Help me with my ceiling clothes maiden!

[millefeuille2]

I am getting a ceiling clothes maiden, pulley maid, whatever you want to call it, in the utility room. I'm very excited. However, I'm very new to this and need some guidance please. Please could someone who's got one help me out?

1. What's the ideal length? Utility is 2.2m x 1.7m. Will 1.2m be enough?

1. We've decided to go for a wooden one rather than the ubiquitous Lakeland extendable metal one (which apparently bows easily). Good choice?

1. Anything else?

Thank you in advance!

We have a wooden one and it's great. I love it.

Pretty sure ours is only about 1.2m too, or not muh more.

I have a wooden one. No idea how long it is but it is my favourite thing in my house! It is invaluable for drying clothes in the winter.

I'd go for the largest one that you can fit though - because its kept on the ceiling when not used, it doesn't feel like it intrudes into the room space

Wooden are brilliant we use it all winter and it's invaluable

The longer the better, but you don't want it hanging over a doorway unless your ceiling is very high. I have a sock hanger that dangles from it too which creates more space. Ours is about 12 years old and still going strong, although we had to replace the rope after about 8 years

Thanks everyone. My husband was initially concerned about the wood rotting but that won't happen right?

Do you have an extra pulley? The shops seem keen to sell one. And do you have extra long 15m rope or the standard 10m?

We hung ours above the stairs because that maximises use of the fact warm air rises.

It's an Edwardian house so the ceiling is high. Though I imagine once the sheets are up (I only intend to use it for sheets, as I have a separate airer for clothes) the sheets will dangling in my face.

We've had ours about 10 years, approx 1.2 m with 6 bars. Longer would be unwieldy.

I love mine. It's white plastic which sounds naff but goes with the 'My Beautiful Laundrette' themed utility room 😁

Had it 15 years and it hasn't bowed yet. Only one pulley. Biggest size that would fit as it's always out of the way.

I have a wooden one and it's long, and I have to make sure the door is properly open or it gets hung up on the top of the door.

Make sure the cleat isn't too low down the wall if it's somewhere people might walk under - ours is quite high, right at my head level which is good, but the one at a holiday place we stayed at was too low and i kept walking into the rope.

I also have a sock octopus for smaller things, and hang shirts on hangars sideways from the little holes in the metal brackets. I am really anal about hanging stuff really neatly so they dry flat and I don't have to iron!

Ah I was gonna go for 4 bars. And in terms of the shape, I was thinking the dowel shaped ones rather than the flatter bars, so there's more space between the two sides of a sheet when the sheet drapes, if you see what I mean?

I think you only need the extra long rope if the airer is a long way from the side wall where the rope cleat will be. Which sounds unlikely given your utility room size (much the same as mine).

I love my airer. Wood does not rot. It’s 1.2m not sure of the width but has 5 bars.

However- it doesn’t take a full load or anywhere near. I tend to use it for stuff that doesn’t tumble dry well. I do have an 11kg machine so large loads, but I don’t think it would even take three quarters of a load. If you want it to hold a full load I would try to get a bigger one, or reckon on using another airer as well (wall one or floor one).

Good tip re cleat!

And oh yes it's only for sheets, I wouldn't expect it to take a full load. I have a floor airer too.

Ours has been here probably since 2003 when the utility was put in, and the bars are as good as new - no rot.

I do need to put WD40 on the pulleys now as they are getting a bit squeaky but the ceilings are so high in that room I can't reach so I've been squeaking away merrily.

If you haven't already then do double check where your ceiling joists are, as that may affect the placement and length you can get. And, obviously check you can get the cleat in the right place. The length of the rope depends on how high you ceiling is! I would get the longest bars you can fit without walking into the washing.

I'd go for as long as possible.at least 6 feet. 4 feet is very short.
You can always trim one bar if there is a unit in the way.
The wood doesn't rot but it will gradually get grey stains so you might want to apply varnish before you use it.

They are really heavy so make sure all your fixings including the anchor point are up to the job.

Mine does take a full load but I have a very long thin utility room which fits a long thin 4 bar pulley maid, plus the extra hanging things with pegs for socks and pants. Have the flatter bars and don't really notice a difference in speed of drying, it's more where I haven't spread something out enough or it's a double layer like a duvet cover.

My builder is going to create a dropped ceiling, and attach battens to the joists, and then the maid to the battens. So should be well supported.

Have you considered a foxy dry? I have the large one it's amazing.

Flatter should be fine actually, as I've just realised the floor airer is a standard metal one and the bars are very thin, yet clothes dry fine.

Foxydry Air, Ceiling clothes drying rack, ceiling clothesline, electrical drying rack, with remote control in aluminium and steel (150) amzn.eu/25CgQPt

I've seen foxy dries, thank you for the suggestion. I just can't aesthetically, I'm really sorry!

@Xiaoxiong did you varnish your bars?