The laundry just won't dry!

**Valerie in WA** · 11-14-2005, 07:07 PM

Waa!

First I tried the line up in the attic. 24 hours later the clothes were still wet and starting to sour.

Today it's been sunny. I thought, "Surely today I can line dry outdoors." NOT!! After 5 hours, only a handful of things were damp. Everything else was just WET!

Okay, sorry, just had to get that out.

Oh, and while I'm venting, do you know what my not-so-d h said? He said "Did you try to dry in the attic?" Me: yes. Him: "I thought you said something about that the other day, but then I thought, nah, too kooky."

**SHOPGIRL** · 11-14-2005, 07:11 PM

Well, you might have too much humidity in your house.

**nodmicks** · 11-14-2005, 07:13 PM

I tried to dry outside today also and now have damp clothes hanging on chairs. Bah!

**forestdale** · 11-14-2005, 07:36 PM

Now on the other end of the scale, I put my first load of washing out this morning and when I took the second lot out, the first lot was dry.

Valerie, do you have a small electric fan you could use on the clothes, you need some air to be moving around them. What about a drying cupboard?
http://www.lofemik.fr/faq_UK.html

or this one. It's expensive but you might be able to get a second hand one.
http://www.whirlpool.com/catalog/pro...t=130&prod=459

http://sweets.construction.com/mfg/22334/P33565.htm

**pita1213** · 11-14-2005, 07:50 PM

o0o0o i want one! too bad we rent. but i'd probably have a bunch of lines in teh yard if we owned a house.

but boy that sure is neat!

**canadian gardener** · 11-14-2005, 09:47 PM

hmmm it's a november problem. Even my area which is normally dry is damp right now in the change of weather. Dh's knees are bugging him and some of my joints are complaining.

Chalk it up to weather, and try later when the winter is in full force and the dry heated indoor air can use the moisture, and if that doesn't do it, you just have a damp climate.

I'm north of you, and November and early December are the dampest months of the year in my normally dry desert climate (think the dry side of Washington, and take a line north)

**homesteadmamma** · 11-14-2005, 09:51 PM

I'm having the same problem due to high humidity. We don't normally have this high humidity this time of the year so I've never had the problem before.

I have 3 clothes racks in dd's bedroom and it takes a good 2 days to dry anything now. Normally it takes no longer than 24 hours.
I was even tempted to purchase a dryer it is so bad.

**Valerie in WA** · 11-15-2005, 10:51 AM

I never knew there were such things as those drying cabinets! Wow. I do have a functioning dryer. I just was having so much fun line-drying since I got my line in August. (is there a pouting smiley?)

I do live in a damp climate. I'm on the 'wet' side of Washington (think Seattle). I'll just plan on not trying again until March or April. Well maybe I'll try a table top fan in the attic. Would a table top fan running for a few hours us less power than running a dryer for just one hour?

...Okay, I just checked the current weather: It's been dry and clear overnight, the clouds are high and it's still 75% humidity. Ugh!

**homesteadmamma** · 11-15-2005, 11:10 AM

Valerie, I'm not sure a fan would work with that high humidity. Our humidity right now is at 100%.

Do you have clothesracks? You could set those up in a bedroom where you have a heat and see how long it takes to dry them.

**Englishlady** · 11-15-2005, 11:26 AM

Valerie, I have hung a couple of washing lines across our smallest bedroom that we use as a study.

With the hot air rising it drys in less than 12 hours

of course we have to duck under the clothes now & again, but it keep the clutter to the one room and because the heating is already on it isn't costing anything.

It's a matter of aesthetics vs savings, I am sure most people can find a place to string up a line somewhere around their house, if we can in about 800 ( or so) square feet, with no laundry room then I am sure most of you have more space than we do

The other thing to think about, if they are starting to pong a bit, then if you have to wash the clothes all over again , it isn't really saving anything, which is frustrating.

You could compromise by doing say 15 mins in the Dryer and then hanging the stuff in a room with some heat?

HTH
Good luck
Karen

**mom22grls** · 11-15-2005, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by Englishlady
The other thing to think about, if they are starting to pong a bit, then if you have to wash the clothes all over again , it isn't really saving anything, which is frustrating.

 

Yup.  This is what happens to me.  This time of the year, I dry most everything in the dryer or else it takes too long & they stink. 

**schellie69** · 11-15-2005, 01:12 PM

I bought a new HE washer and dryer, the dryer has a sensor on it so as soon as the clothes are dry it stops running, this has helped alot electric bill down to 86 dollars last month that was from $203 so running a bad dryer can add up I hand sheets and blankets when weater allows but I really don't have anywhere in the house to hang a line, so I just use the dry and usally my dryer is done before the washer, so in winter have to use dryer summer is better here but I do belive that nice weather is over here so all clothes will have to be dryed in dryer until spring.

**many houseapes** · 11-15-2005, 01:46 PM

yep, i would agree that it is the humidity...we're in south texas, and it doesn't matter if its a nice sunny day in nov-apr, if there is humidity in the air, the clothes don't dry very well..gggggrrrrr. I can hang them out at 7:30am and by 4:30 or so, some of them still need a quick 15 min in the dryer....some days i am lucky if they dry at all.

**hollyhill** · 11-15-2005, 03:05 PM

Hi Valerie

I am just north of you. We are on the wet coast. What I do is listen to the forecast. If they are forecasting sun with a breeze I prepare to do a lot of laundry (sheets etc). Otherwise I try and keep ahead of the laundry and do one load a day. I have enough room on two racks for one load. I keep the load under the vents in the basement. So whenever the heat turns on (not very often) it blows dry air down on them. Most things dry by next morning.

If the outside laundry isn't completely dry I put it in the dyer to finish. It usually doesn't take very long (lot less energy is used than if I had to completely dry it in the dryer.)

So maybe you can find a not too obvious heat vent to use. And try to do aload 1st thing in the morning.

**Michele Annette** · 11-16-2005, 09:08 AM

Sorry Valerie you are having so much trouble with your laundry drying. Have you tired drying your laundry for 15 minutes before you hang it? It's still very damp but not sopping wet. I have to do that in the highest humity of the Summer months. It seems to help a lot. Most of the laundry is dry within 24-36 hours without any mold or mildew. Good luck finding a solution Valerie!