Drying clothes outside for dummies

kdotdotdotdot

I'm assuming OP is pretty young? I've just achieved level 50 in life and never owned a tumble dryer.  

Yes, it's harder in the winter time (but we're not there yet!). It just requires planning.  

Set your washing machine on a timer so it's ready in the morning, hang it out if the forecast is dry.  Collect again in the evening.

If it's going to rain a lot, then I do what I think everyone else does: towels over the bannister, bedsheets over doors and everything else on the airer in a spare room. I don't switch on radiators especially for laundry.  If you've got a decent washing machine, then stuff shouldn't be too wet.  

Bendy_House

shiraz99 said:

Chloe_G said:

Why can't you buy mangles anymore?!  I vaguely remember my grandmother had a mangle and now I think it would be very useful.  Spinning never seems to remove as much water as I'd like.

Because washing machines with spin functions replaced them 😉

Seriously, a mangle is not going to remove more water than a good spin.

It will also literally mangle your clothes. Niiiice creases...

Mnoee

I have a winged airer that is happy in the sun or can be chucked in the garage in the rain. I went for this style as there's no bending, and if rain suddenly appears i can flip the wings in, and pick the whole thing up to get it under cover quickly!

It'll be more of a challenge to hang sheets on it in winter - over the summer I've been creating giant canopies going from the airer to garden chairs, but I'll come up with something. 

Northern_Wanderer

I'm not sure why it would take 45 mins to hang up washing. Plan ahead re weather and only wash as much as you have space on your driers/ line. Those foldable driers are great for indoors but will blow over in a breeze (I had this when I first moved in as no washing line). I'd suggest you research washing lines, quicker to hang clothes and quicker to dry clothes as the washing is more spread out than on an airer and everything can flap about maybe be in sun to get dry. Retractable washing lines or rotary driers might suit you, depends on your garden.

If it's wet out, then dry indoors in a heated room but use a dehumidifier so you don't get a mould problem. You can use an unheated room but it takes longer to dry stuff then and you will need to ventilate to prevent mould, although opening a window on wet days does not help with condensation removal as the outdoor humidity is already high. Peg hangers are fab for socks and pants.

sallybet

I haven't had a tumble dryer for nearly 30 years.  Clothes are hung out on a single line or if weather not good hung on the old fashioned ceiling airer that uses a pulley.  Even when we lived in a cottage with low ceilings the pulley was above the stairs. Go for one with 4 rails with rails as long as you can. Hang shirts and skirts on hangers. Loads of clothes dried overnight and you aren't cluttering the place up with airers all over the house. 

kimwp

Sheets go on the line in the morning unless it's raining. Everything else goes on a drying rack indoors with the door/window open as it takes a lot longer to get clothes off the line if it starts raining and I can leave it overnight. Opening the back door/windows is usually enough to prevent dampness, but I'll switch on the dehumidifier if I'm doing a lot of loads and the doors/windows are closed against the weather. 5 mins to hang a machine- load of washing, ten if it includes things I want to stretch to avoid ironing.

Sus59

In winter I dry clothes indoors on a laundry airer (look at the Leifheit Pegasus range which holds a lot) and on hangers on a cheap clothes rail.  We have a dehumidifier in the room which not only keeps the room free of damp and mould but also makes the clothes dry faster.  Much cheaper than running a tumble dryer and a very worthwhile investment.
If you have direct access to the outside you could potentially move the racks outside during the day and move them back indoors at night or if it looks like rain.

spo2

I keep an eye on the weather and tend to put the clothes out the night before if it is dry to save time in the morning. Sometimes they are dry by 10am, other times it takes the day. And it doesn't matter if they get slightly wet overnight as it will dry the next day anyway.
I don't like drying clothes indoors because of the potential for damp - in my last house I had a perspex covered area outside where I could hang washing so it would dry even when it is raining. I don't have that here so bought a tumble dryer, but am replacing it with the Lakeland heated airer and cover

Chris_Jay

I've seen heated indoor airers, with covers, that apparently aren't expensive to run, like slow cookers, possibly the same method used. They can usually be found in the little brochures that often come with magazines.
And the poster who colour matched her pegs to her clothes before changing pegs? Wow.

Apodemus

Chris_Jay said:

They can usually be found in the little brochures that often come with magazines.

...along with all sorts of other useless, must-have tat that fairly quickly ends up as land-fill!