Clothes Drying Advice please ?

I have one of those heated racks. I bought it from Amazon, its the same as the Lakeland one but was £30 cheaper! I didn't get the cover but I use a double duvet cover over it (opened up and dropped over) which works well. I did find it took longer to dry washing without the cover. I am the same as you Fannyno space, but it folds up flat to store and dries the washing in a few hours so its not about for long.

I’ve got all three options, I only use the tumble dryer for towels and sweatshirts occasionally. My Sheila Maid is in use in summer on wet days, but it causes condensation in the winter because the utility room is cold. The Lakeland airer is able to take two loads of washing at once, and as it also warms up the room it’s in, I put it in the dining area of my lounge and switch off the heating when it’s on. It’s never caused any problems with condensation.

I have seen the dryers in the Lakeland catalogue and they look good. Cheap to run too. I would feel more confident buying from them (as I often do) than getting a similar item from Amazon.

I tend to do washing on dry days to hang in the garden. In winter when the heating is on I have over the radiator hooks which work well. Dresses shirts and tops are shaken and put on hangers and by morning most is dry.
Also have an airer which I use in the spare bedroom near the radiator.

I'm posh!! I have a Sheila Maid in the utility room.

kittylester

I'm posh!! I have a Sheila Maid in the utility room.

I have a pulley in mine. ?

I havnt had a tumble dryer fir more than 45 years but bought one a couple of years ago. In that time have used it about 4 times. It’s tucked away in an eaves space so not something in view.

No room at all for a clotheshorse.I dry on the line whenever possible and maybe finish off with a few minutes in the tumble dryer….

kittylester

I'm posh!! I have a Sheila Maid in the utility room.

I always knew that Kitty!

I’ve just looked at the website, and they really are posh, especially the wrought iron ones.
Do I have odd aspirations? ?

3dognight

Yes Fanny nobody likes washing hanging all about the house, but it’s almost unavoidable in winter isn’t it?

For us I’m going to go back to what my Nana did in her back kitchen over her range- one of the wooden pulley ones that you load up with washing then hoist up to the ceiling. This will go up above my stove.

Functional, but not pretty!

I was thinking of doing that above the AGA which goes on in October but at a £1000 per 1000 litres at the moment with no price cap on oil mentioned. We have just been talking about continuing to use the plinth heaters for meals and the electric cooker.
A friend also told me if you dry clothes above the cooker you end up smelling as if you work in a Chip Shop!!!! Unfortunately, if it does not go on then we have to put radiators on upstairs as the house is linear and only one room wide. Our bedroom is above the kitchen and always cosy without radiators.
DD had had to put something in the tumbler the other day and my GD was shouting out as the numbers were changing on the meter all the time we were talking.

I had a Sheila Maid at my last house. Very useful. I now have a separate upstairs laundry room with a fixed hanging rail which is easier, less capacity but it doesn't involve stretching up and hauling up and down!

Unless the weather forecast is rain for days on end, I will try and save my laundry for a better day, so it can go outside.
Failing that, I’ve one of those X shaped clothes racks, which fits in my airing cupboard where the hot water tank is. I also have a small rack that fits on a radiator, which is perfect for small stuff.

We have a bedroom that gets sun all day Clothes horse in front of window.

Fanny it’s just the two of us in a flat. I have one of those Lakeland heated airers (without the cover). It’s wonderful for drying clothes I put shirts and t shirts on hangers and hang from the top row of rails or hang trousers over the rails. I very seldom put the heating element on. I put it us in our spare bathroom (when we’re not expecting visitors) and most things are dry enough overnight to be ironed the following day. I think it brilliant. Couldn’t be without it.

DD had a drying pod in her last home, she found it caused condensation and the clothes often smelt musty .

I've never used a tumble dryer. I think they age clothes much quicker than air drying.

Might look into a heated airer. I'll be economising on the heating this winter and don't want the house to get damp.

I bought my sheila maid with me, and have been toying with the idea of having it installed over the bath. Unfortunately I don't think the 'false ceiling' here (spotlights) will be strong enough.

My bloke has a pulley in the kitchen and his clothes do pick up cooking odours so not a solution for me.

Kalu

kittylester

I'm posh!! I have a Sheila Maid in the utility room.

I have a pulley in mine. ?

I have a boiler room which has a Sheila Maid in it and everything is dry next day. I don’t know where I’d be without it.

I bought my DD a drying rack and cover from Lakeland when it was on offer last year. She says it has saved her a fortune. I still use the spare bedroom and bathroom door frames to dry stuff on hangers. (Hot air rises, so they say) They dry overnight or in the day if I hang them up first thing. Whether that will work so well with the heating on lower, I don’t know.

Do you remember when fridge shelves were slatted metal plastic-coated racks? Years ago we found a larger version to dry clothes in a utility room display in Ikea. It is about 2 metres long, a metre wide and is attached high up the wall with brackets. It’s ideal for drying clothes on hangers. However it’s all too easy to make it into another wardrobe and pile stuff on it. As we have had a velux window installed above it, we’re trialling not using it to receive maximum light.
In a south-facing spare bedroom with the door open I use a fold out maiden (the kind often seen in Europe iykwim). Upon the radiator in there I clip shelves for any extra small items such as undies and socks.
Bedding is draped over the banister. My neighbours in identical houses do this too.
The tumble dryer is only used to fluff up towels when they’re almost dry.
Having washing around for a day doesn’t bother us. When the sun’s warmth diminishes and if the house isn’t warm enough we’d definitely consider a heated airier with a cover. I have heard many friends speak very highly of them.

Thank you all!
Especially GGravy for info about the pod. I definitely don’t want musty.
I’m thinking of getting this one now
www.lakeland.co.uk/25904/dry-soon-mini-3-tier-heated-airer

I dry washing ouside and concreted in the biggest rotary that I could find, so that I could have decent spacing between the rows. To dry efficiently I am in tandem with the weather forcast for the week, not just dry days but I factor in the humidity outside. If the day is going to be ok then I get my biggest longest wash on to be ready by around 7.30am, this wash is an eco cotton and takes 3 hours and I programme the machine to be ready by then

Naturally some things would not be fully dry on a winters day so next step is to put a large airer into my smallest bedroom and set a de-humidifier in there on a laundry setting. The most efficient way to dry

I used to have a lakeland heated airer and gave it away. I do not want humidity getting into the house. Not good

I have a heat pump tumble dryer, rarely need to use it

fanny. Mine is wrought iron. I have had it for 40 years though.

It’s tricky if you live in a flat, but I have outside space and will watch the weather forecast and put washing out all winter. I agree that tumble drying wears out clothing more quickly. I think we wash too frequently anyway. Years ago washing was more usually done weekly. Probably true of frequent showering too.
I’m not sure spending over £100 on a clothes heater/dryer would be cost effective for me.