How To Choose A Great Air Dryer
We’ve talked before about why you would want to use an air dryer, but we didn’t go into how to choose one if you don’t already have one. The same applies if you’ve got one in the yard but it’s seen better days.
First and foremost, be aware that there are literally thousands of air dryers on the market, ranging from indoor airers to outdoor washing lines. Even those two types have a huge variety of designs available, and you can read more about them on specialist websites like helpwiththewashing.co.uk and rotarywashingline.net. The internet is full of sites like those, addressing all sorts of clothes drying gadgets, devices and ideas, ranging from the good old washing like to more innovative devices like travel dryers. Just take advantage of Google to find reviews of what you like the look of.
Choosing the right product is about knowing what you want. If you’ve got a clear idea in your mind then that’s great, but all too often we know we’ve got a problem but how to solve it is a mystery. For example, if you live in a pokey little flat, the chances are a rotary washing line isn’t going to be the best solution, so an electric heated airer may be far more appropriate, especially if you’ve got no way to install a tumble dryer at home.
If you’re using an indoor solution, you need to understand that ventilation is key to regular laundry runs. There’s a couple of reasons why that’s important.
Drying Time
The more moisture in the air, the longer it takes clothing to dry indoors – in fact the same applies outdoors too, but there’s less you can do about that. If you’re familiar with student halls in university, you’ll no doubt have met a few people that choose to dry their laundry in their bedrooms. Some of them might even have hand washed them in the sink too, meaning that they start the drying process with much more water than the alternative of machine washing.
The attraction of course, especially with students, is the saving of not paying to use the dryers. The downside is that it can take a very long time do dry a lot of laundry in a small enclosed space, so it’s important to open windows and doors where possible, to allow the humidity to recede. The air is only capable of holding so much moisture, so allowing that to get away is only possible with good ventilation. What’s more, if you’re in a bedroom for days on end with wet washing drying slowly it’s probably not doing your lungs a great deal of good, and will probably start to smell too!
Condensation
The second point you should be aware of is condensation forming – especially if you’re a regular with indoor laundry drying. Again, the solution is good ventilation, to allow the moisture to escape as clothes dry.
Condensation is something most people have seen formed on the inside of windows on cold winters mornings, although it’s much less common these days than it was for our parents, as double and triple glazing has reduced its prevalence. It happens when the humidity indoors means that there’s enough water to form as the warm air on the inside of the window touches the cold pane of glass, cooled by the outside temperature. When that difference is large enough, visible droplets form on the inside of a home’s windows.
It’s even worse if you’re drying laundry indoors with insufficient ventilation – eventually the problem can compound and result in mouldy walls, just like the seals around windows can blacken if they’re not dried regularly through the winter months.
Outdoors Is Best
If at all possible, dry washing outdoors. It’s possible to dry washing on a line outside all year round, even if it does take a lot longer in winter than during the warm summer months. If you find that by dusk the washing is still damp, you can hang it on an airer inside as a fall back plan, it’s going be a lot dryer than hanging it on an airer indoors straight after washing.
If you’re really struggling to dry laundry outdoors, it might be time to consider professional help. Gaynor Alder Laundry Services can solve your laundry dilemmas with their friendly and speedy collection and return service. It’s available at prices that you’ll be surprised by, and we’re sure you’ll never look back once you give us a try.