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.
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 Heated Upright Airer 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
READ MORE ALDI STORIES
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.
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.
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.
If you’re looking for a cheap clothes drying method – here’s a 4p hack that also helps reduce condensation and mould.
A cleaning pro has shared her top tips for drying laundry indoors without spending a penny – including her hanger hack.
One woman who’s never had a tumble dryer shares her hack to dry laundry quickly.
And have you tried the ‘burrito’ method to dry your clothes?
TRAINER Dewey Cooper had over 100 professional fights – but taking shots from Francis Ngannou is a far more painful experience.
Cooper fought in boxing, kickboxing and MMA before moving into coaching after retiring.
And he has been working with Ngannou since 2017, bravely holding the pads and body belt for the 6ft 4in powerhouse.
Cooper admits not even a 15-year fighting career brings as much agony as withstanding Ngannou’s power.
He told SunSport: “In the fights when I was fighting I had really good defence. I would defend a lot of techniques, getting hit clean was a rarity.
“Getting hit by Francis, I’m giving the body away getting hit by him. It’s not happy, it’s not nice for sure.
“It hurts but like I said, I signed up for the job and I’m happy to be here. We’re going to keep working hard.”
Ngannou’s power was once tested at the UFC’s Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
And the ferocity had the same impact as a 12lb sledgehammer being swung at full force or comparable to being hit by a Ford Escort at full speed.
Cooper chuckled: “I believe it! I can tell you right now, I’ve been hit by a lot of guys, recently I’ve been doing pads for Mike Tyson. No one’s hitting harder than Francis, man.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
“When he places those punches correctly and bends his knees and turns his hips, sometimes I get hit so hard I’m like, ‘How am I taking this? What am I doing to myself?’
“It’s funny to me because I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’ It’s a lot of pain involved.”
Ngannou, 38, last year put his MMA career on hold to pursue a lifelong ambition of boxing.
He sensationally dropped Tyson Fury, 36, in his boxing debut before being knocked out by Anthony Joshua, 35, in March.
Cooper led the corner on those occasions but now he welcomes Ngannou back to MMA to fight Renan Ferreira, 34, on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
The coach said: “We’re refreshed to see him back in MMA.
“Boxing, kickboxing, grappling, wrestling, all the elements. It’s been a good camp and he’s ready to go.”
WE all love our families, but do some celebrities show their love for their nearest and dearest a little too much?
Heidi Klum was criticised this week for yet again posing in her underwear with her daughter, Leni. But she isn’t the only celebrity who’s gotten a little too close for comfort with a member of their own family.
From the Kardashians bizarre ‘incest’ snap to Angelina Jolie‘s infamous kiss with her own brother, Fabulous takes a look at the most controversial celebrity family pictures in history.
Heidi Klum has been slammed on multiple occasions for posing in skimpy lingerie with her 20-year-old daughter.
In a recent video for Intimissimi’s Fall Winter campaign Heidi, 51, stunned in a maroon lace bra and matching knickers, whilst placing her arm around her daughter, who was sporting a black floral set.
Fashion brand Intimissimi shared the pictures and videos from the shoot on their Instagram page, and the comments were filled with backlash.
One questioned: “Which normal mum would pose together with her daughter in lingerie?”
Another pointed out: “Dude, that’s your mom.”
“The video is so cringe,” a third added.
However, despite the backlash Megan Boyle, head of PR at TAL Agency revealed that any publicity is good publicity, and the uproar will certainly have got people talking about the brand.
She said: “Any kind of marketing or advertising campaign needs to elicit a response from viewers. And – more often than not – a negative reaction gets far more attention than a positive one.
“Whether people praise it or slam it, the ad has done its job.”
The Kardashian sisters are known for being extremely close, but back in 2018, they pushed boundaries a little too far for some fans.
Following their annual family Christmas Eve party Kourtney, 45, posted a snap to Instagram of her and younger sisters Khloe, 40, and Kendall, 28.
