Do you use electric clothes dryers?

greensalad

Doozergirl said:

SuseOrm said:

We have one of the Lakeland electric dryers but in all honesty I just use that on the dryer nine times out of 10 because of the amount of time it takes to dry load of washing realistically I think it’s nearly 36 hours.  And even then you’ll be fold in the laundry up and you’ll just feel a little bit of a sock that’s not 100% dry which I don’t feel right then putting it away folded up what happens to that little damp patch ? 

When we had one of the Lakeland dryers I used to put a duvet cover over the whole thing, as in - put it all inside the cover - it used to dry the clothes a lot quicker.  

Always a bit frustrating, fighting with a duvet, but it did help.  

I think the Dry:Soon ones comes with a cover don't they? I'm hankering after one...

I iron dry bed sheets anyway but I am considering whether the outlay of a £200 heater is cheaper than what I'll save not using the tumble dryer. With no heating on, hanging stuff on an airer isn't drying quick enough for me.

Eldi_Dos

If you are drying clothes outside, a day with a gentle breeze drys quickest, If putting clothes just on a dryer a desk or Usb fan blowing air across dryer and window trickle vents open should to some extent help with drying without using too much electricity.

In winter we normally use a dehumidifier but will look closer at costs this year.

Wanderingpomm

I have an electric clothes dryer and it’s excellent. I also have a dehumidifier which helps dry everything extra quick. I’d recommend them both 

Ant555

Doozergirl said:

When we had one of the Lakeland dryers I used to put a duvet cover over the whole thing, as in - put it all inside the cover - it used to dry the clothes a lot quicker.  

I too have one of the big Lakeland dry:soon dryers - bought on a deal that included the cover.

Although I don't use it as often as I thought I would, my experience is that without the cover its nowhere near as effective and of limited use in drying stuff.

Edit - I am sure I paid £110 for it 5 years ago including the cover - I see its now £210 including the cover - although there are 20% off codes floating around and £5.60 Quidco cashback that should bring it down a bit.

grumbler

It's worth saying that a condensing tumble drier is essentially a compact and convenient combination of of electrically heated drier and a dehumidifier.

Heat pump driers are even more efficient than a combination of two standalone units.

Chloe_G

I never found my dehumidifier (on laundry setting) had any effect on drying the clothes - but maybe I didn't leave it on long enough. 

TerminalChimp

I've got one, but my heat pump tumble drier doesn't use much more electricity to be honest. We use the electric rack as normal without using the heating element and as we usually leave the back door ajar for a bit in the morning for the cat. But now as it gets colder I won't be leaving the door open for the puss, so I won't be doing much drying indoors as I don't want higher moisture level in my house. 

lhead123

We have a conservatory in a south facing garden. I've not found a use for it yet to enjoy the space as its either far too hot or absolutely freezing, so it's mostly just a corridor to get into the garden.
We leave a top window open and have airers in there. In the summer clothes dry just a quick as on the washing line. 
In the winter they get almost dry, then I finish them off in the tumble dryer for 10 minutes or so.

Bendy_House

victor2 said:

We're lucky enough to have a separate utility room, where we have always hung clothes to dry and the excess heat from the inefficient old gas central heating boiler dried them. Last year we replaced the old boiler, but put a new radiator in the utility room. In the summer, clothes hang outside to dry. In the winter, the utility room is used, but if we don't have the heating on, they can take days to dry!

Can I suggest an experiment? When you next put clothes in the Ute Room to dry, keep the rad off, but open the windows - and even outside door if you can - fully open. Try and position the clothes rack/'orse between the two so it sits in a through-draught (it doesn't even have to be breezy). Close the door betwixt the Ute and the rest of the house.

See how long it takes to dry.

And you won't have condensation issues.

Bendy_House

ka7e said:

I use a big airer in front of a S-facing window. The combination of a little solar gain plus radiator on for a few hours a day (not yet on!) is very effective. Top window just opened a few inches to combat damp. I  have a dehumidifier which I might use this winter if we cut back on CH.

Again, can I suggest this is worth a wee trial, especially if you are considering turning on the heat to that room in order to speed up drying; when you next put clothes in that room to dry, keep the rad off, but open the windows nicely full - in fact as full as you can! Try and position the clothes rack/'orse so it sits in the resulting breeze. (It doesn't even have to be breezy - just having the room open to the outside will promote drying, but a breeze helps.)

Close the door between that room and the rest of the house.

See how long it takes to dry. It should be pretty effective, and get you 99% of the way there. And you won't have any condensation issues with the windows open.

For the final 'airing', bring the clothes into the main 'warm' house.