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Show us your airing cupboard/hot press

(79 Posts)
Sago Mon 24-Nov-25 10:22:01

In the very many houses I have lived in only a few have had an airing cupboard or hot press if you’re Irish or Scottish.

I love mine and don’t know how I managed without.

It’s relatively tidy because we have only lived here a few months!

Show us yours or is it something you fell is unnecessary?

Wyllow3 Mon 24-Nov-25 23:37:23

I don.t have one or nor is there space.

But if I did it would look like GG13's!

I dp need more storage tho in the front bedroom which has space.

RosesandLilac Tue 25-Nov-25 06:39:34

Well, I spent some time yesterday evening sorting my bedding into pillowcases, it’s looking somewhat tidier. I clearly have far too many sets 🫣. I will do the towels today, not that I intend to get rid of any!

Sago Tue 25-Nov-25 09:59:15

RosesandLilac

Well, I spent some time yesterday evening sorting my bedding into pillowcases, it’s looking somewhat tidier. I clearly have far too many sets 🫣. I will do the towels today, not that I intend to get rid of any!

Good for you, I bet it feels great now it’s done!

Allira Tue 25-Nov-25 10:09:07

RosesandLilac

Well, I spent some time yesterday evening sorting my bedding into pillowcases, it’s looking somewhat tidier. I clearly have far too many sets 🫣. I will do the towels today, not that I intend to get rid of any!

I didn't.
😁

GrannyGravy13 Tue 25-Nov-25 10:21:40

Just sorted out my airing cupboard, one bag for the bin, one bag for charity

After photo

Usedtobeblonde Tue 25-Nov-25 10:24:37

I was very impressed and envious by the airing cupboard in my D’s house when she moved in.
It is a long but narrow space on the landing between the bathroom and a bedroom.
The cylinder is at the back with shelves over and then at the front there is so much space but as it is narrow it has to well to one side so as to reach the linen.
It houses a stick vacuum cleaner for upstairs, a used linen basket , spare loo rolls and other small but essential stuff.

Sago Tue 25-Nov-25 11:33:21

GrannyGravy13

Just sorted out my airing cupboard, one bag for the bin, one bag for charity

After photo

Well done GG 👏👏👏👏👏👏.

Bet it feels great!

SpringsEternal Tue 25-Nov-25 13:44:11

Oh! I DO miss an airing cupboard!

Nell82 Tue 25-Nov-25 13:59:16

Three random thoughts triggered by this thread:

Our copper hot water tank had to be replaced a few years ago. I asked the plumber to leave it and sold it to our local scrap metal dealers for £60.

I wish plumbers would bring their own old towels to mop up any leaks they create. I suppose
they save on laundry costs by using mine.

It's time I got out of this armchair and tackled some housework ...

GrannyBear Tue 25-Nov-25 14:13:45

Definitely called a “hot press” in my home in Ireland. My mother was obsessed with airing everything before it was worn, no matter how hot and sunny the day when the washing was hung outside.
I remember when my son was a baby and we went to stay with Mum and Dad … my Dad fetched a pile of (bone dry) nappies from the line and was about to hand them to me when my Mum intercepted the pile saying they had to be aired before going back on the baby. My Dad retorted “that’s nonsense Molly, sure the child is just going to wet them again”!

FindingNemo15 Tue 25-Nov-25 14:49:45

RoseandLilac. You prompted me to tidy my bedding.

Here goes... Duvet covers: King x 4, Double x 8 and pillowcases x 38! I live alone and never have any visitors.

Next job - the towels.

cc Tue 25-Nov-25 14:55:32

Allira

I'm not showing you a picture 😁 but yes, it's invaluable.
It has a hanging rail too, for airing clothes that shouldn't be folded.

When we were upgrading the central heating, we decided to have a system boiler and hot water tank because we use the airing cupboard. On reflection, I suppose we could have opted for a combi boiler and to have a radiator put in the cupboard but it's done now.

Our cupboard also just has a very well insulated hot tank in it (the heating source is elsewhere) and it’s enough to keep it very warm. In fact it’s so warm that we now use it for drying clothes rather than as an airing cupboard!

