Many homes in the UK do not come with dryers for drying wet clothes and laundry. Instead, it is common to use clothes airers as a method of drying clothes inside. They can also be referred to as a drying rack or clothes horse.
How does a clothes airer work?
After washing your clothes in the washing machine, take the wet clothes out and simply hang them over the clothes airer. Place the airer somewhere warm and out of the way. The warmth from your home will gradually dry the clothes and they should be fully dry in 1-2 days (depending on the temperature). As the water will evaporate into the air, it is important to take measures to avoid the build up of mould inside the property. This includes regularly opening windows or using a de-humidifier. When it’s not being used, most airers fold down to a smaller size to be stored.
What types of airers are there?
There are a few different designs of airers. Your decision may depend on the space you have available, both for when the airer is and is not in use.
Tiered airer
This is the most common type. Since it’s tiered, this airer takes up little floor space but can still hold a large amount of clothes. Get a tiered airer
Folding airer
This is also a popular type of airer. Folding airers can hold a lot of clothes and pack away very small. They typically take up more floor space than tiered areas, however. Get a folding airer
Electric clothes airer
Electric clothes airer speed up the drying process by gently heating the airer (and, by extension, the clothes). This can be helpful if you are a family and have limited space – especially in the winter, when colder temperatures lead to longer drying times. Get an electric clothes airer