The image showed the glamorous siblings all dolled up, whilst reclining on a grand piano.
However, what shocked fans was that, in the image, Khloe and Kendall were each holding one of Kourtney’s breasts, and Kendall reached for Khloe’s bum, whilst Khloe grabbed Kendall’s neck.
The posts was flooded with backlash, including from one poster who said: “You do know that you’re sisters?
Despite being slammed for doing lingerie shoots with her mother, Leni has shrugged off the commentary due to the duo's close bond.
On a previous modelling assignment together, Leni said: “My mom and I are just completely comfortable around each other, and we were dancing around the whole day.
“That was what we had to do, and we do that anyway, so it just fit right. It was just such a fun day.”
And Leni says her supermodel mum has always been her inspiration, so it is hardly a surprise that she saw a modelling career as a natural step.
“I’ve always gone to work with my mom and thought, ‘This looks so fun. She looks so happy while she’s working,’ jump in sometimes, and I’d play around with the makeup that her makeup artist would bring,” she said.
Leni’s dream came true when she got to be on the cover of Vogue Germany with her supermodel mother at the age of 16.
“That’s, like, insane that I did that as my first job, and my mom was with me, which made it so much fun. It was just such a good day. I wasn’t nervous at all. I was just so excited,” she said.
“This is a photo you can take with friends but its a bit weird to do it with siblings in my mind.
Another person asked: “What in the incest hell is going on here??”
And a third fan added: “This makes me feel a bit sick.”
Khloe was also slammed for sharing a bath with brother-in-law Scott Disick back in 2014, when he was daring sister Kourntey.
Scott, 41, who shares three children with Kourtney, further outraged fans by captioning the bath picture: ‘The Lord and his lady’.
Kourtney was pregnant with the couple’s third child at the time, so it is unlikely that she was happy about the snap.
Angelina Jolie shocked the world back in 2000 when she appeared to kiss her own brother, James Haven on the lips on the red carpet at The Oscars.
Weirder still, after she won for best supporting actress for Girl, Interrupted, the star declared in her acceptance speech, “I’m so in love with my brother right now. Jamie, you are the strongest, most amazing man I’ve ever known.”
The incident generated headlines across the globe, but Angelina insisted it was nothing more than “brotherly love”, and said her parents “loved” the special moment shared between their children.
And defending the snap back in 2007, James told the Daily Mail: “I did not give Angie a French kiss. It was something simple and lovely.
“I congratulated her on the Oscar win and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. It was snapped and became a big thing.”
But despite the siblings insisting that they were just showing their love for each other, Megan reckons it was all a publicity stunt.
She said: “Let’s face it, the kiss was likely to be a publicity stunt.
“There is no bigger event in the movie industry than the Academy Awards, and what better way to ensure headlines?”
Jess and Eve Gale caused a stir when the identical twins both appeared in series six of Love Island.
The duo were both chased around by the same men, and even got mistaken for the other on various occasions.
However, things got even weirder when a budget music video was unearthed, showing the twins scantily clad in bed together.
The video which was filmed back in 2018 shows the siblings wiggling their bums, before stripping off and getting under the duvet with rapper Maestro.
Megan revealed that by casting the duo in Love Island, producers knew they were bound to stir up some family drama.
She said: “For a show that is fraught with controversy already, what better way to try and spike viewing numbers than with some family drama?”
The Jenner sisters appeared to capitalise on their extremely close bond when they appeared in an advert for Kendall’s collaboration with Kylie Cosmetics.
In the advert, the sisters were seen writhing around on the floor together in skimpy clothing.
But despite the slightly uncomfortable imagery of the two sisters entwined together, Megan reckons Momager Kris Jenner would have been very much on board with the family snaps.
She said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if Kris Jenner was behind the camera coaching the whole thing.
“Are the sisters getting a little too close to comfort for some people?
“Yes, but it’s also got them spoken about and it helps them to stay relevant.”
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.
