chickencam Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Now the gloomy damp weather is here I am tring to work out which is the most efficient way to dry washing. There are five of us in this house and that makes loads of washing. Should I light the woodburner buy an airer and put that in the lounge during the day, put the central heating on just long enough to heat the radiators then dry washing on those or should I use my tumble dryer? It's a dilema I hate the house looking like a chinese laundry and last year before the log burner I used the central heating figuring that at least it kept me warm too. this year we want to use the gas heating as little as possible and just light the woodburner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I am struggling with mountains of washing which I can't peg out because it is too damp. It is showing signs of brightening up now though. I considered putting the heating on last night just so I could dry the washing, but decided we would just have to wait. So my washing is hanging on an airer with piles more queueing up to go on. It gets in the way, doesn't it? So the best way is to hang it all on an airer or put it on hangers and just wait for it to dry. Failing that, I don't know which is the most efficient way to choose. I suspect a woodburner with the airer in front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Mine goes on an airer in the conservatory and then gets finished off in the tumble dryer Probably not the most economic way but I like to think it saves on the ironing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 We're lucky, because the Balamory House has a constant drying gale blowing through the back garden, so even on overcast days, a load of washing will dry in a couple of hours, but on rainy days, I'm afraid I hang it out on the clothes horse in the sunporch, then finish it in the tumble drier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I have one of the old fashioned racks that is up on the ceiling, we are lucky to have hight ceilings too, so it's up out of the way It always makes me think of my grandparents when I use it as they had one karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 When I can't use the line I use an airer in my office. Drives me mad sometimes that I can't work in a tidy office but I'd rather that than have it in the lounge. I work from home and I can put on a load a day if needed, which helps as it does not pile up. I don't own a tumble dryer - and even when I did I think I only used it twice. and that was in the days I used to do cyclo cross on muddy winter weekends and also covered the time Layla was in cotton nappies... forget green principles I am too mean to fork out on the electricity needed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I find a tumble dryer cuts down on ironing, not sure which uses more electric though I never noticed any extra energy costs for the tumble dryer, as when I bought it I also bought energy saving light bulbs, so I think they cancelled each other out with electric usage I have been hanging sheets on the line and then finishing them off in the dryer for 20 minutes, but I have a triple 'A' rated washing machine, so find most items, even if tumbled straight from the washing machine, take 50 minutes or less anyway to dry. Most of my clothes air in the bathroom as it is really big, and it doesn't matter if they sit there for days I hate hanging things on the line as we have a lot of insects around and it is not uncommon to find lots of beetle eggs attached to the washing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Tumble dryers are certainly efficient ... but they use a lot of electricity, much more than an iron. I won't buy one - I dry clothes outside in the summer, and in the winter on an airer, but I admit I'm fortunate because it's just me, must be hard if you have a family to dry clothes for. Basically the more air you can get to them, the better - I put things on hangers and hang them from the bedroom door frame, with the door open, while I am out at work - they dry very quickly. Doesn't look pretty, but by the time I get home they are usually dry enough to take down and iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I am finding that Olly I have always refused to buy a tumble drier and did the same as you but I am now finding it almost impossible with my parents living with me to get mostly sheets and towels (you have no idea how many towels are needed when you have an invalid in the house) dry I think I may have to crack and buy one to do the stuff that is taking 3 or 4 days to dry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I wash overnight usually (cheaper leccy) & then plonk the washing on the radiators which come on morning & evening. After the evening warm the clothes are dry, so I put them away & the cycle starts again. This routine gets totally mucked up today as I have children's bedding to be dried in time for bed tonight.... so the drier is on now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 If I can sry on the line,then I will, but if not then I use my tumble dryer for the tumble dryable things & everything else hangs on an airer. I cannot bear having dripping washing everywhere, so a tumble dryer works for me, although I do prefer to line dry when I can (obviously the tumble dryer got a lot of use this summer!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I agree cinnamon. I can't be doing with things steaming on radiators, bringing the wallpaper off. I hate the house to look like a chinese laundry. I dry as much as poss outside, and then the rest goes in the drier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 I'm off to buy a large airer, at least I can move it into another room when we are in the lounge in the evenings, then back again when we go to bed. That will be better than having everything on radiators looking messy. Having said that I will probably dry my towels in the dryer becasue one of the few advantages of winter is fluffy towels from the dryer rather than stiff rough ones from the line. I love drying washing outdoors but in the winter our north facing back garden hardly gets any sun and we don't seem to have had much wind for the last couple of weeks, so it just sits there damp very frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I am now finding it almost impossible with my parents living with me to get mostly sheets and towels (you have no idea how many towels are needed when you have an invalid in the house) dry I think I may have to crack and buy one to do the stuff that is taking 3 or 4 days to dry Crumbs Louise, I wouldn't hesitate in those circumstances - I think you ned one! As I say, because it's just me I don't have too much, and I have spare rooms to hang it in. I used to get cross with a friend of mine who used it all year round 'because it spoiled the look of the garden to have washing hanging in it' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 That was always my point too Olly I only had my own and could hide it away in a spare room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I have neighbours who think this: Its crazy. We live in the middle of nowhere, "Ooops, word censored!"ody would see their washing. Its so weird as they are quite environmentally conscious in lots of other ways. They say it is from years of living in a flat in London where they weren't allowed to put out their washing. Old habits die hard I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 My late mother in law thought you would burn in hell fire everlasting if you hung washing out on a Sunday! If you were to hang underwear on the line you were totally beyond redemption! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 When our next door neighbour hung out washing on Christmas Day we knew it was time to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 When our next door neighbour hung out washing on Christmas Day we knew it was time to move. That is hysterical Jules. I love the deadpan delivery. Even I wouldn't go that far although I do hate to waste a sunny day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 We had lovely neighbours when we bought the house in 1994. They moved in 1998 to Yorkshire (Thorne) & we still keep in touch. They are a lovely retired couple. We sold up 18 months later, & moved here 8 years ago yesterday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I try not to use the tumble dryer, but with five of us (and 4 of us boys ) the washing does tend to mount up. I line dry wherever possible; I have an airer that can be lowered from the kitchen ceiling for any jeans or things that would take ages in the tumbler; so in theory only small loads of easy to dry clothes go in the dryer. Until I have a day at work and OH decides to play at 'househusband'. Then the tumbledryer goes on all day with everything in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 My last tumble drier died 10 years ago and I've never replaced it due to lack of space. I line dry when I can and when it's not able to go outside, I have an 8ft ceiling mounted airer on pulleys in the space above the stairs and I can dry no end up there as the heat rises and dries it really efficiently and it's out of the way up there. I've also got another ceiling mounted airer on pulleys in the utility plus a wooden concertina type clothes horse and another folding one which I set up in the conservatory. Washing dries overnight on all of them. I've not missed the tumble drier at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 My house is too small to have washing hanging around and cluttering up the place, also, because I'm out at work all day, the house is cold, and it never dries. I dry what I can outside on good days, although if it looks like rain in the morning, I don't hang it out as it would be soaked when I got home I resisted a drier for ages, then about 4 years ago, a great aunt gave me some money for Christmas and I used it to buy a condensing drier and it has revolutionised my life It is very energy efficient and I used the water in the condenser on the garden. I am normally very frugal with electricity, but I feel that this is worth it. Otherwise, there is no way that all my washing would be dry indoors before it went mouldy It doesn't get used in the summer though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 Got the airer yeaterday, but today is lovely here therefore washing fluttering on the line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
