Drying washing outside

MissMuppet

I don't tend to put my clothes out in the winter, as long as I have the central heating on they dry ok indoors. I put some washing out yesterday though, about 4 hours in the wind, but no sun and it still wasn't dry. I am off to put some more out today, hoping that as the sun is out and the wind it will dry better!

anguk

You could get a Rotaire cover, it goes over an outdoor rotary airer and allows your washing to dry even when it's raining.
http://www.rotaire.com/

The problem with hanging washing outside when it's really cold is it does tend to go stiff, I think it's something to do with the water in the washing freezing.

I've bought myself one of those old fashioned spin dryers and in the bad weather I spin the clothes after washing them in the machine, it's amazing how much extra water comes out. Clothes then dry overnight on an airer or take half the time in the tumbler. Spin dryers are about £100 new but they're often on ebay (I managed to get one for £6) or it may be worth asking on freecycle.

Principia_2

If it's a blustery day then my clothes dry fine whatever the season. I do find that if I leave them out until dark they seem to pick up a bit of a damp chill so that might be a problem if you come back at 7pm.

One thing I'm trying to do is to at least start them drying outside even if they need finishing off inside (I use a tumbledryer too:o). I also find I'm obsessed with the bbc weather (and get a bit cross when they get it wrong :o)

Bitsy_Beans

I try and bung them on the line during winter but that's more to lighten them in order for them to dry quicker when I hang them indoors (I don't have TD).

Personally if you're out til 7pm I wouldn't bother because by that time they'll be picking up the damp and negating your line drying in the first place.

seasalt_2

I rarely hang clothes out in winter as too lazy to hang them up all over again inside if not dried. No tumbledryer but have a pulley over the stove and usually put my washing straight on that - we look a bit more crumpled in the winter as I don't iron either if I can help it - but not too bad as long as take care when loading the pulley. My problem is getting things dry on damp days in the summer when no heat although have now got another pulley upstairs in a sunnier room (velux windows) and that helps. They were just cheap £12 pulleys from Argos - a few years ago now - they say not to use them for clothes, but we just used stronger pulley rope and they have been fine.

rosieben

I used to hang laundry out on a nice clear winter day but found i needed to take it in by about 3pm or else is would start to get damp again

I bought some clip things from kleeneze so I could hang t shirts etc out on coat hangers, they stop the coat hangers moving around on the line.

bramble1

I only do clothes washing on weekends and we don't have a tumble dryer (last year in our old house we had air vent heating so couldn't even hang things on the radiator!!) I hate waiting days for clothes to dry, so might give it a go this year as i don't really go anywhere on weekends so could bring the washing in if needed. I never even though of hanging clothes out in winter!

tanith

I do dry my washing outside all through the Winter but like the others say by about 3pm it starts to get damp again, I'm home most days so it matters not but coming in at 7pm is a bit more difficult.. how about compromising and only do it at the weekend of if you have time off...

looktothefuture

hmmmmm weekend washing could work - I do all my washing on a weekend anyway. 2-3 loads of clothes and 1 of towels/bedding.

I think I'm going to take the plunge and hang outside in winter - I may even get a rotaire! ooohhh this is daring! (just asked my OH if his mom would dry clothes outside in winter and he looked at me funny and said "of course she did - did you ever see a tumble or horse inside!" LOL I don't ever recall seeing a tumble or a clothes horse now that he mentions it!)

Iris_Blue

anguk wrote: »

You could get a Rotaire cover, it goes over an outdoor rotary airer and allows your washing to dry even when it's raining.
http://www.rotaire.com/

The problem with hanging washing outside when it's really cold is it does tend to go stiff, I think it's something to do with the water in the washing freezing.

I've only ever had the washing go stiff once when using my Rotaire and that was when it was snowing and I'd left it out overnight. It soon warmed up again though under the cover and defrosted.