Comments on: Unitasker Wednesday: Sweater dryer

By: Kathryn Fenner

Kathryn Fenner — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:19:45 +0000

Hmmm–I have a front loading washer that is great for “handwashing” sweaters. I do find that if I use the spinner, though, on anything other than the lowest setting, I get spun-in wrinkles in a lot of sweaters . I have had some luck with hanging cashmere sweaters on those huggable hangers–I wash them in with my regular wash–cold water (I read that that is okay once, and indeed, it is), give them a shake or two from the hem and hang them carefully on the hangers, aligning the shoulders with the shoulders on the hangers. They dry fairly quickly in the cooler weather when I’m wearing them. Other types of fibers seem to stretch out, though.

By: Abi

Abi — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:27:21 +0000

Good lord. I barely use my tumble dryer, let alone something like this. Just dry stuff on an airer, next to the radiator if you’re running the heat! It’s easy and far more environmentally friendly. I live in the cold, rainy north east of England, and if I can get stuff dry without the aid of tons of electricity, you can.

By: Horse N. Buggy

Horse N. Buggy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:55:43 +0000

I have to agree that the sweater dryer is a very handy item. My mother had one of these. I went looking for one at a local housewares store and I think the guy actually laughed at me. I had to get it from Harriett Carter (a great source of unitaskers). I honestly haven’t used it in a while because I don’t have any sweaters that can’t go in the dryer right now. But when I do, I put my sweater dryer in the guest bathroom tub or even my garden tub. There simply is no other good way to dry certain sweaters and allow them to keep their shape.

By: Jacquie

Jacquie — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:58:02 +0000

I spread a towel (or towels) over the duvet on top of the made bed, and spread my spun out sweaters on there. Four at a time on a double bed. The damp is absorbed by the towels and doesn’t get through the duvet to the bed. If I’m in a hurry I’ll change the not very damp towels after a couple of hours. The towels and the bed are here anyway, so nothing to store.

By: Caren

Caren — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:11:34 +0000

I know what you mean about space, Jenni. Fortunately the version I have of the 2 stack dryer breaks down into pieces. I have very little storage also, I have mine in a little shopping bag in my closet.
The other version that I have is by Sunbeam, I think, and it is a circular mesh that works as a full size sweater dryer but stores in the size of a gallon zip lock bag. Got it at Publix!

By: Alisan

Alisan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:26:02 +0000

I use the top of my dryer to gently warm/dry my sweaters. I just arrange the sweater on top of the dryer while I’m drying other clothes inside the dryer. After one load finishes in the dryer, I flip the sweater over and start the next load. The heat definitely speeds up the drying process.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 07:38:48 +0000

I have a drying rack that I use to dry my clothes rather than running my drier. I live in Houston so Humidity can be an issue. If I hung my clothes outside – they would mildew before drying. I wash clothes at night, hang them on the rack before going to work and turn on the ceiling fan. If it is really humid, I add a box fan to speed up the process.

By: Jenni

Jenni — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:46:15 +0000

I have a ironing board behind my door. Shoe bag behind my bedroom door, use the space under the bed and daybed aka
couch, for storage. One needs space for all this stuff. I wear sweaters, but I don’t have a extra spot for drying just them. I like to see these unitaskers, they amaze me!
The mesh I have seen before somewhere though. Some of the stuff reminds me of Ron somebody, who did, and does again, all those infomercials for things he invents. I bought a can of spray for bald guys he had, from a store that sold it for $1, and gave it to a friend as a gag gift.

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:41:16 +0000

Oops, the post above was “a couple of hours” in AZ. I love the low humidity here Of course I can’t pet the cat all winter…. ZAP!

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:40:09 +0000

Here in Arizona I can dry a sweater on my back patio in a couple of most days, but in coastal Texas I would still be waiting three days later for the sweater to dry or the mold to cover it, whichever came first.

In that kind of humidity, you have to get things out of the washer as soon as they are done so they don’t mildew. Letting them sit around where mold spores can fall on them really made it unwise to leave them until nature dried them. I always needed the mesh dryers and a fan to blow across them.

By: lorrwill

lorrwill — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:07:12 +0000

Very, very intriguing. Especially since I already designed my own fit over the tub rack with PVC pipe and vinyl window screen. Just need to get some kind of a little fan and design the housing.

sweet.

By: Peter (a different one)

Peter (a different one) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:48:47 +0000

I agree with the posts that the rack itself may be useful. I think the battery powered fan is the ridiculous part. I mean really. 6 C batteries? I wonder how long those last?

By: SK

SK — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:43:40 +0000

This fan is not a Unitasker. You can also use it instead of a helium tank. Attach eight unblown balloons to the mouths of those cool tubes and voila! instant party.

By: OogieM

OogieM — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:38:15 +0000

I second the fan being useful if you are a handspinner who processes her own fleece. Washed fleece can take days to dry in a humid climate and in the mean time it’s at risk from cats and other indoor pets who think a fresh fleece is just for them. And having tried to dry it using a fan I already had, it just blows the fleece around. The fan from underneath really is better. And my fan at least has an automatic cut off switch that won’t let it operate if you lie it down flat. Now I tend to send all but the special fleeces off to a mill for processing and I live in a very low humidity climate so it’s not as big an issue any more.

The drying flat stacking dryers are actually very useful.

We don’t even own a dryer but I do have several racks I can stack clothes on.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:12:16 +0000

Ah, yes. Taylor Gifts aka Get Organized aka As seen on TV. I got on their mailing list and get their catalogs. I’ve often thought of Unitasker Wednesday when I look thru them. I would take myself off of their mailing list but I do enjoy looking – not buying. That said. The sweater stacker looks useful for more than just sweaters. The fan is silly.