Does anyone have a rotary washing line cover that goes over washing when it rains to keep drying it outside?

[BewareTheBeardedDragon]

Just wondering if this might be a good idea to maximise the days when I can dry outside and avoid the tumble dryer. Does anyone have one, or something similar and could tell me if they actually work?

I know a few people who just use a cheap gazebo

The cover doesn't look big/wide enough to be effective, I think if there was any sort of breeze the rain would blow onto the laundry.

In my mind I've got a better invention than that. One that will cover clothes when the sensor feels rain or can be done remotely.

Yes - I wonder how it would cope with wind. It's usually windy in the winter isn't it?

A gazebo would be too visually disturbing in my small garden.

Rain sensor device sounds great - please invent it 😃

I sometimes try and invent one in my head too.
Glad I'm not alone.
Dragons Den here we come. I wish.

There definitely already one of those on Dragons Den!

I'll try to find a link

Not quite the same but when we moved in to this house it had an awning off the back wall so we put up a wall mounted clothes airer underneath it and everything dries fine

Will it actually dry if it’s raining though? The water needs to evaporate into the air which it can’t do if humidity is already 100% or near it.

I don't know, but I think that the idea is not to put out clothes on a day of non stop heavy rain, but to enable you to make the most of sunshine even when showers are predicted. In UK weather there are lots of days when it's mainly fine but there are a few rain showers so normally I can't hang up on those days even though there was lots of drying weather. I think...

Not sure how humid it gets on those kinds of days?

I'm now pondering an improved version and have found some breathable waterproof fabric to have a go at making something myself. I'm handy with a sewing machine. 🤞🤣

Apparently (according to professor Google) washing will dry at 70% humidity and below. Useful fact!

My uncle built his wife a car port so she could dry washing outside all year round. True love right there.

I so much wish I had space for a car port 😻

It's not perfect but I pull my Ikea gazebo (pic attached) over mine it's the best thing I've found.

I was thinking along similar lines too last week OP regarding winter drying without using the tumble drier. I did wonder if something like this might work? It obviously wouldn't work for washing on a rotary line but I reckon you could get at least one airer in there, it's 'pop up' so quick to go up and wouldn't take up any room when packed away (assuming you can twist it correctly to get it back in the bag!)

I'm still at the 'mulling it over' stage at the mo.

I have a car port which I hang washing under - if it is even remotely damp/drizzly things don’t dry under there!

Oh no @oreosoreosoreos - do they get dry enough that they need less tumbling though?

We used to have a hard roof over some of the decking. My Mum badgered my Dad into putting up a zig zag washing line on a pulley. He did it on the understanding it was used when he was at work & never at the weekend 🙄. I think it might be one reason he delayed his retirement 🤣🤣

mine just stays out, gets rained on & either dries or gets shoved on an indoor airer.

Probably only for a couple of months over summer, in winter there’s really no point as they dry so slowly that they end up smelling funny and have to be re-washed! 🙄

I think the thing that’s better about a proper washing line is that items are properly secured to the line with pegs, so on a windy day even if it’s not that warm things dry, whereas under the car port it’s more sheltered, and I have to hang things up on hangers, so on a windy day they just fall off!

Thanks @oreosoreosoreos that gives me hope!
Sadly, the amount of washing my family of 5 create indoor airers are not an option. Also my house is prone to damp which gives my dd allergic reactions so drying indoors other than tumbling just isn't practical for us.

It's a real pain tbh. I used to live in a Victorian terrace with no garden and two huge pulley maids in the crazy high ceiling space above the stairs. It was never damp and the washing dried perfectly year round. Now I'm in a 60s build with big garden and I have drying problems 🙄🙄🙄

Small garden actually. Big in relation to the previous place with none at all.

We had one called the rotaire, unfortunately I don't think the company exists anymore. It was like the chimney sheep but held up better and had sided which were weighted. Probably would have another if they still did them. Our line though is in the wrong spot in the garden and would have been great elsewhere. The company were on Dragons Den too. It's a shame as I would like another one 😃

I can't do links but have a look at Lennon Lines on the internet. When you find it, open it, and scroll well down and you will see the options available.
Might work for you @BewareTheBeardedDragon

I find this works fine and it’s cheap

There was a great one called rotaire dryline. It was big covered your washing , has a little central pole to lift it up. Weighted netting on the side to keep the rain out.
A guy named Malcolm Victory made it, I think. Unfortunately, he stopped. I think there was maybe some difficulty with the fabric. Someone else should take it over and start producing again...