Drying Clothes TIP like the Italians !!

skmcc1960

Like everyone else I am trying to save money, by not using a tumble dryer.  I have an airer but it takes ages to dry and gets in the way.     As you know heat rises and normally that heat is wasted. 

Excuse the photos of the washing ! 

I have a 2 storey house luckily. So I have put up an extending washing line above the stairwell, there are 2 lines so it gives me a lot of space particularly good for bedding and larger items.  I put it up and it is normally dry overnight.    When it is not in use I simply unhook it and the lines go back inside the reel.    The only downside is that sometimes you have to watch your head going up the stairs at the top!  

I took inspiration from so many photographs of Italy where you see washing lines way up high over the streets and the old fashioned Victorian airers that pulled up to the ceiling.

Brie

Nice one!!  When some houses had very high ceilings it used to be common to have dryers on pulleys that could be lowered to be loaded up with damp stuff and then pulled up towards the ceiling to happily dry out of everyone's way.  The only one I've seen IRL in the last decade or so is at one brother's house where the kitchen is extra high.  Works a treat.

Lovely dog by the way!!!

KxMx

Do you use a dehumidifier or have any ventilation? That much moisture going into areas which don't get aired isn't that great of an idea. 

skmcc1960

KxMx said:

Do you use a dehumidifier or have any ventilation? That much moisture going into areas which don't get aired isn't that great of an idea. 

I just open the window at the top of the stairs.  All of the bedroom windows are also aired regularly.  

Netexporter

I use an airer and a dehumidifier. Clothes are dry in a few hours and no risk of condensation/mould in the house.

mac.d

I miss the pulley we had in the kitchen of our old house. Didn't need particularly high ceilings & could fit loads of washing on it!

QrizB

mac.d said:

I miss the pulley we had in the kitchen of our old house. Didn't need particularly high ceilings & could fit loads of washing on it!

One of these?

My mum had one in her old house. It did sterling service for 40 years!

jcb208

My washing dried outside today

lohr500

We use our creel every day.
If you ignore the cost of running the 30 Amp electric Aga then it is a very effective way of drying clothes   

Ectophile

If you can afford to run an electric Aga, you should be able to buy new clothes whenever the old ones get dirty!

greenbee

Ectophile said:

If you can afford to run an electric Aga, you should be able to buy new clothes whenever the old ones get dirty!

Alternatively if you're running an electric Aga you probably can't afford to buy anything.