Drying Clothes in Chalet

A snowHead

After some rather wet days in VdI last week we struggled to dry clothes because the room heaters were away from anything that you could hang a clothes hanger on nor could I find anything to that my 2mm climbing cord washing line would attach to. Has anyone come up with a solution to this problem? I have tried the suction cup solution which aren't too bad on smoothe surfaces like tiles or glass but what if the heaters on a pebble dash wall or timber cladding?
Eventually we did find a tumble dryer to dry the Goretex outers but what about all the other clobber that is unsuitable for such treatment?

A snowHead

@Tykebike, you are very definitely not supposed to dry anything on or above those electric heaters ... probably why it's difficult.

A well equipped property will have drying space/rails or something.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

When we got soaked, I used the provided hair dryer to get the worst of it.....but it was only for a couple of days. If it had been every day, it would have been a real torture.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Are you in a hotel or an apartment? Our apartment block gives visitors access to the basement laundry and drying room, which includes a pay as you go washing machine and tumble drier, as well as large air dying space. There may be similar facilities where you are, but no one has mentioned them to you.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

My apartment has a folding drying rack above the heated towel rail, but hanging anything above the electric heaters is a no-no. You could also use hangers and the shower cubicle overnight. Even the most basic apartments we have stayed in have had something to hang wet clothes on.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Our apartment has a drying rack and a radiator style towel rail, but if you were in a chalet or a hotel surely there is a drying room.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Tykebike, If you are in a chalet, ask the hosts. When we were running chalets we routinely sorted space for guests to dry stuff, or tumble dried it for them if suitable.

After all it is free

I've stayed in a couple of chalets where we struggled for drying space. In fairness, it's not usually an issue as in normal conditions ski gear doesn't get wet. Some chalets I've stayed in didn't even have anywhere to hang coats.

I remember one chalet operator said they'd had a fire caused by people trying to dry things in a sauna.

Recent chalets and hotels I've stayed in seem to have a heated towel rail which works pretty well for drying things.

Those electric heaters always worry me, as people draping things on them or near to them is a fire risk.

Thanks for your replies.
We were staying in a chalet they did not have a drying room but did have a tumble dryer behind a door marked private staff only which I assume was for the staff to do the normal chalet laundry drying of towels and bed linen. Having seen one of the other guests use the dryer one afternoon I followed suit and to dry my jacket and trousers I was fortunate that the Miele tumble dryer was almost identical to our Meile tumble dryer at home so I knew how to use it including cleaning the filter and emptying the water container before use. Being a retired chartered engineer and a home owner versed in the art of laundry tasks I feel that I have enough common sense to be able to operate such machinery without putting anyone or anything else in danger.
I have never come across any chalet in 40yrs that states in the description of facilities that they have a drying room so when it comes to making a decision which chalet to choose this is not part of the criteria.
The best alternative is the heated towel rail that, once the towels are dry, you can hang your other items on it.
I did not necessarily mean that I would hang wet clothes directly above an electric radiator as any drips could fall on it with the potential to cause an electrical short and thus present a fire hazard no, my wet clothes (are drip dried over the bath/shower and then transferred to the curtain rail or wardrobe doors which are high enough to catch the warm air rising but if they are far away from the radiator then it would be nice to get the clothes closer to the heat source. Most of the time all you need is to air clothes that have become damp though sweat.
I too have used a hair dryer particularly on gloves, goggle straps and sometimes on my backpack.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Actually, having access to a laundry with washing machine, tumble dryer and/or drying space can be useful. Some of our guests do ask specifically about these facilities, as it lets them do a wash during a longer stay, meaning they don't have to pack so many clothes or don't have to spread their drying 'round the accommodation. I've noticed our rental agency pages do make mention if this is available. Our laundry meter charges about CHF 1.80 (£1.60) for a full load wash cycle or tumble dryer cycle, but clients have to provide their own powder/gel etc. Because the laundry is for x20 apartments, the equipment is also more industrial-grade than the domestic equivalent.

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When we had our chalet in Les Gets we fitted slatted shelves above the electric wall heaters so that people could place their gloves there to dry without placing them directly onto the heaters. We had a couple of airers that could be opened up in the basement for the clothes to initially drip and then loads of hooks around the various rooms. The underfloor heating was also useful - ceramic tiles - so children’s, in particular after rolling around in the snow, ski clothes could be laid out before we went to bed. Looked like a load of dead bodies lying there.

Help!!

Drying Clothes in Chalet

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