Which Sun Drying Method Is For You?

The sunny season of outdoor drying has arrived and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of fresh, sun-dried laundry. We love a good drying day as much as the next person! To celebrate the arrival of springtime and sunnier weather, we’re giving our sun drying range a shout out.

Why use the sun to dry your clothes?

Your clothes will love you for it

Line drying is much kinder than tumble drying, which exposes clothes to a lot of heat and potential shrinkage. Hanging your clothes out rather than sticking them in the dryer helps them stay in the best possible condition, so they keep looking good and you can wear them for longer.

It’s free!

Once you’ve got your line and pegs, it doesn’t cost you a penny. Let Mother Nature give you a helping hand while you save on your electricity bills.

… and it’s better for the environment

Cutting down on your electricity usage is always a good thing. Who doesn’t feel better knowing they’re doing a little bit more for the planet?

What do I need to start outdoor drying?

Getting on line

First things first – you need a line to hang your laundry on. Depending on the size and shape of your outdoor space, this might be anything from a simple clothes line (or two) to a space-saving rotary airer or a wall-mounted one – whatever makes the best use of the space you have, but without getting in the way of anything else you use your own little patch of the great outdoors for.

And because the Great British weather is notoriously unpredictable – and you don’t want to be running in and out all the time on a showery day to get the washing in – Leifheit have come up with a clever Pop-Up Airer that’s light enough to move from your patio or balcony back inside, without having to unload it first.

Rotary Airers

Whatever outdoors means to you – a garden, your backyard or balcony or just an open window – we’ve got the drying solutions to match. There are plenty of fun and innovative products out there to help you get spring-breeze freshness. So, give your tired old clotheslines a revamp with one of our retractable models, or give one of our rotary dryers a spin! Or keep hanging with the classic and pick up one of our new drying racks.

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, then you’ll already know something of the joys of outdoor drying. But until you’ve tried and tested a rotary airer, you haven’t known full laundry satisfaction.

Rotary dryers hold more washing than your traditional clothesline, so you can hang out all your laundry at once. It gets better – because they rotate in the breeze, they also dry clothes faster than static lines. On a windy day, your washing will be shaken dry in no time as the clothes get max air exposure. Spin and win! Even if you have a modest sized garden, rotary clothes lines are a good option because of their compact structure. Installation is easy as they don’t need more than a small patch of ground to stand on. Once closed, they’re no bigger than a garden post. Plus, many of our outdoor rotary airers come with bespoke covers. You can keep your washing line clean, safe from the elements and stylishly dressed when it’s not in use.

Clothes horses

From a sun-bleached balcony to a cool shady courtyard, any outdoor space can be used to infuse your laundry with crisp spring scents. Clothes horses and drying racks come in all shapes and sizes. Whatever the space you’re working with and however big the load you’re drying, there’s one made just to match.

The classic clothes horse is a known quantity. They do the job well indoors, but outside they can be vulnerable to tumbling over in the wind. If you’re in a sheltered location, this might not worry you – but for anyone on windier ground, you might be better off with a portable rotary airer. They are squat, sturdy and easy to move.

For super-space efficiency though, taller is better. Our taller clothes dryers can often fit multiple loads of washing and have different set up options for both ‘dry flat’ items and attaching clothes hangers. Plus, you can always haul the whole thing inside if the clouds start to gather.

Keep things simple with a hanging clothes wrack by an open window

If you’re short on space but still want to get that sun-touched fabric, then throw open a window! There are plenty of indoor clothes dryers and airers that can take full advantage of window light and a well channelled breeze.

All you need is a warm window ledge you can attach a Lakeland 32-Peg attachment too and your socks and smalls will soak up the sun’s rays and be dry in no time!

Now you’re ready to upgrade your laundry life in time for summer. Once you’ve decided on your new outdoor dryer, you’ll be ready for the next important question – what pegs to use. Have a browse of our clothes peg range here and even pick out some fun peg bags too while you’re there.

We’ve got you pegged

One peg’s pretty much the same as any other, right? Well, they all do the same job, but everyone’s got their favourite style, which is why we have so much choice in our range. Everything from classic wooden ones to giant, hold-onto-pretty-much-anything Mega Pegs and our bestselling Soft Grip Pegs, which keep tight hold of your laundry without leaving any annoying marks. Just ask Ted! (or read our peg-straordinary story here). And you’ll find plenty of bespoke bags to keep your chosen pegs close to hand too.

Handy hampers

We’ve got plenty of laundry baskets to help you get the washing from your machine to the line, and our customer favourite the Lakeland Laundry Basket Trolley will even save your back from all that stooping and bending when you get there.

And if we’re not so lucky with the weather…

Let’s face it, the weather isn’t always going to oblige, and when it’s raining cats and dogs, we’ve got a whole host of indoor drying solutions to take care of the laundry load.