Hanging laundry always takes up too much space and visually clutters the environment. Not all apartments are equipped with balconies, so you have to dry things in one of the rooms of the home. The easiest way to solve this problem is to purchase a dryer. However, the high cost and the need for free space for the device complicate the situation. There are many other ways to dry things without spending money or spoiling the beauty and neatness of your apartment.
Floor dryer
Conventional metal dryers are bulky and not very pleasant to look at. Instead, you should buy a dryer that is a little smaller, but more aesthetically pleasing. They are usually made of wood and coated with paint. Choosing exactly the one that will fit into the overall interior of the bathroom or any other room will not be difficult.
Floor dryers can be:
- Foldable.
- Tall.
- Reinforced, suitable for drying bed linen.
- On wheels.
Advice! A small drying rack can only accommodate one wash of clothes, but it is easy to clean and fits in a closet or pantry.
Advantages and disadvantages
The outdoor model of a clothes dryer, as practice shows, is a very convenient device to use that can make the life of a large number of housewives easier. Buyers note the following positive qualities of such products:
- allows you to save space in a small apartment, where there is not much space to place a lot of household appliances, furniture, and things;
- differ in compact sizes - you can prefer folding models, which, when assembled, can be easily stored in a niche, pantry, or closet;
- installation of such a product will not cause difficulties even for a teenager due to the simplicity of the design and its light weight;
- allow you to get clean, dry laundry that is not wrinkled or deformed during the drying process.
They are distinguished by affordable prices and attractive designs.
But an outdoor clothes dryer also has a number of disadvantages:
- no guarantee of a high degree of drying of laundry in frosty or humid weather. In bad weather conditions, an outdoor dryer can be installed on the balcony if there is enough free space;
- the need to take the item outside and bring it back after use. Modern designs are lightweight, but the very procedure of unfolding, moving outside and back, and folding causes irritation for many housewives;
- inability to dry heavy items on the product. If this is acceptable on a new product, then over time the dryer ropes weaken and sag. This leads to the fact that they cannot provide reliable support to heavy clothing.
Dryer on battery
This type of dryer is attached to the radiator and does not take up space on the floor. The device is light and compact, quickly removed and installed on both aluminum batteries and cast iron radiators. The price of the dryer is quite low, so all owners of apartments without balconies can afford it. Due to the heat that comes from the battery, things dry much faster. It is especially convenient to use this dryer in winter.
Advice! This type of dryer is suitable not only for clothes, but also for drying shoes. Simply place a pair of boots on top of the dryer rack.
Drying clothes in the apartment
Perhaps the most common option is a folding dryer, which can be installed in any room. A variety of models of such devices can be purchased in specialized stores at a very reasonable price. But it is not always possible to install such a structure in one of the rooms. Furniture, the condition of which is negatively affected by humidity or lack of sufficient space, can become a hindrance.
Types of dryers
The desire to protect their loved ones and achieve complete drying of clothes in the fresh air forces consumers to build all kinds of structures that can be placed outside the window. There are dryers that are mounted on the walls in the bathroom. These are small folding structures that require special reliable fastening and can withstand the load that occurs under the weight of wet items after washing. The laundry is dried on a triangle dryer, which does not take up much space and is installed in the utility room. A more expensive, but also better option is a tumble dryer or electric vertical dryer. This device can be installed even in the smallest spaces and allows you to achieve a positive result in the shortest possible time. The drying unit makes it possible to place as much laundry in the apartment after washing as one load of the washing machine can accommodate. When thinking about how to dry clothes in an apartment without a balcony, consumers sometimes find the most unexpected solutions. Such drying is possible using a folding structure, mounted directly on the wall and used only when no one is at home or everyone is sleeping. This is a fairly functional device, which when folded even decorates the room, successfully fitting into the created interior. Another device requires mounting to the ceiling. You can also use it in those apartments where there is no balcony, securing it with anchor bolts to the ceiling in the kitchen or hallway. A well-decorated design makes it possible to dry even heavy and bulky items without fear that the fastening will not hold them. Modern ceiling dryers are equipped with a lift mechanism. This way, the housewife does not need to climb a stepladder or stand on a bench or stool when hanging laundry. The crossbars smoothly lower and rise with things hung on them.
Ceiling dryer
This type of dryer is elegant and discreet. Being near the ceiling, they rarely catch the eye of guests and apartment residents . However, designer dryers or dryers made of wood can blend seamlessly into the interior, eliminating the need for the owner to hide the device. The dryer can be made in bright colors and serve as a pleasant addition to the color scheme of the room.
Related article: Life in color: bright household appliances
Device functions:
- When it is necessary to hang clothes, the dryer lowers, loads clothes and rises back.
- Some dryers are equipped with mechanical lifting and lowering.
