It seems strange to be writing this during a heatwave when I’ve been waiting to review a rotary airer, for the past fortnight, amidst often torrential UK rain.

But today, the washing is flying in its glorious technicolour in this sublime albeit slightly overwhelming 30 degree heat.

No moaning here!

I have happily had three new laundry items to play with with, here’s how they’ve worked out for me:

Beldray 50 Metre Rotary Airer

First off, the Beldray rotary washing line is both super lightweight and heavy duty. I’m glad to say farewell to my outgoing washing line which, is akin to a scaffolding pipe in comparison. You can easily pop the Beldray it in the hole with one hand rather than a struggle to aim a weighty pole that takes on a life of its own when unbalanced and headed for a small hole in the ground.

It comes with a handy plastic spike to hammer into the ground. If the ground is soft, it’ll go in easily but it may become unstable in soft ground, harder ground will keep it more stable but may take extra strength to hammer it in. So if you plan to use this long term I would recommend using cement when you’re happy with a permanent location.

It’s actually not that hard to do; dig a narrow hole deep enough to take at least the depth of the spike, 1ft is a good idea. Pour in your ready made cement, not to the top as it’ll spill out when the pole is inserted and make a mess. Before you insert the pole into the wet cement, cover the end of in several layers of cling film, or a plastic bag to create a mould. If you leave the pole in there without plastic covering, it’ll be stuck there for good, and it makes sense to be able to remove it.

Once in, use a spirit level to ensure it’s upright, make sure it can’t fall out of place , then leave it over night. When it’s set, remove the pole and dispose of the cling film/bag.

You should now have a perfect pole holder, embedded in the earth for you to pop your rotary airer in and out at will. Your washing line will be perfectly secure for years to come, or until you dig it up. I bought a rain/winter cover for mine, I’ve never done this before but there’s something about the pretty Beldray that makes me want to look after it.

As with all the Beldray products we’ve come to love, aesthetically the colouring is again, spot on. Gone are the days of bland metal work; this is a lovely brushed aluminium with the bright turquoise cord. Even when not being used, it brightens up our patio area, and gives the rabbit something new to look at. I tightened all the lines before using, and it’s perfectly functional with even heavy wet towels not managing the weight it down too much. I realised that over the years you don’t realise how much the cords can lose their strength, so it makes sense to tighten them every few decades!

Collapsible Laundry Basket

As well as the washing line, I’ve also been impressed with the collapsible laundry basket. I’ve actually been eyeing them up for some time but I’ve wondered about their durability and whether they can cope with being folded up and down. 

Washing baskets have always been a bone of contention anyway for me as there’s never anywhere neat to put them. When not being used they can take up so much unnecessary space, or they’re holding clean washing for so long before ironing that it all goes damp again. And I know that’s a fault of mine, but where do you put the thing when not using it?

But the collapsible version has been delightfully useful. Again, it’s light, durable and colourful, and as soon as it’s been used it neatly folds down into itself then easily slots into a space in the wash room. At last!

It’s hugely useful for us, but with a family member off to university, I can see this being a must-have for a student going off to live away from home.

Which brings us nicely to the third item; the laundry backpack. 

Oversized Canvas Laundry Backpack 

This is brilliant for a teenager’s bedroom. The oversized canvas laundry backpack hangs on the back of the door, it doesn’t look like laundry bag so the teenager is ok about having friends in his room as his dirties aren’t on show! It’s made his responsibility to take his washing to the wash room easier as he theoretically can’t miss it as it he walks past it several times a day. But let’s face it, a teenager’s brain is different to rest of us so I wonder how long that will last. But frankly I think this type of laundry bag is the best chance we have.

It’s also great for taking on holiday. We’ve loved lots of camping and caravan holidays but I always find packing the washing home is a pain, asking the kids whether this or that is clean or dirty is no use, so you tend to just wash everything you take home whether it’s been worn or not. What a waste of time.

As there’s no room in the car for a laundry basket, I usually take a spare pillow case but it’s not enough for a family and there’s no way to hang it up. This however will be perfect to take for all the family to throw their washing into. I imagine it living in the caravan’s family bathroom for all to throw in their dirties after showering at night. 

It boasts a drawstring fastening so nothing can fall out and has straps to carry it on your back – especially ideal when packing the car to come home. There’s pockets to store detergents, and being linen, if you’re away you could just throw the whole lot into the washing machine. And the best thing, it doesn’t look like a laundry bag so you can carry through a campsite and it just looks like a fairly trendy bag.

Again, I can see it being really useful for a student living away from home.

Being perfectly organised in every way, makes me happy.