Where to dry wet clothes?

My mum used to use the greenhouse in the winter! It worked quite well!

I use the tumble drier for big things like duvet covers if I can't get them outside, otherwise it's airers in the spare bedroom, with a dehumidifier going. The dehumidifier is great, keeps the room from getting damp and mouldy, and really speeds up the drying. Cheaper to run than the tumble drier too!

I have an old fashioned wooden airer hanging from beam above woodburner....perfect for drying laundry. I don't have central heating so no radiators to put wet clothes on.

As an asthmatic I am very conscious of damp in house ( leads to growth of allergens eg mould). Thankfully I have a south facing back garden so will always try to get wash out into sun ... apart from heat of sun being good drying the UV rays kill bugs etc. Some partly dry items are ready for ironing. Other more stubborn items might go for a short blast in tumbler. I make great use of two circular peg hangers from Ikea. These take all 'smalls' and I move to utility room where they linger for another while if not fully dry.

I also run a dehumidifier in the house thru the winter. I am never too sure of the best location for same. At the moment it is sited on the half landing. It certainly keeps unheated bedroom windows free of condensation. Banisters are where we hang large bathroom towels between uses.

Many of the above ideas have surprised me.

Firstly, as many have said, I can't see what's wrong with drying your washing over radiators in the house. We used to have water containers on all radiators to prevent the air getting dry during the heating period - that was when we lived in a flat. An alternative method was to drape wet towels over them. Especially for babies and children with croup or asthma.

Nowadays we live in a house and have a wood-burning fire, which doesn't dehydrate the air so much, and hardly have the radiators on at all, anyway. I stand the washing on clothes horses in front of the fire when we go to bed, to use the remainder of the heat while the fire is dying down. Most of it is dry by the morning. (As I live in Germany, the only dryers available are the "German" sort, mentioned above)

I was also surprised to read that people are starting to dry the washing in the tumble dryer, then removing it to "finish" drying. If I did dry things in a combination of ways, then the other way round would seem the obvious way to me - hang it out first on the line, or on drying racks indoors if it's raining until only slightly damp and then finish it off in the tumble dryer to fluff it up.

Only towels, flannels and undies go in the dryer in our house, and they are dried from start to finish in there. Taking them in hand yet another time to hang them up seems too much work!

Also I consider the tumbler an alternative to ironing. In the dryer and then iron? again: too much work!

But, where possible, out in the garden is the best!

I have a sensor condenser dryer which stops when clothes are dry so no unnecessary power is used. It's also plumbed into the sink drain so all extracted water is fed outside. It's an A rated machine and costs about £1pw (app 4 loads)
People think drying clothes on radiators is free heat but it's not. Energy has to be used to convert water into water vapour so your heating isn't as efficient/house gets colder so you can end up running heating longer to compensate. All that condensation in the air can lead to mould if not addressed effectively.
I've used a dryer since parents bought us one in 1980 when ds was born. Couldn't be without it.

I just had a surveyor round, they know all about damp washing. Biggest cause of damp indoors is washing being dried without any ventilation. Old houses being sealed off from outside, chimneys closed up, double glazing, means that you're bound to get condensation if adding loads of water to the air. So open a window, especially if you run a tumble drier that doesn't vent to outside.

No idea of the stats but tumble driers probably add a good chunk to climate change - they need a lot of electricity. It's not just the cost on your bill, it's the often unnecessary use of fossil fuels. If you have a garden, use it - even in cold weather it is the obvious way to evaporate water off clothes.
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There's no competition. Use your tumble dryer! I am like you, just two of us at home so only about four washes a week depending on bedding requirements. The cost is minimal compared with the trouble of any other method. I took my washing line down years ago and have never looked back.
Another plus is that most items come out of the tumble dryer without creases so hang up or fold garments straight away and you will do very little ironing. This saves money too.
Get that tumble dryer out of the box right now, make your life easy.

if the humidity in the garden is 100% not much point in hanging out the washing !I hang it out when possible , then finish it off in the spare room on a clothes horse with the radiator on (only heats when the CH is on in the rest of the house obviously ) I don't put things directly on the radiators , my dryer gave up a few years ago and not intending to replace it

Just checked the tumble dryer ratings and it's not true that they use a lot of electricity. Some only cost around 13p an hour. Even if double that it's well worth it and you can save money not using your iron.
Spend your time doing what you want to do!

We are on a really good electricity tariff - between 10pm and 7am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday, we pay 20% less so I have no conscience about using my tumble dryer as I save the washing for just the two of us for Saturdays and the dishwasher goes on about three or four times a week during the qualifying times. It's called EDF 20/20 but I think it has been so successful for consumers who use it like me, that they do not offer it any more !!

If you have a garden, use it - even in cold weather it is the obvious way to evaporate water off clothes.
Pamish I looked outside this morning and the sun was shining and I thought if I get the washing out asap it will dry.
By the time the 1st load had finished it was raining.

Central heating does dry the air so I think occasionally having some washing drying on radiators might help prevent nasal passages drying up.

Dry in the garden and air in the conservatory works for me. Tumble only if desperate!

Kayteeb53 you must have better weather than us!

I don't care where the washing is as long as it's not in my conservatory - my haven!

Lol, ever an optimist, I hang it out regardless. My conservatory is heated by the sun (optimist you see) so can be cold - then I use the tumble dryer.

Lol, ever an optimist Yes, the is out here again would you believe

I use an airer and then put thick things like towels into tumble to finish them off to cupboard dry. Works for us.

How about one of those heated airers advertised by Lakeland they reckon they don't cost much to run, but I haven't done any sums!

I'm with you, LuckyFour. Tumble drier every time. What can't go in the drier, goes on a maiden in the conservatory which only needs a bit of sun to warm up quite quickly. Failing that, a couple of maidens huddled round the radiator in the dining room. I go swimming several times a week and the cozzie goes into a rinse and spin cycle and then goes on a hanger in the airing cupboard ready for the next day.

For those of you who don't use your tumble dryers: get a smart meter and you will see how relatively cheap they are to run.

I've never had a tumble dryer, but now I own a heated airer from Lakeland, so clothes go on there if raining, outside if not. I love the smell of clothes dried outside, especially towels and bedding. We live in a soft water area, so clothes are always beautifully soft.

I had a tumble dryer but I found I might use it once or twice in the Winter for towels so I gave it way I'd much rather dry it naturally and especially white washing which has had the sun on it seems to be brighter and even some stains disappear. Tumble dried laundry just doesn't have the freshly laundered smell, sorry, those of you that advocate the tumble dryer its fresh air drying for me every time.

I use an airer in the spare bedroom placed near the radiator which is under the window. I keep the window slightly open for a couple of hours after putting the washing on said airer and close it before the night sets in....usually dryish by the next morning otherwise it gets left there till I feel like doing the ironing !!

petra, your tumble drier must be much more modern than mine which i've had for 15 years as mine is by far the biggest user of electricity in the house, according to my smart meter. It's a condenser dryer if that makes any difference.

I have a heated clothes rail thingy I bought from Lakeland which works very well.

I might start towels and sheets off in the tumble dryer before using it, depending on how many there are.

I hang things over the airer, small things like socks go straight on to the radiator. When it's all nearly dry they get finished off in the tumble drier.
I am amazed people put wet washing into the tumbler- they are expensive to run.