I love to have a drying rack. I think I'd put the one you've shown over the laundry basket counter, under the hanging rack area.

I agree with enduring on the location. But you could use a wall mounted fold-able one. That way if you still want to use the hanging rack/basket counter the rack doesn't always get in the way.

Here is a link that might be useful: Drying Rack

The big advantage I see to having a drying rack is that you could put sweaters or other things that need to dry flat on it so that air can circulate around them so that they will dry faster than laying flat on the counter. Otherwise, I use hangers on a rod to dry just about everything else. Hangers with clips will hold anything that won't slip over a plastic hanger with notches on the arms. And you already have a hanging rack for those.

I would probably place the drying rack on the wall underneath the hanging rack if I decided to use it. Is the IKEA rack sturdy enough to hang things from if it's open and getting to the hanging rack would be difficult?

Check out some of the ceiling mounted clothes drying racks like they use in europe. My german friend just got these from UK - It was not terribly expensive and holds a ton of clothes and can be raised and lowered easily.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pulley Clothes Dryers

I like the idea of a drying rack because without it I have to use the bathroom floor! However, I don't like the IKEA one because of the bars - I prefer netting across the top, like this one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Net drying rack

Thanks, all - I still haven't made up my mind on this one - simply analysis paralysis! :(

Gwiolo, I admit that I have a master's degree and still couldn't quite figure out the European pulley drying contraptions? Would it hang from the bar? I like the idea of not putting anything else in the wall but also couldn't figure out if that would take up all the space.

This IKEA rack folds down (for MrsHunter) so it could be out of the way, but that said, for it to be fully deployed, it would have to be mounted above the laundry sorter, which is fairly high? It's very strong but it would come out as far as the hanging rack if fully perpendicular, so I'd have to slide hanging things to the right and left of it.

Hmmm... Accordion might work better? I like the idea too that I could pull it out only slightly so it wouldn't interfere with hanging?

sjhockeyfan, I do like those but don't know where to store them (and then my kids end up leaving their jean shorts drying all over my pretty counter until they put them away, like three days later!) We use the drying rack that came with the dryer that way - just set it on the counter, but it's not quite enough space.

Does anyone know of a stainless or brushed nickel accordion? There's really no white in that room so I was trying to stick with the stainless or nickel.

Thanks, all!

If I was going with the Ikea rack, I would not hang it above the sorter because it will interfere with items hanging above that from the current rack.

I'd put it on the dead wall space adjacent to, and over the washer at the same height as the top of the window frame. That adds another place for drying and short hanging but it's out of the way and will fold down without interference.

I personally don't like those ceiling contraptions. I know they use them in England. For me the Ikea rack is better but a mesh one, or one with more closely spaced rods, would be better. Think that something like a soft sweater might slip through that one or get marked from the spaces. Williams Sonoma has two Euro racks that sit on the floor and fold -- folded it could just hang on the side wall out of the way. One of those hold several garments. Wish I had space for one. Great idea.

roccoccogurl, when you posted about a rack from Williams Sonoma, first thing that went through my head was "noodles". Here is the rack from there, linked below.

In this same vein, I bought a rack from Costco that has some horizontal racks and also a hanging area. I can't remember what I paid but I believe it was under $100. It folds too but it is somewhat wide and probably about 4'tall. I don't see it on their website though but there is another one that is floor and folding with narrower drying lines. It is $59. Here is the web page:
http://www.costco.com/Hills-Simplicity-Ultra-Expanding-Clothes-Drying-Rack.product.100028166.html
No reviews though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Williams Sonoma drying rack

Hi Alexa,

Where did you purchase your 48 inch hanging rack?

If you decide to use the Ikea rack, I agree with Rococo's placement suggestion or if you have the width, placing it over the dryer b/w your windows.

While you are deciding on whether to install a hanging rack, you could purchase a clip hanger to use with your existing rack to hang lingerie.

Here is a link that might be useful: Target Clip Hanger

This post was edited by sreedesq on Fri, Sep 20, 13 at 14:40

I don't have any flat drying surface, but have found that many things can be hung from a hangar. Jean shorts can be hung from the waist on a pants hangar. The same with napkins, tablecloths. Improvise, as long as you have a hanging rack you can hang many things. You can even use 2 hangars to hang large items.

thanks enduring. But I'm at optimum space usage in my laundry room. My old pants and skirt hangars -- the kind that are tiered and were miserable in a closet -- are working fairly well. The Miele dryer par-dries a lot of things which I can then hang. It's helped a lot.

Great rococogurl. The tiered hangers sound perfect for this application. I haven't seen those hangers in years.

I get my Miele w/d next Tuesday. After several months in the warehouse, waiting for me to get my remodel ready for delivery.