Has your drying rack become a perpetual eyesore in your home? These dapper laundry drying solutions have you covered

Rainy weather and inadequate outdoor space can spell laundry woes for apartment dwellers. If you’re always scrambling for drying space inside your home, turning tables, chairs and stools into ad-hoc drying racks, you’re likely in need of some smart and spiffy solutions to dry your laundry without robbing your home’s aesthetic. From wall-mounted racks and invisible drawer dryers to ceiling-mounted pulleys and retractable drying systems, here are some ways to dry your laundry in your compact apartment without compromising on style.

1. Go for a wall-mounted folding rack

Unfold it out when you’re drying, fold it back in when you’re done. Voila, it’s that simple. A wall-mounted folding rack can be an excellent addition to the kitchen, hallway, bedroom or dining area, hosting multiple bars that can simultaneously dry several pieces of clothing. The best part? It can slink back into a state of near-invisibility when folded back, without interfering in the surrounding decor.

It’s a good idea to have your design custom-made, to have it blend with your room’s existing palette and decor scheme.

1. Install invisible drawer dryers

The beauty of these elusive drying systems is they’re completely unseen when not in use. With drying bars behind each drawer front, you can hang your clothes overnight and have them fresh and dry by morning – without having any unsightly evidence to show for it.

If you’ve got kitchen drawers to spare, consider having your carpenter upgrade a few into drying racks.

1. Hang laundry rods

Steel rods in your kitchen can be the perfect place to air-dry your garments on hangers. Seek out sturdy drying rods that can withstand the weight of your laundry. Finally, you can get swish hangers in solid wood to double-hat as a design statement when you have your laundry on full display. Remember to paint the wood with protective polyurethane coating, such as Touchwood.

1. Opt for a ceiling-mounted pulley rack

A pulley rack can be reeled up and down using a drawstring. Consider hanging one over your washing machine to make drying a finished machine load swift, easy and seamless. Ceiling-mounted drying systems are available aplenty, both online and in home convenience stores, so you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a design.

1. Put up a retractable accordion rack

Retractable laundry drying solutions are gold for small homes, appearing and disappearing with equal finesse. Pulled out, wall-mounted retractable accordion racks spread out to form a full-fledged drying system. They’re ideal for placing over a washing machine, or in the kitchen or dining area, smoothly folding back after use.

1. Create pull-out vertical racks

If you’re blessed with a tall niche, a pull-out vertical drying system may be the answer to your laundry woes. Resting on a rail mechanism, this system allows you to slide your racks out for drying, and back in again after use. This one’s a project for the carpenter, so get a trusty one on board to breathe life into your vision.

1. Invest in a tumble dryer

With a tumble dryer, you don’t need to worry about creating a drying system or manually airing your clothes. Watch your clothes dry at the press of a button and come out soft, warm and toasty under a controlled heat setting.

If you haven’t already purchased a washing machine, consider buying a model with a built-in dryer. This way, you don’t have to provide for extra space for another appliance.