You may be asking yourself this dilemma: what should I buy: an electric clothesline or a dryer? We have met them in combat. Who will win?
- What to choose: electric clothesline or dryer
- Advantages and disadvantages of electric clotheslines
- Advantages and disadvantages of dryers
The Best Electric Clotheslines
Drying clothes outdoors is not always possible. Dryer vs electric clothesline. Both options have drying functions but are different. In other words, they cover different needs. We analyze the two options and offer you the best electric clotheslines on the market.
What To Choose: Electric Clothesline Or Dryer
When it’s sunny and good weather nobody thinks about the electric clothesline or the dryer, but… what about when it rains or the weather makes drying clothes an endless task? You may have a place to lay out or you may have to do it inside the house. In any case, an extra help in drying clothes is to choose one of these two devices.
The Electric Clothesline: Only For Small Or Medium Garments
The rods of an electric clothesline get hot and speed up the drying time of clothes. It is especially effective with small garments such as underwear and medium-sized ones (t-shirts), but not too much with larger ones such as towels, sheets or jeans, much thicker than cloth.
As it is a device that will help you at specific moments, choose a folding electric clothesline design (which will incorporate 6 or 8 bars, a little more space if it has wings), that you can store in a closet and does not take up too much space. Some brands, such as Foxydry, have ceiling and pull-down models that have built-in fans to provide more even heat during drying.
Dryer: For All Types Of Garments
A dryer is an appliance specialized in drying clothes. Your cycle or program dries the clothes once they come out clean from the washing machine. In it you can dry all kinds of clothes, from small clothes to towels or sheets. Of course, they are perfect for house clothes, but not so much for the most delicate garments.
Types Of Dryers: Evacuation Or Condensation
An exhaust dryer takes air from outside and heats it as it passes through resistances. That hot air is introduced inside the drum. They need an outlet to the outside to expel moist air. They are cheaper although they have a higher energy consumption. The condensation heats the air through an electrical resistance and turns it into water vapor. They are more energy efficient.
- Condenser dryers with or without the water tank: the cold water from a condenser dryer must be removed. Some models collect it in a tank that must be emptied periodically and others replace the tank with the option of connecting the dryer to the washing machine’s water outlet.
- Condensing dryer with heat pump: the difference is that these dryers use a heat pump to heat the air, instead of electrical resistance, which can be up to 3 or 4 times more efficient. Its price is usually somewhat higher than that of the other types.
Current dryers take care of garments, protecting them from wear and tear, as they have specific programs for each type of fabric. If you do not have a space to dry, without a doubt, yours is a dryer. In addition, the sun’s UV rays also damage clothing, don’t forget that.
Washer Dryers
Do not forget that there are also washer-dryers (wash-dry) that incorporate both functions for when there is no space to place the two appliances.
The washer-dryers (from €400) dry half of what they wash, that is, a washer-dryer with a washing capacity of 8 kilos has an approximate drying capacity of 4 kilos. You cannot wash and dry at the same time, you must always wait for the washing program to end, unload the washing machine, and start the drying program. The drums of the dryers are larger and for this reason, the load you can put on for drying is greater than in appliances that combine both functions (electricity consumption is also optimized separately and you can purchase appliances with a higher energy rating).
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Electric Clotheslines
Advantage
- Effective for small garments
- Folded, it practically does not take up space
- It is light because it is usually made of aluminum
- It has a minimum price (from €40) compared to that of a dryer
Disadvantages
- Not efficient for medium and thick/large garments
- It cannot be used outdoors as it is connected to the electrical current
- You need a plug nearby to use
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Dryers
Advantage
- Perfect for allergy sufferers because its high temperature kills mites
- You save time drying (imagine forgetting to wash that t-shirt you need for the next day. It wouldn’t dry in time without a dryer!)
- The dryer fixes the smell of fabric softener in the clothes
- There are many garments that come out of the dryer ready to be stored, without going through the iron
Disadvantages
- Drying clothes has an electrical cost that is reflected in the bill. Always choose dryer models with a high energy rating (A).
- It occupies a space like that of the washing machine (60 cm wide x 60 cm deep).
- Its price is high, that is, you have to think about making the outlay: evacuation dryer (from €210), condensing (from €250), and condensing with heat pump (from €350).
