Where to dry wet clothes?

We have a very small garden and DH refuses to have washing hanging over his, to be honest, beautiful plants. The garden is a picture all the year round so I use a tumble dryer for most of my wash and anything, delicates or things that will shrink, hang over the Aga and dry beautifully. T-shirts I hang on hangers above the Aga and I have a plastic hanger with clips that I got from Lakeland which is excellent for bras and knickers.

I do our laundry in the sink or bath every morning as I've no washing machine, & use my spindryer in winter. Out on the line to dry as much as possible, then on an airer in the kitchen overnight, (no central heating either), I have to admit in particularly wet weather towels and bedding hang around slightly damp for a couple of days.

Outside if possible, like others love the fresh smell. If wet, tumble drier for things that can tumble. For those that can't concertina airer on landing.... warm air rises so dries quickly. Also if , like ours, you have a suitable banister that you can fit a caravan airer on, that is brilliant. The clothes hang over the deepest drop of the stairs and dry really quickly.

If I had space for a tumble dryer, I would have one like a shot. I just can't face the disruption of having the kitchen extended though, which is the only answer.

We have an old gas boiler which sits in a cupboard, with one outside wall. DH has rigged up part of a drier, above the boiler. It's 4' long x 3' wide about 3' above the old boiler. Excuse me I meant the gas boiler.

Blankets/towels are draped onto an ironing board- in the same cupboard. I use the tumble dryer about 3-4 times a year.

After subsequent discussions and research we'll probably settle for a combination tumble dryer. Can't help wondering which is the most cost effective? Our old gas boiler or a larger, newer T dryer

How big is your boiler cupboard?! And how old is the boiler? Is it still legal?!!!

We have a lovely little cupboard in our bungalow which has a hanging rail and a small radiator. I spin things out as much as possible then put them in this cupboard which we call 'under the stairs" I think all homes should have some form of drying room as such a facility is indispensable.

My DD has a little cupboard like that littleowl. Unfortunately it opens from the bathroom and is the only cupboard she has in her tiny house to use as a linen cupboard. The folded linen eats into the hanging space, so she only uses the rail in an emergency. Otherwise she has a clothes area standing in the kitchen. Nowhere else to put it

I hang washing outside in the winter even though I know it probably won't dry. I have a rotary clothes dryer which I hate - I miss my long clothes line which Used to stretch the full length of my old garden. We have a large walk in airing cupboard so anything that is not dry gets put in there on a airer overnight. I hate washing draped over radiators. There's no point in trying to warm a house then covering the rads it's wet washing. I haven't used my tumble dryer for about four years, but it certainly kept the towels soft.

Radiators and a Lakeland heated dryer, the latter sometimes used overnight.

We have a "Hangaway" from Lakeland - looks like a mini rotary-dryer (without the lines) and takes a load of hangers on its three arms. It's brilliant. Use it in the bathroom in the winter. It folds away when not in use and is kept in a wardrobe. Anything that can go on a hanger goes on there. Smaller stuff on an airer in spare room, or on mini airers on certain radiators. Polycotton bedding goes outside at any time of year (when it's not raining) and it can be aired over the banister! We have tumble dryer in the garage and use it sparingly - mostly for towels, which it "fluffs up" beautifully.

I have a large airing cupboard and I hang things up with coat hangers on the slats. Socks and light underwear on a 99p peg thing from the 99p shop. Towels and sheets in the door ways I upstairs. I do regret when i can no longer put things on the line however.

I was given one of those Hangaway things, but smaller, I think it was for after ironing, but didn't get on with it, so gave it to a charity shop, maybe I should have persevered. We also have three airers, one A frame, one really old wooden concertina type, and a Minky one that also concertinas, but with a big flat top to it. The one I like best is my old wooden one. I covered all the rails, rungs? with a sort of gaffer tape, and so get no staining from the wood. The biggest radiators are pressed into use at times, but does tend to have a look like of a "chinese" laundry. I do prefer to dry things outside as everything then smells so lovely. If I had the time and also the inclination, I would have fresh bedding every day, just for the smell of outdoors. I remember Mum drying things outside in the winter and then they would come indoors and stand up on their own, especially grandad's long johns. . We had a TD but took it to the tip earlier this year, as I hadn't used it for so long. The empty cupboard was put to good use with the shelf replaced, and now houses all my electrical bits and pieces, mixer, blender, grill, slow cooker, can opener etc etc. Before we had a new boiler, the old one used to be great downstairs, in a cupboard, for airing things, and keeping coats warm and toasty, but now the boiler is upstairs in the airing cupboard, and gives off very little warmth, as well as reducing the amount of usable space.

Outside whenever possible then on a pulley over the Raeburn cooker in the kitchen - dry in no time then fold and smooth what I can and put them on top of the Raeburn - ironing done!

Outside when possible. Otherwise the washing goes on an airer in the utility room until almost dry, then I finish it off in the tumble drier. Only needs 5 minutes or so, it makes everything softer and shakes out the creases, so what I spend on the drier I save on the ironing!

Towels in my house go in the tumble dryer as neither hubs or I like them hard. I drape the shirts etc over a clothes horse in the kitchen or lean to. They dry eventually but look untidy.

I try to dry out side, but if that not possible, I put an Airer up in the living room and drape clothes overnight. They are dry by morning, which might explain my wrinkles.

Leah I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you survive the winters with no central heating!?

Our machine is both washer and condenser dryer, but we never use the dryer function - for several reasons. It is a bit of a pain because you have to remove half of the washing for the tumble dryer to work.

The other main reason is because they are a fire risk. Ours once caught fire - luckily it was in a utility room that was next to the house; and our next door neighbour here had hers catch fire.

Google "tumble dryers and fires."

I know a bit off thread but our dish washer went on fire, we were alerted by smoke alarm. Never leave any appliances on during the night.

My gran always had a pulley. It was great, often wished I had it now. As a child I would visit my grans next door neighbour a lovely lady in her 90s she always used a contraption I think it was called a wringer. Her sheets came through lovely and smooth. I used to wind the handle and thought it was great fun!

cherry were those not called "mangles"? We used to feed the sheets through these two tightly spaced rollers, even as little children. No health and safety rules back then, you were shown once and had to pay attention under granny's watchful eye.

I dry washing outside if at all possible, apart from the weekly 'sock wash'. It takes forever to hang then out, then it rains and they have to come back in again! They go in there tumble drier. Once things are ironed I put them in the conservatory on a wooden clothes horse to air before they are put away.

My friend's theory is that a lot of items dried in the tumble drier don't need ironing. Not ironing saves on electricity
I dry some in the tumble drier (I prefer towels when they have been bashed around in the tumble drier). If I'm organised I put a load or two on the night before, if they go out on the line first thing and it is sunny and/or blowing then it has a good chance of drying.
If not, we have an airing rack which sits on the landing, the warm air rising upstairs dries it well.

This is all very useful

I usually dry our washing in the conservatory but there is no heating in there and so it's drying too slowly and ends up with a whiff of damp which defeats the object really. I will follow some of your suggestions thank you

I used to dry out of doors until I began stumbling when raising both arms on my sloping lawn. After reading this thread I think I'll either get the lawn levelled or at least a line across the flatter bit!