Tag Archives: dehumidifier

Some New Toys

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I know that plenty of people aim for a “No Spend January”, however, that is definitely not the case here at the moment.

It seems as though we have been spending at every turn but it has hardly been frivolous.

Yesterday we picked up a new dehumidifier that we had ordered. There is no real end in sight to the recent extended spell of wet and humid weather. Mould is a constant battle where we live and I decided that I really needed an additional dehumidifier. We have had one for well over 10 years and it can definitely make a difference.

Today the new fridge arrived. This will be in addition to the main refrigerator/freezer in the kitchen and an upright freezer.

We have had this knife block and knives for many years and they have served us well. GMan sharpens the knives when required. A few weeks ago we had a mishap when he was using the point of one of the knives to separate 2 slices of frozen bread. There were no injuries sustained, however, about 1 cm of the tip of the knife broke off. Some research revealed that we could order an identical replacement knife which we collected from the Post Office today.

The old knife has been relocated to downstairs where it can be used when harvesting vegetables such as broccoli and celery.

Our other major purchase in the past month was a new laptop computer. It is to replace the old desktop computer and also means that we now have 2 portable devices. We both have volunteer commitments and meetings for which these will be useful.

All of the purchases will support our lifestyle and were carefully considered and planned.

Something New

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Just when you think you have pretty got this organisation game sorted there is something else.

I have several lightweight cashmere/merino cardigans and jumpers which I handwash and then put on a very short spin cycle in the machine.  I generally hang  them on specially designed hangers on the line, however, the past couple of days have been cold and wet here so there was not a lot of point in hanging them outdoors.

So, I decided to hang them inside and was wondering where to put them when I noticed the inside of the door of the clothes dryer and had a lightbulb moment.

Here they are hanging from the door of the dryer.

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And a close-up view.

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The laundry is a small, enclosed room so by turning the dehumidifier on for a few hours I was able to easily get these dry.

You may not necessarily have the same opportunity but this is a reminder that there are many possibilities if we allow ourselves to think outside the box.

 

A Spot of Re-Arranging

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While I am pretty happy with the level of organisation in our home, there are always little things that can be done to improve to make things work a little better.

We have a dehumidifier which is almost an essential in our climate.  In fact, as I write this the clouds are floating past the window.  The dehumidifier is generally stored in the wardrobe in the guest bedroom when not in use.  This is not a major problem although I do need to remember to get it out if we have guests coming to stay.  Moving it would also provide a bit better access to the hanging space in the guest room.

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I feel that the ideal spot to store the dehumidifier would be in the laundry, however, that is a small room with limited storage space.

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The project to re-arrange things has evolved over a few months and the first step was to tidy and adjust the shelving in the linen cupboard.  This was relatively easy as I knew the space was not being utilised in the best way.

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The ultimate goal was to allow enough space to store the vacuum cleaner at the bottom of the cupboard.

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Then it was a simple matter of relocating the dehumidifier to the laundry cupboard.

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When the electrician was doing some work earlier in the week I asked him to change the single power point in the cupboard to a double one.  Now, the stick vacuum charger can remain plugged in while I am running the dehumidifier.

The dehumidifier is portable so does get moved from room to room but it is great for drying off damp towels or freshly ironed clothes in the laundry.  Since it is a small room, the drying effect is magnified and quite efficient.

I am currently researching the next stage of the project which is to purchase a ceiling mounted airing rack for the laundry and then I will be able to eliminate the mobile hanging rack which I move back and forth between my sewing room and the laundry at present.  This is the sort of thing I am looking at.  I also need to check with GMan about the practical implications of installing it.

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Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t think of this long ago but on the other hand it can be better to allow ideas and processes to develop over time because you will generally get a better outcome in the end.

Loads of Laundry

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We live in a relatively high rainfall area and I have written before about the challenges of getting the washing done, and more importantly, getting it dry.   I do have a clothes dryer but choose to use it as little as possible.  Apart from the power required to run it, the wear and tear on your clothes is significant and can result in substantially shortening their lifespan.

Despite the high humidity and showery weather, I needed to do the washing today.  Much like women of previous generations, I spent the day doing the washing.  However, I was not slaving over a scrubbing board and copper.  I was kept busy trying to make the most of the intermittent breeze and small snatches of sunshine.

I hung some of the smaller items on the airer.

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I had to race out and move it under the verandah every time a shower of rain started but I did manage to get it dry.

The rest of the clothes were hung on the line under the verandah.

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I also did the ironing from the washing I did last weekend.  When the atmosphere is so damp, I do not like to put them away in the cupboard until they are absolutely dry.

I use the portable dehumidifier in the bathroom and close the door.  Within a couple of hours the room and the clothes are warm and dry.

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I also have a portable rotary clothesline and in the cooler months I hang washing on it and the airer and set them up in the lounge room in front of the fireplace.

There are many options for drying clothes.  What are your creative solutions?

Keeping It Dry

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Like much of the east coast of Australia the weather has been quite wet here for a couple of days.  While the rain is very welcome, it brings its own set of problems.  Our heads are in the clouds – literally, the humidity is off the scale and everything is damp to touch.

