(image from Argos.co.uk)
I posted some weeks ago about my frustrations with the damp November weather meaning that my washing wasn't getting dry in the verandah, because that largely relies upon sunshine to heat the area and heat the washing up! Inside I have only two airers which the FH made, which take a load between them.
So I went to Argos and spent a little money - £26 odd. A little, compared to the lot I had slightly considered spending at Lakeland on a heated airer!! I bought two of these airers, pictured above.
They will hold about a load each, depending on what I have washed. If it is a load of towels, or trousers, they have to share the load. One is near a radiator in the lounge, and the other is on the landing, again near a radiator, but also at the top of the stairs, taking advantage of any rising heat from downstairs. Now that the weather is definitely colder, we are using the central heating for about an hour in the mornings whilst we get up and moving!
And are they helping? You bet! In conjunction with the original airers, and an over the radiator type of rail which is actually over a door where I can hang items on coathangers, we have the washing dilemma sorted out here. Most things are dry within two days, and the washing heap isn't getting too big these days.
Bearing in mind that I am drying all this stuff indoors now, I am aware of the need to prevent condensation, and I have several windows open a crack on the first notch to allow air to circulate. When the weather is fine and dry outside, windows are thrown open for at least 15 minutes a day to get some fresh air.
6 comments:
As a child, I was fascinated by a friend who lived in a huge old house, and her mother had a proper Edwardian airer on a pulley which hung high from the kitchen ceiling. Washing out of the way but drying happily.
Sadly our modern homes have much lower ceilings! Mind you, the lower ceilings mean they are easier to keep warm - you win some, you lose some...
weekend blessings - keep warm!!
We struggle to get everything dried but have found that, even in November, putting washing outside, on dry days, reduces drying time inside.
I have to have a dehumidifier (damp coming through walls etc) but drying my washing next to that is a really useful side effect.
I have also got an over the door airer from ebay (my friend) which helps. But it is a real dilemma, isn't it? You seem to have got it all worked out, and I am slightly envious of anyone with a verandah WS xxx
My house smells lovely as all our laundry is on three racks in front of the wood burner which chucks out a mass of heat and dries the house out, hooray for indoor racks xxx
@Froogs - yes, our woodburner also contributes to the drying, but usually only late at night once the FH has finished watching tv for the evening! My airers would block his view...but I do stoke up the fire and use the heat for the clothes too.
@Sybil - my dehumidifier helped out last year, but it has started to smell strangely, as if it has got something wrong, so I have resorted to good old fashioned ventilation this year! It does help, but I suppose it is better for the electricity bill here if I can manage without it.
@SarahElisabeth - absolutely agree with you over hanging out the washing on dry days, but I have found that I just don't have time to keep moving wet washing from one place to another, so it is easier and quicker for me to use the indoor system over the winter...once we get some good drying weather in late February or early March, mine will be out there again too!
@Angela - I am still mourning the loss of the high ceilings we had in the Cupar house where we had two of those airers in the bathroom, and I never had this dilemma at all! They are wonderful.
I am quite worried about our flat getting too damp. We don't have a tumble drier and there's never a sunny day in Bristol for clothes drying! I try to dry it in the two warmest rooms. Still, there's a lot of moisture in the air. I'm considering getting a dehumidifier!
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