Any suggestions for drying washing indoors

[Deleted User]

ksh123 wrote: »

Like lots of you I'm sure I've been worrying about how to dry washing this winter without using the tumble drier - which I can't afford to use. I live in a tiny house with little space for maidens and can only access 2 radiators easily.

Anyway I've seen this ad for an elelctric clothes drier that looks like a maiden and folds out to offer 100ft of drying space. Amazingly it uses less electric than 3 light bulbs and only costs about 3p an hour to run.
I haven't done much research yet but it is available at www.easylifegroup.com for £69.99 Free delivery. There is a smaller one too for £49.99.

Lakeland also sell the larger airer but its £5.00 more and I don't know their delivery costs. But there is a helpful review of the airer on their site.
The Easy Living link is:http://www.easylifegroup.com/products/2381.asp

and the Lakeland one is:http://www.lakeland.co.uk/heated-tower-airer/F/C/washing-laundry/C/washing-laundry-clothes-horses-airers/product/21736 (sorry I don't know how to shorten links ).

Although it is called a "towel airer" both descriptions clearly state that it can be used to dry clothes

I think I will invest in one as it shoud be a real boon and earn its money back quite quickly.:D What do other think??

As I've been mulling the idea over I began to get a dim recollection of a gadget I used when I first left home - more than 35 years ago....it was a metal cabinet on castors slightly smaller than a dishwasher with movable rods inside that you could hang wet clothes on. You then popped on the lid, plugged in the cabinet and some time later - dry clothes. Does anyone remember them? Or is just me who is older than methusulah?

No, I had one of these cabinets when I lived with my husband and two children in a very tiny flat in South Norwood in London in 1967.They were called Flatley's, and were excellent for helping to dry nappies and tea towels ect. Kept the kitchen warm as well at the same time . I only had a tiny gas water geyser and no washing machine the,so clothes were washed by hand in the sink, and then wrung as tight as I could get it to get the excess water out. I also has a glass scrubbing board that cost me half a crown that I did my husbands collars and cuffs on.
I used the towel method to wring things out then .My friend Carol would pop over the road with her washing as well, and to wring stuff out we had a big towel which we placed the relevant piece of clothing in and she would twist her end of the towel out one way and I would do my end they opposite way until the towel resembled a long thin rope with the wet clothes inside.This would get rid of the excess water (we did this over the bath if indoors)
Carol and I would have several cuppas and a good chin wag whilst our washing was getting sorted as she had no garden to her grotty flat , bless her she died of breast cancer three years ago, and I still miss her, we did have such a giggle as we were both two young Mums struggling to get by in very grotty accomadation. We shared my outside washing line, and in those days when we both smoked our last ciggy on the day before pay-day.Good friendships like that don't happen too often.
Our family had to share a bath and toilet with three other families in this big old Victorian house, and the bath could never be used as there was not hot running water in the communual bathroom anyway.
If the weather was o.k. I had a very long pulley line that went from outside the bedroom window to the bottom of the garden around 200 foot and by leaning out of the window I could peg all of my damp washing on there, and because it was high up(We lived on the first floor) it would blow dry quite quickly.But in bad weather it had to be finished off in the flatley.I remember it was quite expensive to use and I seemed to be permanantely feeding the meter with shillings. Another way was to load up my big pram with the washing and the two girls perched on the top and walk about a mile and a half to the launderette where, if they were not being used by anyone else you could load all the washing into a dryer to get dried. In those days we didn't have as many clothes as today so the children had to make their nighties or pyjamas last 2-3 days at a time . I als had a wooden dryer that I would put the clothes on to air after ironing them, and my eldest daughter learnt to pull herself up and walk round my dryer.I still have that dryer today and its still in use after 42 years .It cost me one pound ten shillings at East Lane market near Peckham
Everytime I use it I can see in my minds eye my little one pulling herself around on it in 1967.
Now I am a lot older and only have my own clothes to get dry I have central heating, and if the clothes are still wet its not a problem any more as I have a cupboard full of clothes if needed. How times have changed . I drape a towel over the shower rail sometimes if its still a bit damp but mostly if its raining I just wait until its dry before doing the washing. No more Monday morning wash days for me
R.I.P Carol. you were a great mate

Daisymac_2

JackieO what a lovely post - thank you x

Mellika

What does everybody think of this:

http://www.jmldirect.com/Dri-Buddi-PD2001/

I have to admit, I was very tempted. As in, instead of getting a tumble drier I would get that. Maybe not to completely dry clothes on it, but to give them a helping hand?

Magentasue

Mellika wrote: »

What does everybody think of this:

http://www.jmldirect.com/Dri-Buddi-PD2001/

I have to admit, I was very tempted. As in, instead of getting a tumble drier I would get that. Maybe not to completely dry clothes on it, but to give them a helping hand?

Well, it uses 2/3 of the energy used by a tumble drier. My tumble drier costs about 20p an hour to run and I'm happy to pay that. I do try and keep use to a minimum but would rather pay 6p an hour more for the convenience.

DianneB

JackieO is spot on there!! They were called Flatley Driers and my mum had one!! goodness how she afforded it as we didn't have any other mod cons!! Will have a look at Lakeland now!

sweetserendipity

I was looking at the Lakeland one last night & I am wondering whether to buy it? I was thinking of using it after clothes had (hopefully) been hanging outside just to dry them off if they were still a bit damp - I don't have room in my airing cupboard. Anyway, I will keep an eye on this thread to see what other people think before I take the plunge!

The_Teaahloic

Please dont waste your money, my sweet little mum bought me one of these last year we had to send it back and pay postage for return which wasnt cheap. They are very dissapointing they take ages to dry anything (about an hour and ahalf to dry a couple of school shirts). I would hate to emagine hope long a towel would take. Once you have bought one you will be stuck with because of return postage. The only way I got rid of it was because my ex husband runs a despatch company.
A decent dehumidifier is better as it stops condensation at the same time as drying your washing and I think they are about 3-4 pence an hour to run.

Lizalu

I would also say don't get one. A friend of mine bought one and was very disappointed. As others have said they take a long time to dry anything. She said, "it'd be quicker to dry them using a cycle pump". not a great recommendation I'm afraid.

ksh123

Hi Jackie
that was a lovely post - I am sorry you have lost your friend. Nice memories tho so I am sure they still give you smiles :A
You're right -it was a flatley! Imagine you still having yours. Good money saving there:T I think you have had your money's worth lol.

Asfor the drier I posted about I was certainly thinking about using it dry off damp stuff rather than stuff straight from the drier. But the later posts are not very encouraging. I shall continue to mull........;)

cady

Im new to this drying indoors thing because last year i hammerd the tuble dryer (moved into first flat last year had NO IDEA how much things cost LOL) i have got an airer and have been using it over the summer and its been great by the open window or in the back yard on a nice day BUT ... its getting colder and wetter and im worried about damp as ive been drying indoors in the back bedroom and the windows are now closed (but no heating on yet) and the room and clothes are taking ages to dry and the room seems damp and has a musty smell .... what can i do???