Action Clothes Airer for Under £10 Saves Space in Small Flats

Many flats are missing one essential item: a clothes airer that does not take up half the room yet still holds plenty of laundry.

Anyone without a garden or balcony will know the problem: T-shirts, socks and bedding end up hanging everywhere, the clothes airer sits in the middle of the room, and the flat feels damp and cluttered. Discount retailer Action is now stocking a laundry rack for under £10 that tackles precisely this issue by making clever use of vertical space.

Why conventional clothes airers are so frustrating

The standard folding airer has barely changed for decades: unfold it, place it across the room and try not to keep walking into it. In small flats, student accommodation or studio apartments, it often blocks:

• access to the window,
• the route to the sofa or bed,
• space needed for the dining table,
• and it can also leave the air feeling stuffy and humid.

Trying to speed up drying by leaving windows wide open can quickly make the room freezing while bringing dust and pollen indoors. A tumble dryer is not always the answer either, whether because of electricity costs, the space it requires or delicate garments.

“This is exactly where Action’s new model comes in: it literally puts the laundry upright, saving floor space in the process.”

Action clothes airer at a glance

The Action clothes airer costs around £8.95 and uses a slim, multi-level design. Rather than spreading out broad wings, the rack extends upwards. At approximately 1.64 metres high, it makes use of the room above while remaining remarkably compact at floor level.

Its layout resembles a cross between a coat stand and a “laundry needle”: there is a central base and several tiers from which laundry can be hung. The design aims to occupy as little floor area as possible, allow air to circulate well and prevent people from constantly bumping into it.

How much laundry it can actually hold

The model is divided up in a surprisingly well-considered way:

• Top tier: 24 small clips, suited to socks, underwear, cropped tops or children’s clothing.
• Below that: 4 “arms”, each with 9 openings for coat hangers - providing room for up to 36 hangers at once.

Shirts, blouses, T-shirts, lightweight jumpers and trousers can all be dried effectively on these hangers. There is another benefit, too: garments are already on their hangers, so once dry they can go straight into the wardrobe without needing to be rehung.

“If one wash load contains around 40 to 60 items, one rack can accommodate almost everything without taking over the whole room.”

Design: made to be displayed rather than hidden away

Many people put their clothes airer in the furthest corner possible because it simply does not look attractive. Action’s model takes a different approach. It has a more contemporary, slimmer appearance and comes in understated colours, including light “icy blue” and white. It is not an Instagram-worthy designer piece, but it is far removed from the bulky wire racks people are used to.

The base requires very little room, much like the narrow base of a floor lamp. This means the clothes airer can fit, for example:

• in a corner beside the sofa,
• between a wardrobe and the wall,
• or directly in front of an open window without obstructing the entire room.

Where the rack excels - and where it does not

The Action model is clearly intended for everyday laundry, meaning lots of smaller items in each load. T-shirts, underwear, sportswear, jeans and shirts are where the vertical arrangement shows its strengths.

There are limitations with large textiles:

• bed sheets,
• duvet covers,
• large towels,
• woollen blankets or throws.

These items can be draped over the arms or clips in some way, but they can quickly receive too little airflow or hang awkwardly into the room. Anyone who regularly washes large textiles is therefore unlikely to replace their classic winged airer completely, instead using this one as an addition.

“The rack is ideal for everyday T-shirts, underwear and trousers - but the old airer should stay in the household for bedding.”

How much space does it really save?

The main benefit is its footprint. A conventional winged airer often takes up more than one square metre. Thanks to its narrow base, the Action clothes airer needs considerably less room, with laundry hanging more like a “tower” than spreading across the floor.

A practical scenario in a two-room flat:

• A traditional airer blocks half the living room or the route to the balcony.
• The vertical rack can fit in a corner beside a shelving unit or behind a door.

Those with particularly large amounts of laundry could even use two of these racks alongside one another. Their slim shape often leaves more room to move around overall than a single expansive winged airer.

Tips for helping laundry dry faster

To make the purchase truly worthwhile, a few habits matter. These measures help laundry dry quickly on the vertical rack:

• Do not hang items too close together: Leave some space between garments, otherwise moisture becomes trapped.
• Ventilate the room: Opening windows fully for 5–10 minutes is more effective than leaving them tilted open for hours.
• Keep an eye on humidity: Anyone who does laundry frequently may want to consider a small dehumidifier.
• Use rotation: Turn particularly thick items from time to time so that air can reach every part.

A hygrometer, a simple device for measuring air humidity, is particularly useful in small flats. It makes it possible to check whether levels remain too high over a prolonged period. That protects not only the walls, but also your health.

Who will benefit most from the Action clothes airer?

The system is clearly aimed at people with limited space. Typical users include:

• single people and couples in small city flats,
• students living in shared accommodation,
• families needing an additional clothes airer in a child’s bedroom or hallway,
• households without a balcony, where laundry usually dries in the living room or bedroom.

The rack is also appealing for anyone who keeps many garments on hangers, such as business shirts, blouses and suits. This allows them to go from the wash directly to the wardrobe with fewer creases, without a stop at a chaotic washing line.

What to consider before buying

As with any low-cost product, there is the question of long-term durability. A price below £10 does not suggest premium materials. Anyone buying it should assemble the rack carefully, ensure all connections click firmly into place and avoid overloading it by force.

There is another consideration: at 1.64 metres tall, the rack is not suitable for very low sloping ceilings directly beneath the eaves. It should fit without difficulty in period flats or rooms with standard ceiling heights. Those who only do laundry occasionally can also dismantle it quickly or push it into a corner.

It is notable that more and more retailers are focusing on space-saving systems like this. Rather than simply offering wider winged airers in new colours, they are increasingly addressing the underlying question: how can space be used more efficiently without residents feeling as though they live in a laundry room?

For many people, that is likely to be the appeal of this Action clothes airer: an affordable, understated helper that makes everyday life quieter, tidier and a little more relaxed, without requiring any major changes to the flat.