Yeah, I don’t have a dryer. Did you get excited? Sorry.
In case you didn’t already know (and you must not frequent my blog if you don’t – because it is one thing I do like to complain about), I don’t have a dryer. I don’t have a dryer hook-up. I don’t even technically have a washer hook-up.
(Good thing I married me a handy-dandy engineer.)
So for the past year and a half, I have been using drying racks (during inclimate weather only, of course – but living in the Midwest, “inclimate weather” takes up a good half the year). They consume a large portion of our living room. And the clothes take a day or two to dry, depending on the thickness of the fabric.
Lately, I’ve been glaring at my drying racks. When I hang pants and towels, they prevent anything else from drying, as they touch everything beneath them and trap in moisture.
Then, while strolling down the aisles at Wal-Mart (which I don’t let myself do too often, and for this very reason), I saw something I absolutely had to have.
And for once, my husband agreed with me.
HANGING DRYING RACKS.
Look! Look how little space they take up! And I can hang them right above the heating vent. And the pants? When they hang, they do not cover or touch anything beneath them! (We measured this to be absolutely sure – Josh even got out a plumb line to make sure they were straight.)
And look! Look what I can do when they are not in use (Which has yet to happen since the day I took this picture)! They fold so nicely into the wall!
I even moved that microwave cart and set up a fan to blow on them. The clothes that used to take two days to dry now only take half a day!
DEFINITELY works for me.
Anybody out there also dryer-challenged? Anybody? I would appreciate knowing I’m not the only one in the 21st century that hangs my clothes to dry every single day.
I hang clothes to dry every day. I love your idea! Unfortunately we are only allowed to use 3M products on the walls. We can’t even use sticky tac! It specifically said that in the rules! We are taking the chance that if we are good, we will be able to get most of our deposit back. We shall see . . . Besides not putting holes in the wall, the drying racks I have are the expandable kind that are metal. I used to have a wooden one like you have, but I hated it. I can’t even remember what happened anymore. I just remember hating it, thinking that the metal ones would last longer because the wood can’t warp, and loving that they expand in width. All that to say, I love your idea and yes, there is someone else who hangs all their clothes to dry. I, however, don’t have children. That makes you better than me. 🙂
That is just ingenious!
I went for years without a dryer. I didn’t have dryer racks. I used hangars and a bakers rack!! I was so thankful when I finally did own a dryer. I’m thankful each time I use it. I LOVE your new racks. Wish I’d had them in my hanging days!!
I don’t have a working dryer. Oh, I mean I DO have a working dryer, but I didn’t hook it up after my last dryer died last spring. I hung clothes out on the porch in the summer, and now in the winter we use drying racks (2 of them) that we set in front of our steam heat radiators. The clothes dry within a couple of hours, even the jeans. I do one side, then turn the rack around and do the other side. We keep one in our front hall, and the other in the upstairs bathroom. It’s funky, but the amount of money we save by not using the freaking gas dryer is amazing. Plus, clothes last longer.
I have a dryer…but no dryer rack. I end up using patio furniture or bicycles to hang the larger items on like blankets or coats. 🙂
I have my eye on this rack from Ikea….
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50095091
I went without a dryer for quite a while. I would have LOVED those racks!
I have a dryer but it’s old, so I use it for towels and jeans. The other clothes I hang indoors (I rent, not allowed to have a clothesline) on hangers. My laundry room has wire shelving above the door and I can fit a lot of clothes if they are sideways on hangers!
Try hanging clothes on hangers on your shower rod.
No dryer. But no washer, either. I’m too lazy to drag wet laundry back from the laundromat and hang it in my 550 sq. ft. apartment (with no closets! gah!) so I dry it there.
How do you get the clothes soft? Anytime I’ve hung stuff to dry, it’s all…crispy-ish. Different from drying with fabric softener.
WOW Beth, that is great! I love it!
I have a dryer right now since I live with my parents, but I use it sparingly. Most things are hung to dry on a rack. I love it!
When I move out in a couple months, this newly formed habit will come in handy when I don’t have to spend money using the dryer in my apt. building.
Thanks! We just did a garage cleanout so that I have more room for my rack(same as yours). I never thought to hang it! I’ll be showing your pictures to my husband to see if we can rig the same. Great tip!
This is so cool!!!! I have an outdoor clothesline, but for the rainy dayst this is a great idea!!!
I’m definitely going to Wal-Mart to look for these! I’ve done without a dryer now for nine months! I use chair backs and mantels and open drawers. Everything! I can’t wait to take a look at these. Thanks so much for sharing!!
I do have a dryer…. but my personal goal is to dry no more than 50% of our family (of 6) laundry in it. In the summer I use my clothes line outside (we live in the country) and in the winter I have 2 big drying racks that sit by the wood stove in the dining room. We heat 80% of the time with wood….. it dries the clothes fast, and air drying the clothes helps replace the lost humidity in the air…… I wouldn’t do it any other way…. I just have to admit I love my dryer for socks, undies and other small items.
I have a dryer, but rarely use it in the summer. I use the line as much as possible in the winter (I’m in WV) but those racks are great. Trying to think wear they might fit here. . .
What a great idea! I’ve been meaning to ask what you do about drying your clothes and all those diapers in the winter (we deal with lots of rain, but not below freezing weather!).
those are awesome! nice job. 🙂
We don’t have a dryer either. My husband needed to cut a hole through the siding to vent and never did. I’ve been hanging clothes on plastic hangers and hanging to dry. I do have one of those dryer racks and need to have him screw it to the wall.
The socks and small items are what drives me nuts.
I do like have a smaller utility bill and being somewhat green.
Thanks for sharing that! My grandmother had something like that and I just assumed they no longer made these anymore. I want to get one to hang in my shower. In a city apartment there is so little space and the dryers cost $1.25 a load!
I love how you have hung the drying racks on the wall! GREAT Idea. Plus over a heating vent is AWESOME! Good thinking.
My dryer has been broken for some time, I am also NOT allowed to hang my clothes outside…. it is against the HOA rules =-( So I made a drying system in my master bathroom.
Here is a tiny picture of it =-)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/danalee/1211071410.jpg
Do you have a problem with it leaving lines through the middle of your clothes, or do they come out?
Hi there! I have 4 kids and line dry, outside in the summer and on sunny windy winter days, and inside on a rack I scored on freecycle by my woodstove on cold and cloudy days. Our yard is small so we use one of those umbrella type lines, that I salvaged, made some minor repairs to and restrung.
I have always hung my laundry outside to dry. I liked being out side and I liked hanging my laundry. There is not any thing to compare to line dried sheets. In the winter months I used the basement to dry in. Now that I am a senior and living in a 7 story apt. building I do not have a place to hang laundry outside. What works for me is that I use hangers regular and the kind that have clips at each end (stores use them to hang up pants) and I have collected many and they do a great job. I hang them on the shower curtain rod in the bath room. My sheets I drape over my ironing board (set up like it would be if I was going to iron something). Even if I do not hang laundry up until evening they are always dry in the morning. All of my blouses and tops go directly into the closet as they are already hung up. Sherrie Malik