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For around 9 years we lived in a little 1 bedroom flat. With a child too. We originally felt like we had lots of space, and made room for pets as well. We also had space to store all the items for our daughter but finally, when she was 3.5 we were able to move house. Into an actual house! Hence the update to this post that has been popular for a few years now. It worked out well for us, for the most part, living in a flat. There was hardly anything I dislike about living here, besides drying clothes in a flat and my neighbour banging all the time!
Obviously, it is easy enough to use a washing line in your garden, if you have one. It is also easy to use a tumble drier if you have room for one. We personally had room for a tumble dryer but I like to try and cut back on the electric bill where possible.
Today I am going to share some tips with you to help make drying clothes in a flat a little bit easier for you. I did this for around 9 years. Obviously there is the usual tip of using your radiators but hopefully, this post offers some alternatives for you to consider.
Stay organised with your washing
Have a regular schedule when it comes to washing. If you have a lot of washing then check your basket every day or every other day. When you change your bedding get the old set straight into the wash and hung up to dry as quickly as you can.
Before I had children I would have 1-2 days a week where I would get all of the washing done. Now that I have a 3-year-old I do a wash almost every day. I will also add loose items to the machine throughout the week, such as hand towels, and then get a wash done during the evening if needed. My daughter has FPIES, which can generate a lot of washing, so I just ensure that I stay organised the best I can.
Have a reliable washing machine
Personally, I have a Beko washing machine. This is an 8kg machine and has a ton of fantastic cycles. It has a timer and individual options for the temperature and spin speed, among other things. There are quick wash, half wash and freshen up cycles. These are all well utilised in my home and I frequently use the spin cycle to give towels and bedding another spin to remove as much water as possible. This helps with drying time considerably and only takes a few minutes.
**Limescale & Detergent for Washing Machines
I look after my washing machine by using a washing machine cleaner. This is around £1 per month when you buy a 12 month supply. It works fantastically well and is simple to use as well. Also, having a reliable washing machine is great when using Dylon fabric dye.
Ventilate your home
We like to have our windows open as much as possible anyway but this is great for ventilation. When drying clothes in a flat you can potentially suffer problems with mould growth. By ensuring that we keep our home well ventilated, using an extractor fan and fresh air, we’ve managed to avoid this for 5 years.
Use a dehumidifier
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I have a *dehumidifier with a feature for when clothes are drying. This extracts lots of moisture from the air which helps to dry clothes quicker and also protect my house from condensation and damp the best I can.
Buy a heated airer – the best way to dry clothes in a flat
*A heated airer can be a fantastic aid in drying clothes in a flat. The above airer costs less than 6p an hour to run and you can also use it as a normal airer when you don’t want to heat it. Best of all, when not in use it folds down to just 8cm wide. This is ideal for tucking down the side of a wardrobe, kitchen cupboard or avoiding cluttering your hall cupboard. This is my best way to dry clothes in a flat – by far! If you’re trying to work out how to dry washing in a small flat then I doubt you’ll regret this! Yes it’s quite large when it is out but it dries clothes quickly and folds down nicely.
I’ve recently bought a heated airer, and have reviewed it too! Come take a look and solve all your clothes drying problems!
Utilise the space over your bath
*This *Over Bath Airer is a fantastic way to make the most of unused space. It can be folded down when not in use and gives you a nice amount of drying space for underwear and smaller items.
Utilise the space in more than one way!
*When we moved into our home it had a *Retractable Washing Line already in place over the bath. This was fitted, as standard, by the builder of our block of flats. These are surprisingly cheap to purchase and relatively easy to install. This is a great way to make use of unused space also.
Where to dry clothes in a flat?
Anywhere you can! Ideally, you want a room with good ventilation and where you can open a window to avoid moisture build-up. If you don’t have this option the use any extractor fans you have and give your washing an extra spin to remove any moisture.
How to dry clothes quickly in a flat?
If you’re short on time and just need to dry one item then consider hanging it on a radiator for a short while with the heating on. Then use a hairdryer or a steam iron to finish it off.
If you’re looking to dry a load of clothes fast then I’d suggest a heated airer. Load it up with just one load of washing and rotate & move around the clothes regularly every hour or two. I’ve been able to dry some full loads in just a few hours, although it depends on the thickness of the clothing of course!
I hope that my tips for drying clothes in a flat have been of some help to you. Being organised is a great way to keep on top of it and avoid feeling overwhelmed. If I have guests coming over then I avoid doing washing that day, so the flat doesn’t feel so cluttered. By using an extra spin, ventilating well and utilising our bathroom space I’ve been able to cut down on our drying time, and the spread of items, considerably.
If you enjoyed this post I’d love it if you could pin it on Pinterest!
We’ve been using a heated airer from Lakeland for the past 2 years now and I wouldn’t be without it! Good post.
I have a rack over my bath, it is very elegant and efficient at the same time.
Great way to utilise the space in your home!
hey – the image of the heated airer seems to be gone – can you link to it in the text?
Hello Hanna! Some of the links were out of date so I’ve updated the images. Here is a direct link for you: http://amzn.to/2zWchgG
Fab suggestions. When we lived in a flat the over the bath airer was a life saver!
So hard finding ways to get it all dry in a flat isn’t it!
Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I love the look of the air purifier, going to check out your post on it now x
Hope you find it useful – thanks for stopping by!
I like the idea of essential oils, hadn’t considered that before. Nice touch.
What great tips. I like to keep our house ventilated even in winter, otherwise we get black mould on the back wall x
Great tips here. I had never thought of how a couple of family member drys their clothes in their flat before. I shall pass these tips onto them.
We lived in a flat and drying clothes was a nightmare! Some great tips here lovely 🙂 x
I can’t wait to move – just to have a washing line!
Thank you. Can’t wait to get a washing line!
Great post, Katy! We only live in a small house, without a tumble dryer and using the garden is fine in the summer but its a nightmare this time of year. Really interested in getting an air purifier!
So hard not having a dryer and it being Winter isn’t it!
My tumble drier dies last week and I am finding it impossible to get clothes dry, despite having a garden and airer. Our problem is we have too much washing – Cannot wait for it to be fixed.
Hope yours is back up and running soon! x
I’d forgotten all about over bath dries – had one growing up, but now I have a free standing one and am in a flat with no outdoors (my last flat had a balcony and only a shower so didn’t need one) might make a nice birthday present from my mum I think, especially as she has got 2!
It’s hard keeping on top of all the drying of clothes in a flat isn’t it! x
We’ve also put an extra shower rail over the bath, parallel to the actual shower rail. This is perfect for hanging sheets or large towels and takes zero storage space as it just stays there whether it’s being used or not.
That’s a great tip, thank you for sharing!