Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Drying rack ideas to dry clothes indoors in kitchens, utility rooms and more

Drying rack ideas to dry clothes indoors in kitchens, utility rooms and more

Free your radiators, banisters and doors from being covered in damp clothes on laundry day by trying out our ideas for better drying...

A common problem for many households is a lack of laundry drying space. As we can’t rely on the great British climate to make use of any outside space – with our unpredictable weather, the likelihood is that you’ll need to do much of your laundry drying inside. That’s where savvy drying rack ideas come in handy.

Of course with many of us living in compact spaces or in house shares, or indeed having to launder for a brood of kids, a lack of drying space can easily become a regular domestic irritation. Before long you may well find yourself with more articles of clothing floating around than the local laundrette, with socks on radiators, sheets hanging from doors and towels lingering on the banisters. A home looking like a laundrette is never a great look when unexpected visitors drop in.

To solve the dilemma we’ve found some fabulous drying rack ideas for happily hanging laundry indoors.

Drying rack ideas for all spaces


1. Wall mount a laundry ladder




Smart wall-mounted wooden drying racks are ideal for laundry rooms and bathrooms. A great space saver, simple laundry ladders also look stylish and utilitarian when not in use. Colour coordinated pegs to add a touch of thoughtful styling to this simple solution.

2. Extend to maximise drying potential




Choose a wall-mounted drying rack to utilise vertical storage. Go one further by choosing an extendable drying rack design that can be pulled out to offer all the drying capability a full loaded washing machine needs. Utilise every nook and cranny to make your utility as efficient as possible. Use a recessed wall to make even better use of otherwise unusable space.

3. Collapse and store out of sight




A collapsable drying rack is ideal for storing out of sight. I personally own this smart wooden clothes horse design and it’s ideal for my small flat. There are two height options, to offer a taller rack with you want it to take up even less space – or perhaps have longer items to dry, such as all trousers. Once the clothes are dry you simply fold it down to a compact concertina shape then store it out of view. I personally have it under a unit in the kitchen, so it’s out of the way but still handy for when I need it.

4. Save space with a suspended clothes airer




It’s not new or revolutionary, but the Sheila Maid clothes airer is a style that’s been popular in Britain for well over 100 years. A great place for it is on the ceiling above your staircase – high up and out of the way. The space-saving solution is simply lowered down using a pulley rope system, making it easy to retract out of the way when not in use – ideal for small kitchens or utility rooms.

5. Invest in a wall-mounted indoor airer




‘Incorporate a drying rack into your utility space so you’ve somewhere to air clothes when the weather’s bad,’ says storage guru Vicky Silverthorn of youneedavicky.com. ‘Slatted shelves are also handy for storing freshly-laundered linens as slats allow air to circulate so washing won’t get damp.’

This neat space-saving wall-hung airer has rows of wooden rungs for drying clothes and linens indoors and folds flat when not in use to take up minimal space.

6. Look for hotspots




Speed up the dying process by seeking out the hottest point within your kitchen or utility room, placing your airer there in order to make use of the warmth. If your home is lucky enough to use AGA make the permanent heat serve as a hot air dryer for your laundry. Simply hang a traditional clothes airer above the stove to benefit from the heat below.

Of course don’t forget to take the washing down before you start cooking tea, because the smells will be absorbed into the freshly laundered washing!

7. Fill ceiling space above work surfaces




Make your drying rack work within the existing layout of a room. Suspending a rack above a work surface without higher level cupboards provides the perfect place to rest a laundry basket or pile of items ready to hang. On a practical level this means you’re not bending down more often that necessary when hanging the washing out. It also means you are making the most of the space, by utilising the unused ceiling above.

8. Use a quiet corner




No matter how attractive your hanging solution (and in the case above it’s pretty good!), no one wants laundry to overtake the house – even in a dedicated utility room. Choose a triangular shaped drying rack to tuck perfectly into a quiet corner that is out of the way, so it doesn’t feel too intrusive within the space. If you don’t have a utility room this solution is ideal for use in a small kitchen, confined to the corner.

9. Scent and dry clothes at the same time




Make your drying rack multipurpose by hanging dried lavender, or other fragrant stems, to gently scent the washing while it dries.

10. Hang a rack directly above the washing machine




Make the laundry even easier by locating your drying rack as close to your washing machine as possible. If choosing a traditional pulley drying rack use the ceiling area directly above your appliances to make it possible to hang directly from the machine, to save having to decant the load into a laundry basket to transport it around the house to hang elsewhere.

Jazz up the utility with a splash of colour on the walls and a fun sign to add character to the space.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
×