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HOTTING UP
I tried Aldi’s new heated airer – it costs 9p to run & can hold 4 loads of washing but is better than other brands?
Watch the video above to see the heated airer being unboxed
UNLESS it's pouring down with rain or below freezing, I still prefer to hang my washing outside to dry during the winter.
Or much to the annoyance of my boyfriend, I will slyly open windows to let a cold breeze in to dry my clothes, because there's nothing more I hate than wet washing hanging around inside, lying limp on radiators, or steaming up windows.
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If I'm not able to do either of those methods, I will use an airer and dehumidifier on the laundry setting to dry my washing inside. It costs a couple of pennies, I can safely have it running overnight and my clothes are dry by morning. Winner!
One way of drying laundry I haven't tried is using a heated airer. I know, where have I been for the last few years?
Aldi is launching it's into stores on October 20th and they sent me one to try.
Costing £79.99, it's cheaper than many other brands on the market - Dunelm's 3 Tier Heated Airer is £95, whereas Lakeland's Dry: Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer was £199.99 now £174.99.
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It also costs less than 9p an hour to run*.
But was it good enough for me to turn my back on my airer and dehumidifier? I put it to the test.
First impressions
It's big, it's bulky.
This is not a small piece of equipment - and in fact, it's not very slimline or lightweight either. You'll need a car to pick it up from store, and you'll need a dedicated place to store it at home when it's not in use during the summer months.
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Naively, I also thought it would be a quick 'pop up and go' gadget - alas, you need a screwdriver to build it.
And when it's built - it's invasive. It's 148 x 73 x 70.5cm (approx) and takes up a lot of space.
No screw? No problem!
There are two small screws for the feet of the airer - unfortunately, mine didn't fit. Either the screws were too big, or the holes too small.
Alas, I managed to shove the heated airer into the feet with brute force. But I'm not sure Aldi would recommend my method.
Lots of bits and bobs
The airer comes with many accessories, arguably setting it apart from other airers on the market.
Customers get two extra racks for the top, two mesh shelves, two peg hangers and a drying cover.
The extra racks for the top were easy to add, simply click into place - but don't be fooled like I was, they don't heat up like the three other racks.
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The two mesh shelves lie across the rails and you can place anything you want to dry flat, or small items, on top. One of mine was bent, and once they're open, you can't make them smaller again.
The peg hangers are added to any rail via velcro - super easy to assemble and use.
As for the drying cover - just place it over the entire airer and it can help circulate the heat. One slight problem, there are two slits at the front for heat to escape through. A couple of ties, or velcro would be a useful improvement here.
Plug in and go
After plugging the heated airer in and turning it on, the bars were hot in less than a minute. Not too hot to touch, but really, really warm. So far, so good.
I threw a variety of clothing on the arier to really put it to the test; hand towels, jeans, shirts, pyjamas, sportswear and smalls.
One advantage of the heated airer being so big, is it can dry up to 30kg of washing. This makes it perfect for families or households whose washing machines are constantly being used.
Cover on, and I left the airer to do its thing.
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The first thing I noticed was the smell. Don't panic, I am not referring to that awful damp washing smell. But, after 10 minutes of the airer being on, my whole living room was filled with the fragrance of my washing powder. Delightful!
Filled with hope, I returned four hours later, only to be left disappointed.
The sportswear was virtually dry - no surprise, it's made from thin material.
The hand towel and jeans felt as if they had just come out of the washing machine, whereas the pyjamas and shirt had a few dry patches where they had been lying directly on the heated bar.
So I guess I'd have to rotate the garments for an even dry.
As for the socks clipped onto the peg hangers, they were still very damp.
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Verdict
Aldi's heated airer is good, but not good enough for me.
Whilst it's cheaper than other brands, at £79.99, it's a lot of money for average results, and there are a few areas that could be improved for it to be named 'better than other airers'.
I also feel, the size and weight of it is not justifiable for a few months use. I have no idea where I would keep it during the summer months - but if you've got a big family, and your washing machine is on daily, then I can see the size of it being an advantage.
For those looking to cut down energy bill cost, and switch from a tumble dryer to a heated airer, it's a good option - especially at only 9p an hour.
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To add to this, heated airers are far kinder to your clothes than a tumble dryer, and also better for the planet. They also eliminate that damp washing smell, and minimise wrinkles - so less ironing for you to do!
*Based on an average of 24.5p per kWh as per October-December 2024 price cap. Figures are rounded to the nearest penny and based on Ofgem’s England, Scotland and Wales average price for people who pay by Direct Debit. These include VAT. Actual rates will depend on where you live, how you pay your bill and the type of meter you have.
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