The condensation of the door of the refrigerator has now created a pool of water on the kitchen floor.

The prospect of going to bed and climbing into a bed where the sheets actually feel damp was not at all appealing. So, I have put the portable dehumidifier in our bedroom for a couple of hours before we go to bed.

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It is easy to move around and is really efficient.  If you issues with damp rooms or live in an area with high rainfall and humidity I would highly recommend a dehumidifier.  We bought this one from Moisturecure in Port Macquarie.  We had quite a bit of trouble sourcing one about 8 years ago, however, they are much more readily available now.

Do you have a dehumidifier?  Is it worthwhile?

A Little Bit Every Day

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My method of keeping things organised to to do a little bit every day, or in my case every evening.  At the risk of sounding like a cracked record, I work full-time hours and long days because of the distance that we commute but that is our choice.

Last night I did the bit of ironing that was waiting to be done, one load of washing and hung it out then put the next load in the machine.  It was not a full load so when we arrived home this evening I pulled the top sheet off the bed and that made up the load.  It is all washed now and in the basket.

It has been cool and damp here all day so the load that is on the line is not properly dry even though it is under the verandah.  The next load of washing will be hung indoors overnight.

This is a portable rotary clothesline which I find invaluable in the wet weather.

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This hanging rack is usually used to hang shirts waiting to be ironed as well as ones that I have done but tonight I will hang the freshly-washed shirts on here to dry.

Hanging rackI will put the dehumidifier on in the closed room overnight, the clothes will be pretty well dry in the morning.  This eliminates the smell that clothes develop if they are damp for too long.

2012-11-18 03Once the washing is hung out I will finish stripping our bed and remake it with fresh linen.  Then it will be time to crawl into bed.

I am working from home tomorrow and will make it a short day so that I can catch up on a few more jobs here.

By spending a bit of time each evening on household jobs, I can choose what I do on the weekends.

Welcome Back Summer!

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I have been away for a few days in Melbourne for a combination of work and pleasure and arrived back late this afternoon to the second consecutive day of wild summer thunderstorms.  Luckily, we have not had the worst of it – just some much needed rain.  The humidity is off the scale and everything is damp.

I have done one load of washing and the second load is in the machine.  There is no point in hanging it on the line in this weather – even though it is under the verandah.  The clothes will just hang limply in the damp air, so it is time to resurrect the indoor clothes airer and dehumidifier.

2012-11-18 01Here is the airer set up in my spare/sewing room.  It is a rotary one and the outside lines are high enough that I can hand jeans/trousers or even sheets on them.

2012-11-18 02The load of washing is hung and there is plenty of space for a second load.

2012-11-18 03I will have the dehumidifier running overnight in the closed room and the washing will be dry in the morning.

Wet Washing

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I read this post from Froogs last week and was reminded that although we live in the opposite hemisphere and it is spring here, it would soon be a struggle to get the washing dry.

We have mild, sunny winter days with relatively low humidity but the spring and summer are a different story.  The spring thunderstorms have started and before we know it we will have 6 months of humidity greater than 90%.

2011-10-15 01I do have a tumble drier but try to limit the use of it.  The dehumidifier is a very effective drier so I set up my wet washing in the bathroom with the dehumidifier.  The bathroom is a perfect choice as it is a small room so the effect is concentrated and as an added bonus the towels end up warm and dry as well.

2011-10-15 02The top rail of the shower screen is perfect to attach the hanger with socks and underwear (and the occasional ziplock bag!)

2011-10-15 03I retrieved the portable rotary clothesline from the cupboard and put it up in the bathroom.

2011-10-15 04In the really humid weather I also ‘air’ the ironed clothes for an hour or so with the dehumidifier to make sure they are totally dry before I put them away in the wardrobe.

2011-10-15 05We do have a rotary clothesline outdoors but I rarely use that as we have plenty of clothesline under the verandah.  However, when it is so humid I do resort to drying the clothes using the dehumidifier.

What seasons are a problem for you?  How do you get the clothes dry?

Head in the Clouds

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The fine, misty rain started here just after midday yesterday and the light rain has continued ever since.  The cloud is right down over the mountains and this is the view we have had all day.

Meanwhile, I have spent the day inside doing some sewing.  I have finished making the tablecloth for our “Woodstock” dinner table.  Here it is spread out on the spare bed.

My skirt is made, too.

Tonight we are to the movies in Maleny.  There is a film night on alternate Saturday nights put on by the Maleny Film Society and tonight it is ‘Oranges and Sunshine’ about the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom.

There is an option to have dinner beforehand in the hall.  The catering is by Pomodoras, a local restaurant and accommodation venue.  We are going to have dinner before the movie tonight so looking forward to a good night.

While I have been typing this it has started to pour with rain so umbrellas will be a must to stay dry as we make our way into the hall.

We have put the dehumidifier to good use in our bedroom so that we will have dry sheets to sleep in tonight.  The humidity in the house is still about 90% despite having the fire on all day.