The most popular drying racks on the market are manufactured from plastic coated metal or chrome plated materials that are water and corrosion resistant.  They ideal formation of these dryers should allow for as much air circulation and the concertina style means that you are able to structure your airer to fit the kind of clothes that you need drying.

photo credit: erix!

Most of the popular designs from manufacturers such as Household Essentials, Moerman and Whitmor offer in the region of 30 feet of drying space per folding rack. The average price of these standard drying racks is around $25.00 and they can be used indoor and out which makes them especially versatile.

When the washing is done and the clothes have dried, you may need to iron shirts and what better way to ensure that they remain crease free while you complete your ironing than with a Folding Laundry Drying Rack.  Some people have used them to hang wet shirts on so that they can dry on hangers making ironing far easier to do.  Although these designs do not have a lot of drying space, they are still very popular.

While most of the folding drying racks mention above are difficult to move, especially when they have been loaded with washing, there is a specific design that is ideal for easy mobility and for those who may wish to transfer their washing from outdoors to indoors quickly.  The Hill 3 Tier Mobile Airer has a large drying capacity of over 21 meters and can be adjusted to hold both short and long items of clothing.  It comes on wheels for easy moving and folds away for easy storage.  This particular model retails for just shy of $60.00 and has received five star reviews from all of those who have taken the time to review it online.

During the summer months, there is no good reason to not take advantage of the sunshine and dry your clothes the economical way, outside.  By drying your clothes outside on a washing line, you can reduce your electricity bill by up to 10% depending on the size of your family.  In this day and age, that is incentive enough to buy a cheap outdoor airer and start saving.  Depending on your size garden or outdoor area will make a big difference to the type of clothes airer you can consider.

photo credit: Phil W Shirley

There are a variety of different shapes, sizes and designs to choose from including retractable airers for those with limited space or who wish to keep the airer out of sight when not in use all the way to rotary airers and wall mounted designs.

Alternatively you may decide to invest in an airer that can be moved around and relocated should the need arise.  These are great for use during the winter months where they can be taken indoors and used.  Concertina style airers and fold away airers are ideal for this.  You may also opt for airers that are manufactured from wood rather than the standard plastic coated metal or perhaps you would be interested in a ceiling mounted clothes airer which can be mounted about the bath to prevent dripping onto tiles or carpets.

Whatever your decision, there are a few factors to take into consideration before you make your purchase.  If you have a large family with extensive washing, then the rotary design is the ideal.  They can handle more washing, are sturdier in construction than the retractable options and even have designs that can fold away relatively easily.

For smaller families or couples, the retractable wall mounted airer  can be the right choice.  They  are compact and can be mounted on small balconies as well as in backyards.  They can also often be arranged to open as far or as close to the wall as required for the amount of washing you have that needs drying.

photo credit: stef thomas

If you are planning a holiday and want to ensure that you don’t have to use costly laundry services, then taking along a travel airer can keep you in control of your dirty laundry.   These are also fantastic options for people who travel in RV’s as the limited space can become a problem if you don’t find the right drying facilities.

Another option that some will consider viable is the ceiling mounted airers.  Although this design is predominantly used indoors, they can also be mounted on porches and verandas that have a ceiling and are versatile in that they can be used both indoors and out.

If you first concern is that your washing is going to be soiled by birds or other critters, there are screens which can be placed over your washing to prevent such things from happening.  Many people who lived in coastal areas find that this helps seagulls and allows the clothes to dry naturally and without any fuss.

So why would you want to dry your clothes on a dryer rather than use a tumble dryer?

Besides the obvious answers of saving money and sustainability, tumble dryers tend to expel dust particles into your home no matter how well they are vented.  This is a problem for people who experience asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

The average life expectancy of a tumble dryer is around seven to eight years, whilst an airer cost a fraction of the price and should last at least double that amount of time.  While it is true that drying your clothes in the winter is difficult and with our lives as full as they are the convenience of having a dryer has become ever more important, it is possible to use indoor heated dryers that will reduce the amount of energy required and will still dry your clothes quickly and effortlessly.