Spin Dryers

[bertterbo]

Anyone got one? Are they as good as they appear in the reviews? I.e extracting 90% of the water to then dry much quicker.

I live in a small flat with just enough room for a washing machine. In the winter I do my drying in a small room with a dehumidifier, which works really well. But there are occasions where jeans take a long time to dry and can sometimes give smell a tad damp.

I have tried experimenting with doing a few spin cycles once the washing cycle completes, but clothes still come out very damp. The spin dryers state they're 2800rpm which is double the max speed of my washing machine.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought one (not that one) as new for £4 in an auction 30+ years ago - my m.i.l. used it for many years and found it way better than a spin in a washing machine.

 

[baldkev]

You need a mangle
Ive got no experience with spin dryers

 

[Dee J]

Haven't seen on of those for many decades - and only ever to accompany a tub-and-wringer non-automatic washing machine. Great fun with an off-centre load!
I do wonder about the faster spin claim though... As I remember the drum is about half the diameter of a typical front-load automatic - which I think would have some (negative) effect on drying efficiency.

 

[clogs]

with the cost of elec etc plus the machine..
it'd be cheaper to buy 2 more pairs of jeans....
dont fancy using a de humid anyway due to the cost of elec.....
in my old flat I used a coat hanger on the shower rail......
u only use it once a day.......?????? lol...

 

[bertterbo]

with the cost of elec etc plus the machine..
it'd be cheaper to buy 2 more pairs of jeans....
dont fancy using a de humid anyway due to the cost of elec.....
in my old flat I used a coat hanger on the shower rail......
u only use it once a day.......?????? lol...

Yes, dehumidifiers aren't cheap to run, but the idea is to collect the moisture rather than using a heated source to prevent damp.

 

[trvlr]

Spin dryers deliver deliver much dryer items than most washing machines. My late mum had one which lasted aeons, before it finally rusted out.

If you run your ch a lot (if pennies allow) then likely the house/flat is on the dry side and so a modest evaporation of moisture from damping items can help humidify the space. But always useful to vent the room too if you feel things get too damp, humid…

My current/new washing machine spins at 1400 and items are almost dry; though I suspect a separate spin dryer would likely get them even dryer as they spin at higher rate.

 

[Richard_C]

Before you rush out and spend money/get a machine that takes up space, think it through.

As far as I recall from physics 50+ years ago, the force applied is proportional to the diameter of the drum and to the square of the radius. So a half size drum spinning twice as fast will still be a benefit - not quite as much as the spin speed suggests. But we are not dealing with water sitting on an impermeable surface, it is absorbed in the fabric so spin time will affect how much migrates out towards the edge. Does your current machine have a 'spin only' programme? If so maybe try an extra spin once the normal programme has ended - does it help?

The other thought is that spring and autumn are the most awkward times to dry things. In summer, we have warm weather and even if you can't hang outside you can have open windows. In winter, even with high cost energy, most of us are likely to have some heating on for some of the evening so you can hang recalcitrant thick clothes near radiators. It's about now - not warm enough naturally and (if you are like me) reluctant to turn the heating on unless you have to - that our towels stay a bit damp and clothes take an age to dry. Maybe wait a bit and see how things are in proper winter.

I'm not against spin driers, we used to have them either as separate items or in a twin tub washing machine (remember them?) but in what you say is a smallish flat the space might be better used in other ways.

 

[Ozi]

I bought one a few weeks ago, initially disappointed now very pleased. Disappointment due to remembering mum use one with a twin tub and watching water flood out. With a modern washing machine my new one just drips. Having used it quite a lot washing for 5 of us and learned how to load it / not overload it put heavier items in on their own, always position items around the outer edge to balance, spin for 4 minutes a load and with some items that are not then dry take them out and reload as the change of position dries bits not getting dry the first time. I still don't quite understand that, it's not just drying the outer edge or the top but seemingly random bits on some items stay wet if I don't move the item before the second spin. What changed my mind was the running cost is 6p an hour on high rate and 1p on cheep rate, give items one spin and save an hour on the tumble dryer. It does not get anything fully dry and some items do better than others but items drying indoors dry in less than half the time afterwards and I have managed to line dry after spinning when rain was due and I would not have had the washing dry in time otherwise. Really good at drying slippers and trainers. Helps keep humidity down in the house, we haven't used the central heating yet this year but radiators covered in towels are not an efficient way to keep a home warm and dry, pay back period not counting use of radiators will be about 150 tumble dried loads so getting on for 10 years which sounds depressing but as someone trying to retire my attitude is this is payed for and cutting my bills from now on suites me.

 

[bertterbo]

Cheers for the comments. When drying indoors, the only option for me is a dehumidifier, as the flat already can get damp. So that rules out drying clothes on radiators or any other heated source. I really need to capture the moisture, not let it evaporate.

So my thinking was that I'd still be using the dehumidifier, but the spin dryer would remove that much more moisture first.

 

[Ozi]

SWMBO tells me the tumble drier runs much more often when I'm not here revised payback 5 years

 

[Ozi]

If there is still anybody on this site who doesn't think I'm daft this will correct that. I used to live in a small flat and had the same issues with damp and space, to save space I started keeping things inside other things, washing powder in the washing machine etc. My then girlfriend followed suit and put an aerosol oven cleaner in the oven. We got really skint, had been living on vegetable soup with cheep veg from when the market closed with chippy as a treat once a week. (am I hearing violins) Decided to save up and have a joint of beef, you can guess the rest just as it started to smell good massive bang from oven exit beef in mass of foam. Washed it ate it still tasted great - never seen this method on Bake Off. (Caution - does not improve gravy).

 

[Ollie78]

My Gran had a top loading spin dryer for as long as I can remember. It was probably made in the 50's It had an awesome perforated copper drum in it. It was super efficient she would only run it for a minute or two then hang the washing on racks.
It was better than the spin on my new LG washing machine despite its self weighing app enhanced nonsense.

Ollie

 

[Bingy man]

My mom had one for years , I recently cleared her flat as she is now in a home , offered it to multiple people for free and none of them had ever heard of them . I ended up getting the scrap man to take it. I remember my mom putting the clothes in it for a few mins then straight onto washing line . Fond memories