By Wednesday, the airer has become another piece of furniture. There are socks on every rung, towels still feel cold and the window is wet in the morning. “Just dry everything outside” is not much help in a run of October rain.

The job indoors has two parts: getting water out of the fabric and dealing with it once it is in the air. A little more space around the clothes helps with the first. Ventilation or a suitable dehumidifier helps with the second.

Choose a room where moisture can be removed and where the airer does not obstruct a doorway, escape route or the normal use of the house. Avoid pressing wet fabric against walls or packing clothes so tightly that the middle layers stay damp.

Spread items out and use hangers where they create more space. Check that the washing machine’s spin setting suits the fabric; clothes that leave the machine wetter will have more water to lose afterwards.

Do not drape laundry over portable heaters or use an appliance in a way its instructions prohibit. A heated airer also needs the clearances and operating routine specified by its maker. Extra warmth alone does not make the moisture disappear.

Energy Saving Trust’s damp guidance explains that condensation forms when moisture meets a cold surface. A little that clears quickly is different from persistent wet windows, musty smells or mould.

When drying without a dehumidifier, use the room’s appropriate ventilation so damp air can escape. That may include an extractor or opening a window when safe and practical. Keep purpose-provided vents clear.

If your home has a mechanical ventilation system, follow its operating instructions rather than switching it off or assuming every window must stay open. Energy Saving Trust distinguishes controlled ventilation from draughts and notes that homes with continuous supply-and-extract systems may need a different approach.

Closing the drying-room door can help limit moisture spreading, provided that room has a way to remove it. Shutting wet washing in an unventilated room simply concentrates the problem.

A dehumidifier removes water from the air. It can make a dedicated drying space more manageable, but it is not a replacement for the home’s need for fresh air.

In Meaco’s September laundry guidance, the manufacturer recommends spacing clothes on an airer and directing the unit’s airflow towards them. Its advice for a contained drying session includes closing the room’s door and windows. Follow the instructions for your own machine, including minimum room size, clearance and operating temperature.

Keep the unit where water cannot drip into it, empty the tank as required and keep its filter clean. Avoid buying on the largest number printed on the box alone: extraction performance, noise and operation in your room’s conditions all matter.

We would first decide where the machine and airer can live together. A capable appliance that blocks the room or is too noisy to tolerate may spend much of its time switched off.

A low advertised hourly running cost does not tell you what it will cost to dry your washing. You also need the actual running time and your electricity tariff. Different loads, room conditions and machines will produce different results.

If comparing an airer, a dehumidifier and a tumble dryer, compare the energy used for a finished load where you can, rather than assuming the lowest wattage wins. Do not leave the heating running continuously simply to compensate for an unresolved moisture problem.

Recurring mould, spreading stains or damp that remains when no clothes are drying deserves investigation. Leaks, defects and inadequate ventilation can all be involved; opening a window cannot repair a leaking roof.

Keep a note of where and when the problem appears and seek competent advice if it persists. The aim is a routine in which the washing dries and the room recovers, rather than a daily exercise in wiping the evidence off the glass.