How do you air your clothes with no airing cupboard?

Olliebeak

The things I struggle with the most are duvet covers, bath sheets and jeans. These tend to go over my bannister on the landing - a kingsize duvet cover fits perfectly on there.

Also put the towels there when I've come out of the shower - they dry in no time to go back in the bathroom again.

hermoine_2

It can be so difficult when you do not have much room, I do have an airing cupboard but it is very small, I do have a garden but line space is limited and we have no where to easily put an airer, I do use it in the winter but we have to move it from room to room.. When we need the dining room it goes to the kitchen or front room for a while then moves back - it is a pain - but def not going back to tumble drying!

H

dobbie82

My aunty thought I was nuts for putting my beadspread over the seats in the car to air, figured it git really hot in the sun even though it wasnt so hot outside.. it worked lol

I use the hanging over chair the night before wearing method at mo, but i do have one storage heater on

prowla

Why would something need airing after it's been outside on a clothes line - isn't there enough air outside?

Bitsy_Beans

If stuff isn't dry after being on the line then it's hung on the clothes horse til it is dry. I don't have space for a tumble drier but I find the only thing that takes a couple of days to dry are jeans and towels. Most other things if left on a clothes horse dry overnight in our house as long as stuff isn't piled on top of each other.
I can only assume OP is referring to finishing stuff off it it's a little bit damp when bringing in from outside. My mum uses her airing cupboard like this. I have one too but it doesn't seem to be as warm as hers.........

charliee_3

thanks for all the replies... i find that yes, when its been nice and sunny then the clothes are dry enough to wear, but those days are not that frequent really and on other days when its niceish, the clothes are dryish but i wouldnt wear them and i certainly wouldnt put them on my son.. i used to just fold them up and bung them in the airing cupboard and a day or so later they woudl be 100% dry and warm and snug. Im not a natural housewife and i'm really not that organised when it comes to laundry, i seem to have so much of it all the time the house is overrun with clothes at different stages and there is not really anywhere i could keep a clothes horse up all the time and i dont even have a bannister i can use anymore as there is no landing as such... i need to try and find a new routine as at the moment all the clothes that have come off the line are on the table in the lounge and im not sure what to do wth them (please dont say iron them... i just hate it id never do anything else the amount we seem to have). they dont feel wet but they feel cold and i am sure my mum woudl tell me not to wear them as they were 'damp'... she came over the other day and did a load of washing for me and is also at a loss as to how to finish them off as she has always had a warm airing cupboard (also a big warm landing with a clohes horse on) so she cant really suggest anything either... i just want this house to be nice as its our first owned home and the lounge looks lovely, but it wont if its constantly full of piled up clothes and clothes horses.. and ditto with our bedroom, plus neither room is exactly huge and we already have a garage full of stuff that wont fit in here (its smaller than our old rental house), but thats another story...
sigh...

mark13

Did someone say summer, we havent been able to put clothes outside for the last few weeks because of the unpredicatable downpours !!! Roll on summer

Reverbe

charliee can't you just wash things in advance ie not wash something the day before you want to wear it??Then it shoudl be sufficient to line dry or clothes horse dry.

If they are not wet they are ok and dont need any finishing off. I have never heard of that before. Of course they will be coldish as that is what being outside in the wind does but unless you are putting things on straight from the wash that shouldnt be an issue, they should be warm enough to wear the next day or later.I think your mum is just being overly finicky here and worrying you about something unnecessary which could mean extra time, effort and wasted use of energy.

ebonylight

Ironing things just before you wear them makes them warm and will dry them out if there's any moisture in there. Just need to get into a routine.

I never get chance to hang anything outside so there's permanently a clothes horse near a window in my room! Leave the window on the sneck to let enough wind in to air the clothes then don't worry about them. Even better if it's a south facing window so the sun will warm them!

Plus if you use a good dose of fabric conditioner then the "sicky smell" will disappear.

I think the best suggestion so far as the cupboard goes is put a small radiator in there - but check the wattage or it'll eat the electric.

shelovestobuystuff

My OH made me an airing cupboard.Used a big pine bedroom wardbrobe,cut panel out of back,put it against wall on landing with radiator so raditor is now inside cupboard.He put wooden slats inside for me.You could have half slats and a hanging rail instead.Dont know if its okay to have the radiator inside like this but it seems to work.Keeps everything fresh.