Clothes drying rack ideas?

[Ben Grunow]

Any one have or make one of these for a tight spot?

SWMBO needs to air dry a small item (1 sweater or nice baby clothes etc) now and then so a small rack that folds flat against a wall is all we really need. I was thinking of something that is wall mounted so it is always ready to be deployed, not a fold up job that has to go in a closet or something.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ben

[Jamie Buxton]

As I understand this sort of thing, you can't just have a rod from which you drape the clothes. They tend to dry with that hanging shape impressed upon them. The better approach is a piece of horizontal netting, probably plastic. The netting fully supports the sweater, yet allows water vapor to escape. And, because it is plastic, it is not bothered by the water. That is, think of something like a window screen: wooden frame filled with plastic netting or plastic screen. You can hinge it to a wall if you like, but if you do that you might find yourself running into it. Another approach would be to rest it on the bathroom tub. Perhaps you can find a wall to hang it on when it is not in use.

[John Gornall]

Here's an interesting design:

http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/zoom5456.htm

[Ben Grunow]

Now that is interesting...but not very simple to build. I will have to put that on the to do list for someday though. Thanks

Ben

[Mario Lucchesi]

What about a frame like the one in the photo with dowels that swing out from each end that are stagered in height.

[Paul Johnstone]

Any one have or make one of these for a tight spot?

SWMBO needs to air dry a small item (1 sweater or nice baby clothes etc) now and then so a small rack that folds flat against a wall is all we really need. I was thinking of something that is wall mounted so it is always ready to be deployed, not a fold up job that has to go in a closet or something.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ben

I eventually want to build some wall cabinets over the washer and drier.
I plan to put a clothes drying "drawer" under them. It basically be a wooden square with a dowel on the front that rides on drawer slides.

So, when the wife needs to hang something, she can pull out this "drawer", and hang up her stuff. When not in use, she can push it back under the wall cabinet. I may put a dowel on the back for additional hanging.. haven't worked out the details yet.

I hope I describes this clearly.. think of a drawer with no bottom and a big dowel for the front.

[Doug Shepard]

Seeing as how you're in CT I'll toss this idea out there since you certainly know what a furnace is (vs a FL resident). I have a lot of shirts that I wont run through the dryer as they would end up shrinking too much - anything made of flannel or a bunch of heavy lined shirts I wear in the winter. But I've got a short piece of closet pole mounted about 2 feet or so from my furnace where I hang that stuff when it comes out of the wash. It works great. They get a nice drying (takes about a day for the thickest stuff), but slow enough that stuff doesn't shrink.

[Gary McKown]

[quote=Jamie Buxton] The better approach is a piece of horizontal netting, probably plastic. Another approach would be to rest it on the bathroom tub. [quote]

LOML does exactly that, using a spare aluminum-framed, plastic-mesh window screen laid across the bathtub. Kills three birds - it is an excellent drying platform and makes use both of the extra screen and the "Garden" tub.

[Paul Johnstone]

LOML does exactly that, using a spare aluminum-framed, plastic-mesh window screen laid across the bathtub. Kills three birds - it is an excellent drying platform and makes use both of the extra screen and the "Garden" tub.

Yeah, it's funny how they've convinced us that the master bath has to have a tub and shower. And then the tub gets used maybe once a year?

I'm almost done with a bathroom remodel. I added a tile shower. I almost tossed the tub out to make better use of the space, but I figured that was tempting Fate to lay me off and force me to sell the house.

[Belinda Barfield]

Sorry, couldn't find a photo without the "decorations".

Empire Dryer.jpg

[Jay Albrandt]

Ben,

I made this out of 1/2" pipe with 3/4" tees. I covered the "dowels" with pvc that I spilt to keep rust off the clothes. It works good and stores out of the way when not in use. I still haven't made the end caps, so it looks unfinished.

For heavier things like sweaters, it works great if you distribute the garment over 2 or 3 of the dowels so it doesn't stretch.

Good luck!

Jay