revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Horse wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 8:20 am

mangocrazy wrote: Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:46 pm, IMHO. See also tumble driers.

If it's pouring down outside, how do dry washing? [Particularly thicker stuff, like towels]

An airer in the kitchen or a spare room, or a radiator if you've planned badly and need it quickly, I've never used a clothes drier in all my 50 odd years, we had one here for 10 years but it was never used and binned off when I needed the space I the garage.

We have a couple of the 'wire frame' pop-up airers that are used regularly And stuff on rads if necessary.

Expanding on CS's room, a dehumidifier might be cheaper (but slower) than a TD.

Count Steer wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 8:35 am ... and one of those racks that lower from the ceiling. The place had warm air heating and the rack was over a heating register/ventilation. We never had/needed a tumble dryer.

PS Most of our ancestors managed without tumble dryers. I remember the 'clothes horse' being a regular feature. (Wouldn't be without our TD in this house though).

They're commonly known in the UK as a 'Sheila Maid' (no idea why). We have them and they just work . In fact I have one on the balcony in France and it's quietly drying a load of clothes I washed yesterday.

The one we have in Sheffield is in a spare room, with a radiator nearby. Clothes dry in around 24 hours.

Here's a link to the SM web page:

https://sheilamaid.com/collections/sheila-maid-new

And here's a photo from across the road of our balcony plus Sheila Maid and cringey pink sheet. And smalls. And a t-shirt I won in a Performance Bikes competition on the IoM in the early 90s...

mangocrazy wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 9:11 am

Count Steer wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 8:35 am ... and one of those racks that lower from the ceiling. The place had warm air heating and the rack was over a heating register/ventilation. We never had/needed a tumble dryer.

PS Most of our ancestors managed without tumble dryers. I remember the 'clothes horse' being a regular feature. (Wouldn't be without our TD in this house though).

They're commonly known in the UK as a 'Sheila Maid' (no idea why). We have them and they just work . In fact I have one on the balcony in France and it's quietly drying a load of clothes I washed yesterday.

The one we have in Sheffield is in a spare room, with a radiator nearby. Clothes dry in around 24 hours.

Here's a link to the SM web page:

https://sheilamaid.com/collections/sheila-maid-new

Thanks for the link.

I can never remember what they're called. Always want to call them Lazy Susans.

(Which would be fine for drying cake ).

Horse wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 9:09 am We have a couple of the 'wire frame' pop-up airers that are used regularly And stuff on rads if necessary.

Expanding on CS's room, a dehumidifier might be cheaper (but slower) than a TD.

We put stuff on airers after tumble drying and ironing. (Always tumble to 'damp' 'cos dry clothes are a bugger to iron and saves faffing with a steam iron). Now they have the added luxury of a dehumidifier in the room.

The other thing I bought are 2 or 3 of those racks that slot on top of a radiator to make a shelf/rack. Great for drying tea towels (and socks).

Balcony? There's posh. I'm struggling to think of anyone I know with one!

Horse wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:58 am Balcony? There's posh. I'm struggling to think of anyone I know with one!

Quite common in our bit of France, mainly cos the old village houses like ours don't have any garden. But Sheila Maids are equally effective indoors...

mangocrazy wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 9:11 am

Count Steer wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 8:35 am ... and one of those racks that lower from the ceiling. The place had warm air heating and the rack was over a heating register/ventilation. We never had/needed a tumble dryer.

PS Most of our ancestors managed without tumble dryers. I remember the 'clothes horse' being a regular feature. (Wouldn't be without our TD in this house though).

They're commonly known in the UK as a 'Sheila Maid' (no idea why). We have them and they just work . In fact I have one on the balcony in France and it's quietly drying a load of clothes I washed yesterday.

The one we have in Sheffield is in a spare room, with a radiator nearby. Clothes dry in around 24 hours.

Here's a link to the SM web page:

https://sheilamaid.com/collections/sheila-maid-new

I had somethings similar in the old apartment. The place was so warm in the winter that clothes and even towels dried very fast. Occasionally in the interseasons I had to put the dinky rad in there during the day, but it was rare.

I really want one here as I find it so much easier than the folding airers (which then need a ton of space when unfolded ) - just got to work out where would be good and ask the owner if it's ok ::)

Noggin wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:29 pm

mangocrazy wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 9:11 am They're commonly known in the UK as a 'Sheila Maid' (no idea why). We have them and they just work . In fact I have one on the balcony in France and it's quietly drying a load of clothes I washed yesterday.

The one we have in Sheffield is in a spare room, with a radiator nearby. Clothes dry in around 24 hours.

Here's a link to the SM web page:

https://sheilamaid.com/collections/sheila-maid-new

I had somethings similar in the old apartment. The place was so warm in the winter that clothes and even towels dried very fast. Occasionally in the interseasons I had to put the dinky rad in there during the day, but it was rare.

