any tips for drying clothes without using a tumble

broodylass_2

I'm desperately trying to not use the tumble drier but I just can't seem to keep on top of all the washing while trying to dry clothes outside. There's 5 of us so there always seems to be loads of washing to do including a load of cloth nappies every other day.

Is there any tips for better drying methods?

Is a single wire line better than a rotary line? Or is it easier to use airers so you can drag them back in quickly if it rains?

I feel like I'm spending all my time keeping an eye on the weather only to have tons of wet washing to dry at the end of the day anyway!

Seriously any tips would be appreciated, thank you.

melb

I just put mine on the clothes horse in front of the radiator and put underwear on the radiator. obviously that means having the heating on but we have it on anyway morning and evening. Not ideal but i don't like using the tumble dryer as everything comes out creased (it's very old)

valk_scot

I dry all the small stuff like undies and socks on radiator racks, we've each got one in our bedrooms and stuff gets sorted directly onto them. The radiators aren't actually on in the bedrooms but small items still dry quickly if in a single layer. I've also got a rack on the radiator in the dining/living room, that does get warm and I dry teatowels etc on that.

I dry t-shirts, blouses and shirts on hangers in the airing cupboard or on an airer in the dining/living room.

Towels and bedding do go out on the line, I have two single lines that run somewhat awkwardly over the veg beds but that's enough, things do dry on single lines better I think as the breeze can get both sides of the items. If it rains I don't go mad running in and out the house taking them down, a final rinse never hurt anything! It usually only takes a couple of hours to get them to the damp side of dry even atm though so then I do bring them in and drape them on the dining room chair backs overnight, just to air off.

There's four of us here btw, no nappies but a shed load of sports kit every week to wash. I do one load a day and a load each of towels and bedding extra per week, these last two I try to do when the weather forecast is dry-ish. I can dry a full load indoors if need be on the radiators, in the airing cupboard and a fold-out airer. I don't have a condensation problem in the house though and I'm very careful to open the living room windows a crack at top and bottom overnight, to get good air circulation. But I can utterly recommend the radiator racks for the small stuff and I think they'd be ideal for keeping abreast of the nappy supply.

Mrs_Arcanum

Some people use the heated airers which are very economical to run.

I just hang shirts etc on hangars from an ironing stand and jeans/trousers on radiator airers. Everything else goes on a standard collapsible airer.

If the weather is really bad for an extended time I might take bedding to the launderette to dry (that way I know exactly how much it is costing and they are bigger and use gas so more is dried for less cost)

Pink.

These threads have lots of advice that should help:

Any suggestions for drying washing indoors

Drying washing outside

I'll add your thread to the first link later to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

life_unexpected_2

I have an extendable airer that I use an put shirts on hangers on dado rail above radiators. I try and do at least a load a day but OH and kids are useless at putting stuff into basket until they have accumulated a mountain of it.

UnluckyT

im fortunate as im in a 1st floor flat (only 2 floors,ground and 1st) with a balcony plus own garden so if necessary i put my rotary line down the garden when it not wet.
ive rigged a line on balcony so have a longish line and a shortish bit and i can put the worst of it on their with my smalls on radiator airers.
the freestanding airers ive used are pretty good too.

ZsaZsa

A heated airer and a dehumidifier for us (we have to have the dehumidifier anyway as our house gets a bit damp in the cold weather). JUst use the tumble drier to finish towels off or in emergency

Justamum

I have a similar problem. I've had to use the dryer a heck of a lot this year because the weather was so awful. I don't have space for wet washing to be draped everywhere in the house - and don't want it there anyway. I'm going to buy one of these on payday http://www.rotaire.com/

Seakay

I use a dehumidifier when I can't get out to dry and want to keep the windows closed - when not too cold but raining out I put wet washing on airers in spare bedroom and have the window open - I use a desiccant dehumidifier becaue it operates at low temperatures and is cheap to run

Greenqueen_2

My solution is an indoor retractable rack. it has four lines and is permanently fitted across my integral garage from wall to wall. The combi boiler is also in there so it gets a little heat and ventilation. The only problem is that the largest towels or sheets are not compatible with the car!