clothes drying options--advice requested!

bunnykat

Hi all, I am new to trying to be frugal so there's lots I'm just figuring out! In lots of areas I have quickly realised I've been making some not terribly intelligent choices!

So here's one I'm puzzling over that I thought I'd ask for advice on:

I live in a small flat with no outside space, where the only place I have room to set up my clothes airer is the coldest room, as it only has one radiator and less protection from surrounding buildings. Now that the temperature has dipped, my clothes will sometimes begin to mildew before they dry unless I turn the heat on when otherwise I would be warm enough without heat once I put on an extra layer.

I'm wondering what makes the most sense utility-price wise:

1. get a small fan to blow on the clothes on the airer--my mom does this and swears it works (£10 initial plus power)

2. get a small ceramic heater for the room to put on near the clothes while leaving the rest of the heat off (£25 initial plus power, with added benefit of warmer room when I sit in it)

3. get one of those heated airing racks (£30 initial plus power)

4. just run the heat even if I'm not cold so the clothes dry (just power)

For reference, I do a LOT of laundry because I work out hard every day, so I have a full set of workout clothes to wash 7 days a week, plus regular weekly stuff like PJs, regular clothes, sheets etc. So I'd say I'm probably drying clothes at least 2 or maybe 3 days a week.

I currently pay £50 a month for heat and electric combined.

Thank you in advance for any advice, frugality wizards! :j

--Bunnykat

JJ_Egan

Oil or LPG ??

bunnykat

Not sure? (I had to google LPG!) I get my gas and electric through Pure Planet if that helps.

PasturesNew

Buy an airer/airers that fit inside/over your bath, or inside your shower cubicle.

Get a small dehumidifier.

matelodave

Get a dehumidifier. They are cheaper to run than a heater and they do extract the moisture from the air rather than just dispersing it so you'll reduce condensation as well.

Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dehumidifiers/b?ie=UTF8&node=3593780031. If you are producing a lot of damp then you need something thats got enough capacity to do the job and to collect the water, so dont go for one that's too small.

I prefer dessicant types because they are quieter and dont freeze up like compressor units but thats my personal opinion. BTW we have two similar to the one above - one to keep my man-cave dry and the other to get rid of condensation in our bedroom

Dont bother with silly moisture traps, they are useless

Novice_investor101

Either use your heating more or buy a decent dehumidifier (not one of the tiny 500ml ones). If you're currently warm enough without needing to put the heating on, it would be cheaper to spend £100-£150 on a good sized, low energy dehumidifier. A dessicant one would work better if the room is unheated & less than 15c but are a bit more expensive. It would definitely solve the mildew problem & not cost a fortune to run.

RelievedSheff

Move the airer into a warmer heated room.

RelievedSheff

We use a washer dryer as we were fed up of drying clothes on airers.

It really isn't that expensive to run. From watching the smart meters it costs about 40p to do a wash and dry.

Another bonus is that there is no excess moisture in the house or room that the airer is in.

Gerry1

Get a gas tumble dryer. Instead of paying peak rate electricity at 16p/kWh or whatever, you'll be paying around 3p or less. It's a no brainer.

The purchase price may be a bit higher and you have to the gas supply connected, but it will save a fortune (A+ rated) and there's no peak rate with gas so you can use it at any time. My previous one lasted 31 years and paid for itself many times over.