I really want one here as I find it so much easier than the folding airers (which then need a ton of space when unfolded ) - just got to work out where would be good and ask the owner if it's ok ::)

The one thing you do need to be careful of is to fix the two main rollers to beams in the ceiling, not just into the ceiling (often plasterboard) itself. There is considerable weight on a full SM, especially when clothes are wet, so whatever you're fastening into must be good and solid and capable of taking the weight.

mangocrazy wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:36 pm

Noggin wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:29 pm

mangocrazy wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 9:11 am They're commonly known in the UK as a 'Sheila Maid' (no idea why). We have them and they just work . In fact I have one on the balcony in France and it's quietly drying a load of clothes I washed yesterday.

The one we have in Sheffield is in a spare room, with a radiator nearby. Clothes dry in around 24 hours.

Here's a link to the SM web page:

https://sheilamaid.com/collections/sheila-maid-new

I had somethings similar in the old apartment. The place was so warm in the winter that clothes and even towels dried very fast. Occasionally in the interseasons I had to put the dinky rad in there during the day, but it was rare.

I really want one here as I find it so much easier than the folding airers (which then need a ton of space when unfolded ) - just got to work out where would be good and ask the owner if it's ok ::)

The one thing you do need to be careful of is to fix the two main rollers to beams in the ceiling, not just into the ceiling (often plasterboard) itself. There is considerable weight on a full SM, especially when clothes are wet, so whatever you're fastening into must be good and solid and capable of taking the weight.

Totally. TBF I didn't have to worry in the old place as it was screwed into the concrete ceiling, so only issue was getting the screws etc in there !!

But that was a much lighter version a bit like this -



But I will have a chat with the owners at some point cos if I can put it at the other end of the seating/dining area, it's a warm area anyway but also near the wood burner when I get that going

Hopefully it'll be possible

Drying clothes on radiators is all well and good if you have them. It's been thirty or so years since I had a house with them, one had storage heaters, the other two had underfloor heating.

And there's not really much difference between a sheila maid and a heater, and a tumble drier.

cheb wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 2:03 pm Drying clothes on radiators is all well and good if you have them. It's been thirty or so years since I had a house with them, one had storage heaters, the other two had underfloor heating.

Someone posted (possibly on TRC) that they arrived home one day to find clothing spread all over the heated floor

If I had underfloor heating I'm pretty sure the cat would be glued to it all day long...

Horse wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 2:34 pm

cheb wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 2:03 pm Drying clothes on radiators is all well and good if you have them. It's been thirty or so years since I had a house with them, one had storage heaters, the other two had underfloor heating.

Someone posted (possibly on TRC) that they arrived home one day to find clothing spread all over the heated floor

I did that sometimes.

Today I've learned something - never heard 'Sheila Maid' as the name for those before

I hope all of you sniff your slow dried clothes to make sure you don't smell like sour vinegar? One of the grossest smells on a commute/in an office is too-slowly dried clothes that therefore stink of damp

Sunny wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:50 pm Today I've learned something - never heard 'Sheila Maid' as the name for those before

I hope all of you sniff your slow dried clothes to make sure you don't smell like sour vinegar? One of the grossest smells on a commute/in an office is too-slowly dried clothes that therefore stink of damp

In my experience clothes dried on a SM are fully dry in 24 hours after hanging, often quicker. Does that qualify as 'slow-dried'? The sniff test has never encountered mouldy/damp/vinegary smells in our house. If there was the slightest hint of that Mrs Mango would have detected it. She has a nose like the proverbial bloodhound (as in effective, not long, wet and furry).

I wouldn't be without mine. She has other uses too.

I'm so dead if she ever comes on here!

To save starting another thread, how on earth do you stop a washing machine from stinking!!

My clothes are (apparently, I've asked friends!) ok. But when not in use, the machine humms horribly (yup, out of key etc!!)


I'm adding a bit of white vinegar to every wash because I'm a bit paranoid that the smell will move to the clothes

I've checked the seal around the door and it's clean; I never actually close the door when it's not in use, just push it to; the previous tenants had a dog (so I suspect there is old dog hair in there somewhere )


It's a front loader and I really don't want to take too much of it apart - it's fitted into the kitchen, so not sure I can even pull it out easily !!


Just want to not smell yucky washing machine when I'm close to it !!

There are a number of products that are used to do washing machine regular cleaning cycles on high temp wash. Dettol make one and another is something like Dr Oertker (?). Our local Sainsbury's stocks them.

The problem is caused by low temperature washing, constantly doing washes at 30º or 40º.

In the absence of those products (we use 'em monthly I think) - run an empty machine, with washing powder/liquid and a water softener tablet if you've got 'em at the highest temperature on a decent length cycle. We occasionally do that too. (I'll check with my 'washing machine technician'. ).

Also, check the trap/drain thing at the bottom of the machine. Might be some crut in there.