Dryer balls £1

lynnexxxo

Surely hanging your clothes on radiators to dry isn't any more energy efficient than using a tumbler?

Psychofly

ROFL at this thread - I read the title and KNEW I'd get a laugh reading through.

mrsv05

i always use a timer on my tumble dryer to come on at just after midnight - saves a fortune ! in summer i obviously dont bother using it but, british weather being what it is, and a child who creates more washing than i could dream of, its necessary.

gromituk

lynnexxxo wrote: »

Surely hanging your clothes on radiators to dry isn't any more energy efficient than using a tumbler?

If your tumble dryer vents outside then it certainly will be. And even if it's a condenser model, I imagine it produces a lot of heat which is often not required in the room.

gromituk

mrsv05 wrote: »

in summer i obviously dont bother using it but, british weather being what it is, and a child who creates more washing than i could dream of, its necessary.

That's the right approach. Too many people use the excuse that if they can't do everything then they will do nothing. For instance, they won't car share because they say sometimes it's not possible. Well, on the days when it's not possible, then don't do it! Car sharing one day a week would take about 20% of rush-hour traffic off the roads... (sorry, off-topic!)

lynnexxxo

gromituk wrote: »

If your tumble dryer vents outside then it certainly will be. And even if it's a condenser model, I imagine it produces a lot of heat which is often not required in the room.

True, it does heat up the room but drying on the radiators makes the windows all condensation and the rooms cold! Roll on summer and we can hang it out.

yant

gromituk wrote: »

If your tumble dryer vents outside then it certainly will be. And even if it's a condenser model, I imagine it produces a lot of heat which is often not required in the room.

I would say that the above is probably correct.

However, the other poster is also correct on the principle that (in winter) hanging up on radiators isn't free. Instead of heating the house, the radiator energy is used to evaporate cold water from the clothes so you need to more radiator energy to warm the room. It also raises the humidity level in the house since the water evaporate and stay in the house. A damper room feel colder so you might feel the need to raise the thermostat some more because you don't feel warm enough

I think that the cost of hanging on radiators will be lower than using a tumble dryer but it certainly isn't free and fully non-polluting. A lot of pseudo-green sound bites tend to totally oversimplify the problems and fail to do the maths correctly. (Hanging outside is pretty close to free 'though). If you really don't want to pollute, I am afraid you'll have to give up on washing clothes altogether. :-(

For the record, my radiators and cloth horse tend to be almost permanently covered in clothes but I also acquired a tumble dryer cause I felt I needed it to cope with two kids.

me4bargains

I don't put on my radiators to dry my clothes I just bung the clothes on if they're on. Failing that it's my good old trusty clothes horse.
Sorry for veering this thread off topic but I've learnt a bit from all you eco-knowledgeable MSErs.

gromituk

Yes, hanging on the radiators isn't free. The best way to dry clothes in the winter is in the ambient air, but of course this will take longer than on the radiators or with a tumble dryer, so is only possible if you have the time and space.

ebsay2000

QUOTE: "Roll on Summer and we can hang it out".



I second that! NUDGE NUDGE