LittlebrookLyn Tue 25-Nov-25 15:11:36

I have a walk in airing cupboard, I try to keep it neat and tidy and I keep so many things in it, from pet food to coats, shoes, towels, vacuum cleaner and anything else that I don't want on show!

Siptree Tue 25-Nov-25 15:13:55

Since we had a new combi boiler a few years ago my airing cupboard is not really an airing cupboard. I have quite a big utility room so everything gets ironed and well aired on drying racks there. I do keep the towels and extra bedding for spare room and Christmas table ware in the airing cupboard. Spare bedding in other rooms in drawers of divans. The bottom half of the airing cupboard has a large stash of wool and a small chest with years of photos and albums from pre digital days.

DamaskRose Tue 25-Nov-25 15:16:54

I love my hot press (Irish), it was one of things that persuaded me to buy the house (there were a lot of things to put me off but they’ve all been rectified) and I’m going to try the idea of putting things in pillow cases.

Barbadosbelle Tue 25-Nov-25 15:20:10

.

Is it an Airing Cupboard without a Hot Water Tank in it, or is it just a linen cupboard?!
.

twinnytwin Tue 25-Nov-25 15:36:51

I absolutely love my airing cupboard! It's big enough to house the hot water tank and my clothes dryer, so I rarely have to use my tumble dryer as clothes dry overnight. Then there's a large shelf over the tank and dryer with all my linen one end and ironing being aired over the other. Then there's another large shelf above that with random storage (beach towels, table clothes and such like) and lots of toilet rolls and boxes of tissues that we buy in bulk. I don't know what I'd do without it.

Sago Tue 25-Nov-25 16:06:33

Barbadosbelle

.

Is it an Airing Cupboard without a Hot Water Tank in it, or is it just a linen cupboard?!
.

Mine doesn’t have a cylinder but has a radiator instead.
It’s very effective.

granto3 Tue 25-Nov-25 16:07:09

Did someone mention ironing divet sets? Why iron them when they only get crumpled and creased when you sleep in them. Against all rules of humanity! Mind you, my late dear partner always insisted on ironing the pillow cases and the divet cover (facing side only)...... just in case someone saw them. I'm not sure who exactly was going to see our bed apart from the 2 of us, unless.................he knew something I didn't!

NotSpaghetti Tue 25-Nov-25 17:01:46

My huge (Scottish) linen press houses only board games and some craft materials (mainly in the drawers).

The actual linen lives in an old school cupboard!

Shel1951 Tue 25-Nov-25 17:05:57

I'm too ashamed to show you, too much piled in owing to my addiction to duvet covers from online sites, then The bedding to match them, watched the clutterbug on YouTube and decided I must declutter my hotpress, just when now is the question

Madmeg Tue 25-Nov-25 20:26:26

My combi boiler means no cylinder so the cupboard it was in was divided between two rooms which are used for toiletries on one side and photo albums on the other. The (v narrow) bedroom it was in became our en-suite but would have been unnecessarily big so we created a v.large cupboard opening onto the landing for bedding and other linens. However, it now houses the artifical Christmas Tree on the top shelf and junk on the floor, with three decent shelves for bedlinen etc, toilet rolls etc.

We have a large airing rack in the utility room downstairs but it is a tad cramped.

Missiseff Tue 25-Nov-25 21:47:57

It was a mess until I bought these storage bags

FranP Tue 25-Nov-25 21:58:11

I sorted mine recently, and I have a pile of pillow cases containing 2 sheets and another pillow case, but still sorting the duvets to determine which ones fit which cover.
Towels are all in neat piles, but given my cupboard is deeper than wide, I keep facecloths behind the hand towels so even after 53 years of doing so, DH cannot find them and complains that it is untidy!

grannybuy Tue 25-Nov-25 23:04:25

Growing up in a tenement in Scotland, the press was a cupboard, built in. We had one in the tiny ‘entrance ‘ lobby, and one in the kitchen/living room/ parents’ bed recess - all in the one room. Open plan isn’t new! The one in the kitchen held all kitchen related stuff, and the one in the lobby had the ironing board, bed linen, towels, coats and shoes. They weren’t very deep. We had very little ‘ stuff ‘ compared to today. There were no other built in cupboards or wardrobes. Neither of our presses were ‘ hot ‘ presses, as we had no hot tanks. All hot water came from a boiled kettle.