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6 clever ways to dry clothes indoors when you don't have space for an airer
Here’s how to dry clothes indoors when you’re tight on space
The weather couldn’t be more unpredictable this September. One minute it’s hot and humid with glorious sun. The next, it’s tipping it down with torrential rain and we’re making a last-minute dash to bring the washing in.
Drying laundry outdoors is a little optimistic given the conditions. But when space is tight indoors, what’s the alternative? If you don’t have a tumble dryer, clothes airers are the only way to go, and these can become obstacles if the floor space is limited.
Luckily, there are more ingenious ways to dry clothes indoors when a clothes airer won’t fit. We’ve found 6 here to give you some inspiration.
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Vileda Single Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line, 15m
Vileda Single Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line, 15m
Your airer is out of sight until you need it with a retractable washing line, such as this Vileda Single Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line. You simply fix the unit to the wall, then slide out the line when you need it and hook it to the other side of the room. And that’s it! You have a makeshift washing line.
This line is 15m long and can hold up to 15kg of washing. It works well in the garden, the garage or the utility room. Joom offers a similar design which looks less conspicuous if you want something that blends in better.
Foxydry Mini Ceiling Clothes Airer
There might be limited space on your floors, but did you ever stop to think about how much space goes unused on your ceiling? There are clothes airers available that can be mounted on your ceiling, lowered and loaded when needed, then retracted out of sight again.
The Foxydry Mini Ceiling Clothes Airer holds up to 10kg of laundry and features a pulley system to raise and lower the eight bars by up to 180cm. Just don’t forget you’ve left it up there!
Rainberg Over The Door Clothes Airer
Rainberg Over The Door Clothes Airer
This one’s more limited in what it can hold, but it’s an ideal addition for hanging the abundance of damp towels once you’re out of the shower. Or you could just hang it in the laundry room itself, so there’s minimal effort as you transfer over your wet clothes.
While compact, this Rainberg Over The Door Clothes Airer can still hold 4kg of washing and it offers 10 bars to make best use of the door’s length. Again, this is space you wouldn’t use otherwise.
Step Up Laundry Drying Rack
This is another option if you want to hide your clothes airer when not in use. On this design, you open the short double doors to extend and reveal several rods for drying clothes, which then retract as you close the doors again – simple as.
This Step Up Laundry Drying Rack features 5 rods for drying up to 20kg of laundry. If that’s not enough space, this Brabantia WallFix Retractable Clothes Line offers more room, but this is designed predominantly for outdoor use!
Black+Decker Extendable Over Bath Airers
Black+Decker Extendable Over Bath Airers
Clothes that are hand-washed drip relentlessly while they dry. If you want to save yourself from a soggy carpet, and free up some floor space at the same time, an over-the-bath clothes airer can help.
If the name didn’t give it away, these sit on the edges of the bath and hold the wet laundry directly above the tub. Again, space is limited on one of these, but how much do you really hand wash in one go? We like the Black+Decker Extendable Over Bath Airer because it offers 10 bars (8kg laundry capacity) and features little feet to grip the tub.
Lakeland Dry:Soon Heated Drying Pod Indoor Electric Clothes Airer
Lakeland Dry:Soon Heated Drying Pod Indoor Electric Clothes Airer
If you’re happy sticking to your clothes airer, but you’d rather it dried laundry quicker, it’s worth upgrading to a heated clothes airer. These work faster by gently heating the clothes as they dry, so it needn’t be on display for so long.
To reap the rewards, but save space, we recommend the Dry:Soon Heated Drying Pod. Pods are smaller than full-size tiered or winged heated airers and concentrate the power on a smaller number of items.
This Lakeland design scored 92/100 and was ranked as the best heated clothes pod on test at the GHI. It holds up to 12 garments and scored well for its effectiveness and efficiency.
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