves above and next to the boiler and hot water tank. It is always a bit warm in there are often really warm. There is also a rail and you can have hooks or hangers in the rail and put things in there.
The doors have small holes in them so it is vented.

Both my mum and MiL are big fans of putting things in the spring cupboard to finish off the final druing, as I think lots of older women are.

Have you already got the solution? Realise with combi boilers not everyone has an airing cupboard anymore.

That's so helpful, thank you. The first few posts seemed to be okay-ish on them, but more recent posts are pretty pro-drying cabinets. Thank you!

@BlackPuddingEggs
What model do you have?

I am hoping to get one when I redo my kitchen and downstairs.

Common in Scandinavia, I am told.

I don't plan to have a tumble dryer - I don't think they are very good for your clothes and there is lots that can't go in them anyway

The fact they condense the water and are plumbed into drain it away is what makes them different from just an airing cupboard. Things dry much quicker and you avoid mould and damp from the humidity

a Scandi colleague recommended Peko to me so that is what I have been looking at

@samosamo I have a Peko 1700, but it’s an older version.

Thank you all.

@BlackPuddingEggs just a quick one please- how many clothes does it hold?

Sorry, and how long does a wash from the machine take to dry? As in clothes that aren't dropping wet!

Thank you. This might v well be the thing for me, but they do look expensive!!

I would say it takes a full load - there are thirty arms and each one can take a tee shirt for example.

The drying time varies on item. I usually use automatic program. With a bunch of tee shirts it probably runs about an hour. Depending on how I have arranged them they may need turning round and a second run (which is shorter). Sports kit is quicker. Shirts on hangers also dry well.

Things like jeans take ages and I would use the tumble drier for them and towels - although may finish them in the peko.

The less you put in the faster they dry within reason - more space for air.

My DH is doing a DIY version of one of these for my new kitchen. Basically extending the under floor heating and extractor fan into an understairs cupboard with some rails for hanging stuff on. Can't wait.

We had one as children in the 70s it was called a Flatley.
Why not look at electric airers from Lakeland? Or a dehumidifier?
My DD uses one and her clothes dry really quickly on a clothes horse next to a radiator with the dehumidifier on. The house doesn’t fill up with condensation and the clothes dont shrink.

@newcarcoming

How much are they? We are converting our garage into a utility room, we live near the beach so have wet suits etc to dry.

Don’t think they would be a good thing for wetsuits? Aren’t you supposed to keep them away from heat? Was always told it’s not good for them to be in a hot car etc!