Say Goodbye to Outdoor Drying

Hands up if you love a ‘good drying day’- getting your washing out on the line and knowing it’ll all be dry and ready to put away in a couple of hours. Us too! So no wonder we get a little antsy when the colder months start to creep up on us. What are we going to do with all that washing when the sun and breeze turn to cold and rain? Fear not though, we have a plan!

1) Utilise it. One of the most underappreciated but (potentially) most useful rooms in your home is the utility room. And it’ll be the utility room that will be your laundry saviour this autumn and winter. We’ll often heap clothes on the radiator in the colder weather but research suggests that the increased moisture can lead to household damp and even health problems. Using your utility room to dry clothes means you can contain the extra moisture to a specific place.

2) Dry it. Now to the pesky job of actually getting those mountains of washing dry. A dryer is an obvious solution but if you prefer a more environmentally friendly option then a clothes airer can be cheap and effective for smaller items like underwear and children’s clothes. For bigger items like adults clothing, install one of our bestselling Chrome Tube Hanging Rails, place clothes on hangers and hook on to dry. At 2m, this will fit most utility rooms wall to wall, and drying this way will save on ironing too! Just make sure the room is well ventilated to get rid of the extra moisture, and place clothes far enough apart to allow air to circulate.

3) Organise it. Doing the laundry in the autumn and winter won’t seem like such a chore if your utility room is super organised. Having everything on hand will also knock hours off this job over the coming seasons. A laundry basket is always a welcome addition for storing laundry and moving easily. A couple of our White Adjustable Shelves above the washing machine and dryer will keep your detergent and iron tidy and within reach.

4) Steam it. We tend to wash clothes on autopilot, but items that just need a refresh can be quickly steamed which saves both water and the hassle of drying. A steamer can be a useful addition that won’t take up much space in your utility room. When you’re ready to steam, pull up the pole and hanger and you can be steaming in seconds. They’ll make quick work of kid’s blazers and work clothes, and you can also steam bedding and delicate items that you’d normally hand wash.

5) Hang it. With everything clean and dry comes the Marmite of all laundry tasks- ironing! But whether you love it or you hate it, make it easy on yourself with a dedicated ironing area. Dry or freshly steamed clothes can be hung on the Chrome Wire Clothes Rack (keep it stacked with ‘good’ hangers like these fab Wooden Hangers) ready for ironing. Then once ironed, they can go straight into the wardrobe. Make taking your dirty clothes and empty hangers downstairs each morning a ritual, and you’ll have a pretty great system going on and a utility room to be proud of!