Which ceiling dryer? A buying guide

Guide · 3 min read

A ceiling dryer is the simplest way to dry laundry in a small flat: it does not stand on the floor, and once the laundry is hung it goes up under the ceiling. Before you choose a model, answer three questions – where it will hang, how much laundry you dry at once and how you will install it.

1. Measure the space

The dryer is made of rods hanging on cords that run through two roller brackets screwed to the ceiling. The rods hang parallel to each other, so you need:

  • length – space for a rod (e.g. along the bathtub or a balcony wall); the rod should be slightly shorter than this,
  • width – space for all the rods side by side,
  • a wall within reach for the height adjustment holder (recommended mounting height: about 1.3–1.6 m from the floor).

2. Choose the rod length

The most common lengths are 140, 160, 180 and 200 cm. In a typical bathroom, rods of 140–160 cm usually fit over the bathtub; in a longer bathroom, a laundry room or on a balcony – 180–200 cm.

3. How many rods?

How much laundry you can hang depends on the total drying length – the number of rods times the rod length:

Rod length 4 rods 5 rods 6 rods 7 rods
140 cm 5.6 m 7.0 m 8.4 m 9.8 m
160 cm 6.4 m 8.0 m 9.6 m 11.2 m
180 cm 7.2 m 9.0 m 10.8 m 12.6 m
200 cm 8.0 m 10.0 m 12.0 m 14.0 m

For one or two people 4–5 rods are usually enough, for a family with children – 6 or 7. Mind the load too: in alexvalex dryers each rod holds up to 2 kg of wet laundry, and it is best to spread the weight evenly.

4. Check how it is installed

The roller brackets are screwed to the ceiling and the cord holder to the wall. The spacing of the brackets depends on the rod length. Before buying, check that the ceiling takes wall plugs (concrete, or plasterboard with suitable plugs) and that there are no cables where you drill. You will find the full step-by-step guide in the article ceiling dryer installation.

5. Colour and look

White dryers blend into a light bathroom ceiling, black ones suit modern interiors and dark accessories. When raised under the ceiling, the dryer does not get in the way.

What to watch out for

  • Do not buy a rod longer than the space between the walls – the brackets have to fit.
  • Do not overload the rods – wet bedding weighs more than you think; hang it over several rods.
  • Keep a gap from the lamp and the extractor fan.

Summary

Measure the space, choose a rod length shorter than it, and match the number of rods to the amount of laundry. All variants – from 4 rods of 140 cm to 7 rods of 200 cm, in white and black – are in the ceiling clothes dryers category.

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