How to prevent damp drying laundry indoors?

stargirl04

Hi, any advice would be appreciated.

I live in a small, top floor flat and don't like using my tumble dryer for clothes as a) it costs more and b) I've had bad experiences with clothes shrinking, and so I prefer to dry them on an airer.

I use the tumble dryer for large items, sheets and such like.

But how can I dry clothes in my flat and avoid getting a problem with damp?

I can't keep the windows open all day to air the flat while the laundry dries as I live alone and would be worried about lack of security when I go out. (I've already had my motorbike nicked in this neighbourhood and don't want to take chances.)

I'm worried that if I leave clothes drying on an airer and shut the windows/lock up to go to work etc, that it'll create a damp problem.

Any thoughts please, folks?

Thanks for reading.

Bennifred

A decent dehumidifier would do the trick!:)

Ianwzzz

One of these washing lines.

https://www.rotaire.com

Obviously no good if you don't have a garden though.

mummyroysof3

I always run a dehumidifier when drying clothes inside

stargirl04

Thanks folks, any recommendations for a good dehumidifier - though I prefer a compact one as space (and unfortunately storage) is limited in my flat.

Ianwzz - I don't have a garden, but thanks anyway!

lstar337

I have an ecoair one which works very well.

I bought it from http://www.breathingspace.co.uk/dehumidifiers-c3/desiccant-dehumidifiers-c20

Who were very helpful when the first model sent turned out to be faulty. The replacement was worked very hard in our damp old flat, and is still going well.

mummyroysof3

I got a cheap one from Argos and it's had no issues for years

Kaimoo

Depends on the tumble dryer if you get an a or b energy efficient one it's not to bad. We checked what it cost to run and it worked out about 20 pence per cycle, due to the weather we need to dry inside and it can smell of damp.

As long as your carefully a tumble dryer can be fine just don't put wool in it, we use it mostly for jeans and towels and all the kids clothes so 20 pence each day we need it.. It's a 7kg machine and I couldn't live without it now, hated drying clothes inside the smell of damp clothes is awful

love_lifer

I just stick my wet washing on the radiators. Have you tried this?


Im not sure youll have a damp problem purely because youre drying washing inside? but I live in a large draughty house so not a problem for me

lstar337

love_lifer wrote: »

Im not sure youll have a damp problem purely because youre drying washing inside?

You will increase the relative humidity hugely.

You need good ventilation (opening the windows also lets heat out) or a dehumidifier which consumes energy itself but you wont lose your bought heat.

sniggings

you would be far better learning how to use your dryer or buying a better one,.

Using a dehumidifier costs a lot to run and they need to be on all day or night and the flat needs to be warm too for it to work best. They are also noisy.

Seems daft to go to them lengths when you already have a dryer but just need to lean to use it,and if you have a good spin on your washer, clothes come out nearly dry anyway so a dryer is not that expensive to run, could be less than a dehumidifier even.