Drying washing in winter

PurpleJay

kittieviolet said:

I put my washing over the rack for 24 to 36 hrs and then finish it off in the tumble dryer for 5 mins 10 at most and its dry. There's only me though so I could see how this may be difficult with family levels of washing

This is what I do too. I have 2 airers which each hold a load of washing. When it feels dry, I just put it on the 'easy iron' program in the dryer which is 10 minutes. I don't iron anything

My utility room is upstairs so I do all my washing and drying upstairs. The window is always open and the radiator on in winter (when the others come on with the thermostat). We are a family of two and this works well. I love not having to traipse up and downstairs with washing!

Floss

annieb64 said:

We are lucky enough to have two bathrooms. There's  only two of now so one bathroom  hardly ever gets used. I keep a drying rack in there. I also hang shirts on hangers from the shower rail.

I like this idea - my downstairs loo is probably big enough for my airer, and it has the heating pipes for upstairs and also an integral air extraction vent system so no damp air hanging around!

Siebrie

I have a drying rack suspended from the banister over the stairs, it catches the rising warm air and dries clothes quickly. I even hang the washing in such a way that it funnels the warm air: large sheets go around the rest of the laundry, around the outside of the drying rack (so, not in a zigzag, but in a square). There is a radiator in the hallway below, which is set to the lowest setting. We open the window on the landing a few times for about 15 minutes to get air moving, and we give the hanging laundry a shake everytime we walk past, to get the air moving.

If I didn't have the banister, I would use a drying rack that goes over the top of the door; anything to catch as much draft and warm air as possible.

prepareathome

I did buy one of the Lakeland Driers but due to lack of space could only buy the smallest (£50 a few years ago)- so it's great for clothes, only two of us and the dogs. that can hang on hangers on the rails under the cover and they dry quickly and don't cost much but bedding is one sheet at a time and takes ages so only use it for them if TD not working as it actually costs more to dry all the bedding that way - we have sperate beds due to my health problems used to keep DH awake at night and he had to be up at 5.30am for work and now he has retired we are happy with our own space so no plans on a double bed again ( or Kingsize as we used to have)  but does mean double bedding and towels as they have to be doubled over (with Lakeland Drier).   

KxMx

No tumble dryer here so we dry across 4 racks in the spare room, with the window cracked/open season depending and a small dehumidifier on for the first 12-24 hours.

Currently it's that really awkward stage where it's too warm for heating but too cold for washing to dry efficiently!

When I move into a 1 bed flat I don't expect to have a a tumble dryer, so will either get a few heated racks in bedroom/hall/living room plus dehumidifier or dry on normal racks in the bathroom if big enough, moving in & out when showering.


Will be a challenge as I do 3 loads a week during winter and 2 loads weekly rest of year. 
Just have to find a new routine, maybe washing in evening and leaving in living room overnight with dehumidifier when I go to bed, then reverse in morning. 

trailingspouse

You can still dry clothes outside in winter!! Obviously not when it's actually raining, but on a dry day they still dry. And the smell of washing that's frozen on the line is amazing.

When it's too wet to dry outside, I hang clothes round the radiator on a clothes horse. It's important to be proactive though - turn them around regularly so that the other side gets dried. 24 hours is usually long enough. If it's not too cold I open the window just above to speed things up a bit and avoid any dampness in the room.

I own a tumble dryer, but rarely use it - basically only if I need something dried in a hurry, or if I'm expecting visitors and don't want the washing cluttering the place up.

Floss

There is only me & I do have a washer-dryer, I also dry outside when I can (one benefit to 3 days WFH) and have a 3-tier airer which stands behind the lounge door beside a small radiator. Bedding either goes on the whirling or the airer, towels will go outside with 15 mins in the dryer to soften them up. I rarely put clothes in the dryer, I prefer a more natural dry. 

littlemoney

I only wash on days I know I can put the washing on the line. If it has to wait a little, I just wear the clothes for longer. We didn't wash clothes so often when I was younger and I have returned to the same philosophy. Things can be worn more than once. Just hang up to air overnight and put on the next few days.

[Deleted User]

littlemoney said:

I only wash on days I know I can put the washing on the line. If it has to wait a little, I just wear the clothes for longer. We didn't wash clothes so often when I was younger and I have returned to the same philosophy. Things can be worn more than once. Just hang up to air overnight and put on the next few days.

Exactly this, couldn't agree more.

The consistent rise in energy prices will hopefully make people think twice about putting the washing machine on as often. I have two young children and do three loads per week absolute max (including bedding). xx

-taff

KxMx said:

No tumble dryer here so we dry across 4 racks in the spare room, with the window cracked/open season depending and a small dehumidifier on for the first 12-24 hours.

Currently it's that really awkward stage where it's too warm for heating but too cold for washing to dry efficiently!

When I move into a 1 bed flat I don't expect to have a a tumble dryer, so will either get a few heated racks in bedroom/hall/living room plus dehumidifier or dry on normal racks in the bathroom if big enough, moving in & out when showering.


Will be a challenge as I do 3 loads a week during winter and 2 loads weekly rest of year. 
Just have to find a new routine, maybe washing in evening and leaving in living room overnight with dehumidifier when I go to bed, then reverse in morning. 

I've got to ask, why are you doing so much washing? I live with Oh who creates five outfits a day because of his work, but even with that I do two loads at most a week, more like one usually...and ocassionally I do the bedding but not every week...