Thinking of buying a clothes dryer/airer

[free spirit]

That's what we've got, but a custom one that's 11ft long. We don't have a tumble drier or anything, but clothes dry up there in a day or so.

the fact Ian Curtis hanged himself on one, just round the corner, occasionally gives me a sense of disquiet

I've just redone the ceiling in my parents kitchen (well got a plasterer in then I painted it) and bought a new 8 ft one of these, then put the old one up in the cellar by the washing machine for drying non-urgent stuff.

reckon we'll save loads of energy through not using the radiators as much

 

[free spirit]

ah yes I have some of that on the seal too except when I try to take it off it won't come off

wire wool / hot water / scrub

 

[moomoo]

Normal white vinegar.

I'm going to give it a go then.

Free spirit, how do they attach to the ceiling? Is it a tricky job?

 

[Geri]

How do you dry your towels and bedding if you don't have a tumble dryer and it's raining?

On the clothes horse, same as I dry the rest of my clothes.

I've never had a tumble dryer.

 

[gentlegreen]

I decant my pants and socks to a couple of these when they've drip-dried (on hangers) for a while. (too heavy when wet).

 

[Mogden]

Minky are the best make. You can move them when they're covered with clothes without them collapsing. This means in good weather I can stick 'em outside and when rain threatens I just pick 'em up and carry 'em in. I have two and they're great.

We do this too

We've got an X Wing one which is quite groovy.

I believe the weird smell thing does come from a mixture of overloading cos the air can't get round everything, and it taking too long to dry, rather like when you forgot to empty your swimming bag when you were a nipper. Vinegar FTW! It really does work as a fabric softener and it doesn't make you smell like a Harry Ramsden's shop, honest.

 

[sheothebudworths]

eq you're sure I don't need to add something? just the hot water?

Soda crystals!

moomoo - I hang bedding and towels (and jumpers and jeans) over the doors!

Everything else goes on the retractable line (well, 4 lines) over the bath...

...and for overspill, I have one of VP's tent ones.

 

[sheothebudworths]

I'm bumping this, cos yesterday I decided my own machine was due a hot soda crystal cycle...but ever since, the washing machine has been stinky!

There was no smell before, but now it smells as though there's old water which hasn't drained away properly.

I've since done another wash, a fast spin and stuck the 2 minute 'drain' option on for good measure (not that I can see any water collected anywhere), but it still honks!

WTF?!?

 

[Tank Girl]

oooh I did an empty boil cycle yesterday sheo. we're on the same wavelength

 

[Mogden]

Could be that the wash out has popped a hole through a build up of soap powder or something and the smell is cos there's a lump of it in yer tubes or it's the smell wafting through a newly washed hole in the build up.

 

[sheothebudworths]

oooh I did an empty boil cycle yesterday sheo. we're on the same wavelength

Again!

 

[sheothebudworths]

Could be that the wash out has popped a hole through a build up of soap powder or something and the smell is cos there's a lump of it in yer tubes or it's the smell wafting through a newly washed hole in the build up.

Yeah - had a snoop around all the washing machine forums and it seemed to suggest that it may actually have just revealed something that was already there (errrr....obviously...but I hope you see what I mean...).

It also suggested that that something may be a dirty filter that needs cleaning, but I'm ignoring that bit cos I've got a Hotpoint with a very inaccessible filter ...so I tried another option first, which was to do another empty hot cycle hoping that that'll properly dislodge the smelly thing.

So far, so good....but I'm leaving the door pushed to for a bit, before I'm confident that it's a good result....