- More automated dryers are equipped with a blower function, a timer and an automatic shut-off.
How to dry things indoors
If the apartment does not have a balcony, washed clothes can be dried in the room
To avoid problems when drying clothes, it is recommended to pay attention to the following rules:
In order for clothes to dry quickly, they must be thoroughly wrung out.
It is important to note that some things should not be squeezed too hard. A mandatory factor to quickly get dry shirts and dresses is ventilation. In addition, ventilation will prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors. It is best to dry clothes in a room where there are no foreign odors or excess moisture.
It follows that the kitchen is not suitable for drying. In order not to block the entire room with laundry, you need to purchase special drying devices.
High humidity
Every housewife knows that ventilation is an important factor, without which clothes cannot be dried. If you don't ventilate it, your laundry will start to stink. What to do in winter, when there is no way to open the window?
You can get rid of excess humidity using forced exhaust. Nowadays it is easy to purchase special fans that are built into the vent. If everything is done correctly, excess moisture will no longer be a problem.
Drying accessories
If the balcony does not have glazing and it is raining heavily outside, you will have to dry your clothes at home. Of course, shirts and pants can be hung on a pre-tensioned rope, but this is not very convenient. That is why it is recommended to use auxiliary structures.
Most often, experienced housewives use a clamshell dryer. This design allows you to hang a large amount of clothes. If you wash 1 or 2 times a week, all items will be placed on the structure. Those who like to do laundry only once a month will have to reconsider their habits.
Another interesting device that can be placed inside the bathroom is the triangle dryer. The design is installed directly on the bathtub, so you don’t have to wring out your clothes too much, since all the water will drain down the drain.
In winter, housewives are recommended to use a special canopy that is installed on the radiators. Thus, the drying process will take place several times faster.
Drying on open balconies
Most apartments have a balcony, but it may not be glazed. Despite this, in good weather you can dry things on it. You can use ropes to hang clothes, but this is not very convenient.
That is why it is recommended to pay attention to such a design as an accordion. This product is designed for heavy laundry.
The accordion is installed on the wall and, if necessary, moved apart.
Another device installed on non-glazed balconies is a drying lift. The advantage of the design is that the height of hanging things can be adjusted.
Dryers built into furniture
Such a device consists of elementary metal rods that are built into various elements of fittings. Often cabinets, small cabinets and drawers are equipped with dryers.
When folded, the device is completely invisible. Such a dryer can be made part of the design if the color of the device matches the color of the furniture.
Tips for choosing
When choosing an outdoor dryer, you need to consider a number of important points so as not to regret the purchase:
- level of compactness - linen will not take up much free space on the balcony or in the bathroom if you choose a model that is relevant to the size of the room. To do this, you will need to measure the width and length of the room where you plan to install the dryer;
- material of manufacture - price is not the main guideline when choosing an outdoor dryer. Be sure to inspect the material from which the model is made. If it has wood fastenings, they must be treated with a protective varnish to protect them from negative factors in the environment. If the model is made of metal, then it must have an anti-corrosion coating. Otherwise, the product will quickly become covered with rust after contact with water;
- the quality of the working surface - it will determine the maximum level of load that the device can withstand. For a large family, it is worth choosing a model with a large working surface that can be used for drying clothes, as well as heavy textiles;
- the amount of laundry that is planned to be placed on the dryer.
An excessively large product is only necessary in the case of large-scale washing of large quantities of laundry. For a family of two people, this option will be superfluous.
Also, many buyers are wondering how to make a clothes dryer. Making such a device is not difficult.
Wall dryers
Folding fixtures that attach to walls. At any time, the device can be folded so that it practically ceases to take up space. The dryer is convenient because it is located on the wall, which is almost always free. The ideal solution for the bathroom. A type of wall-mounted dryer is an accordion dryer, which can be folded out if necessary.
It is not worth taking up space with ordinary floor dryers if the apartment is not large enough and there is no balcony. Instead, purchase a drying rack that will occupy an empty wall or ceiling. Another solution is a small compact floor dryer, or a specialized device mounted in a cabinet or drawer.
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Where not to dry clothes
It is not recommended to dry clothes in:
- In the kitchen. There it will absorb odors and may become covered in grease from cooking. In addition, the design does not always look beautiful;
- In the bedroom, since linen creates excessive moisture, it kills romantic relationships;
- In the nursery. This is harmful to the baby's sleep, and besides, a large child will simply drop the dryer or get things dirty.
When buying a washing machine, choose a model with a good spin cycle; in this case, you will receive the laundry semi-dry, and it will dry in just a couple of hours. It’s up to the family to decide which method to choose, but in any case, there is a way to dry clothes and it doesn’t necessarily take up much space. Even the smallest dryer can easily accommodate one bed's worth of clothes, so just wash them one at a time.
