Copyright walesonline
In winter, many UK households grapple with rising condensation and damp. In a bid to beat mould and heating bills, editor Emma Gill has found a solution. As families look to reduce their use of tumble dryers and the thermostat, there's one appliance which could become vital for many. A heated airer, a plug-in gadget Emma herself 'swears by'. Writing for the Manchester Evening News , she put the Lakeland Dry-Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer to the test, as she shares why it's a go-to appliance in her household every autumn and winter. She said: "Running at just 8p an hour, it's significantly cheaper than cranking up the thermostat or using the dryer. "What I particularly appreciate about it is that when it's in use, there's no need to switch on the radiators as it generates enough heat to warm me up and dry my laundry. Capable of holding up to 15kg of wet washing over 21 metres of drying space, it's no wonder customers describe it as 'a life changer' and say they wouldn't be without it." Emma says that the appliance is also useful for leaving on during the day and overnight, and it has an added bonus of 'heating the room it's in'. The Dry-Soon heated airer also comes with a cover, which consumers can pull over the rack to help boost drying time. The Dry-Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer usually costs £249.99, but in a recent sale it's been slashed to £199.99 on the Lakeland website. Customers can purchase the airer and cover together for £244.98. The airer has a mesh top and sides to help prevent overheating. Although, as Emma explains, this isn't entirely necessary and households can find free alternatives to the cover. She said: "You can purchase a cover for the airer as well, which accelerates drying time - though I'm informed that draping a bed sheet over the top achieves the same result. "I'd argue the genuine appeal of this specific model is undoubtedly its dimensions, particularly when you've got family-sized loads to dry, including school uniforms, sports gear and whatever else they've chosen to put in the wash after just a few hours of wearing." The airer is also said to be light enough to move around the house, and Lakeland does offer the option for wheels (at an additional £7.99) for those who'd prefer to wheel it around. Emma also highlighted that plenty of other shoppers had raved about the appliance for both its laundry drying capabilities and its money-saving perk. As one shopper said: "I've recently had a smart meter fitted and the comparison to having this as opposed to using our tumble dryer is a no-brainer, the airer is a minimal cost and has already saved us a lot of money just with a month's use. "I would definitely recommend this as a great investment ... more so now with rising fuel bills." Another consumer said: "This is a game changer, I honestly wish I had purchased it ages ago. "I know it can seem a bit expensive for a clothes airer at first, and like me, a lot of people probably kept adding it to the basket, yet never continued with the purchase. But definitely do it!". Another buyer expressed that their only disappointment was not purchasing one earlier: "Wow! The only negative I have on this is that I should have bought it a lot sooner! "It has been a Godsend, especially when the summer weather has been a tad wet! It dries the clothes really well, especially if I put it on overnight, and makes ironing a lot easier." However, a downside to the model, despite its rave reviews, is certainly the cost. When looking at alternatives, including this £96 Black and Decker heated airer , the Lakeland model does seemingly come with a premium price. Another cheaper alternative for shoppers is one on sale at Amazon. The Minky SureDri Heat Pod, now £79.99 down from £90, covers a three-tier airer. Unlike Lakeland's option, this appliance comes with a cover, however, the huge catch is that it does not include an airer. The idea is that shoppers use it with their existing one.
