How to Securely Put Up Your Rotary Airer

At last, summer is in sight! That means it’s almost the season of outdoor drying and sun-kissed bed linen. Fresh laundry is always a pleasure, but there’s nothing quite like a rotary airer for making a good washing day even better.

Rotary airers gently spin your laundry in the summer air, drying your clothes and sheets in no time at all. They also hold more washing than your traditional clothesline, so you can hang out all your laundry at once.

Don’t wait to get yours up and spinning! Our installation is guide is here to help. As well as covering the set-up basics, we’ll also explain how to open and fully close your rotary clothesline, giving you the knack and knowhow from day one.

Choose the right spot for your rotary airer

Before you start doing anything, take some time to think about where you want to install your rotary clothesline. You’ll want a spot that gets plenty of sun as well as a light breeze.

You’ll need to ensure that these is enough room for your airer to fully rotate when opened –a circle of about 3 meters. Be wary of installing your clothesline too close to trees or buildings that’ll block this motion of snag your clothes.

Ideally, too, you’ll have a nice flat patch of ground to avoid any wonkiness or wobbles. If your rotary line has legs that sit on the ground surface, like the portable airer or a freestanding model, then this is particularly important. But even for airers that rely on a ground spike, having a flat surface means it’s more secure and won’t start to lean.

How do you get a rotary washing line spike in the ground?

Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think. We don’t like to make things complicated, so we don’t sell rotary airers that need to be set in concrete. Everything in our outdoor drying range is easy to install.

The first step very much depends on the soil in your garden. If it’s hard, you may need to pour a bucket of water over your proposed spike location. Let it soak for a few minutes before testing the softness of the soil.
Make an initial hole in the ground with the spike, or a slim garden tool, to mark the spot that you’ll be positioning your dryer.
Place your ground spike over this spot, pop a wooden block over the top of your spike to protect it, and then gently (or more firmly if required) tap the spike in with a hammer or mallet. It’s very important to insert the spike perfectly straight and not at an angle, otherwise your airer will be at an angle too.

And that’s it! If your soil is proving too hard or rocky, follow these steps instead:

Choose the spot where you’d like your rotary airer and mark with a spade.
Dig a hole to the depth of the length of your ground spike, and slightly wider, removing any stones as you go.
Place your ground spike in the hole and pack the soil in tightly around it.

And you’re done! The bottom of the main airer body will slot in or on top of the ground spike and lock in place.

How to open and close the rotary clothesline

Opening up your rotary airer and getting it whirring into life is easy. Simply hold the central pole and pull on the arms until they’re each fully extended. These can then be locked into place. From here, you can slide the arms up the pole the height you need and secure them with the catch.

Closing it down is the same process in reverse, easy-breezy! Release the catch, lower the arms down and unlock the arms to fold them back in against the pole. If you’ve got a rotary airer cover to hand – and aren’t coming back to do more laundry tomorrow – zip it up to protect your airer from the elements.

Bonus Tip: Maintaining your Rotary airer

Using a cover is one way to keep your rotary line spinning, but for laundry longevity, there are a few more tips to know.

Give your airer a wipe down with a damp cloth every now and then, especially if it’s been out for a while. A build-up of garden debris risks affecting the functionality of your clothesline, but also of transferring dirt onto your fresh whites.

And what’s better than a squeaky clean airer? An airer that doesn’t squeak!

You can also use WD-40 to keep your rotary clothesline arms moving smoothly and silently.

With these simple steps, you’ll have your very own rotary clothesline up and running in no time. So why not make laundry day a little brighter and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine at the same time?

Please note: these steps are a guide only. Installation will vary depending on the airer you choose, so it’s very important you read the instructions that come with your airer carefully.