If you’ve ever lived in an old house, you’ll be familiar with that musty smell your washing takes on when you’ve been trying to dry it for three days solid.

In the summer, there’s no chance of putting the heating on – it’s far too hot. And, with the unreliable British climate, you’re a braver person than I am to trust the weather app when it comes to hanging your washing outside. A downpour is tres likely to happen, taking you back to square one.

It’s also not something you can instantly tell while viewing a rental, either. “Will my clothes dry within a three-day period?” is not normal estate agent chit-chat. But now I know the signs: high ceilings and single-glazed windows.

For me, it almost got to the point of not wanting to do my washing, as it was such a faff. First World problems, I know, but clean clothes is a must. Ironing on the other hand, is a task I have no interest in – thankfully, my mostly nylon wardrobe means I can avoid it.

Even strategically placing the most important items on all radiators around the house and blasting them for a few hours wasn’t enough to get through one load of washing. Small radiators coupled with pets that pull things off them is not a good mix.

Read more: Best heated clothes airer

And don’t even get me started on bedsheets. Slung over doors, or one half over the backs of chairs and the other on the radiator was one hack, but eventually this resulted in soggy wallpaper behind the radiator.

Which is where my heated dryer takes centre stage. Prior to owning one, I dismissed them as something I didn’t need in my life, let alone have room for in my flat – especially with my cupboard under the stairs being full of suitcases, forgotten skateboards, cat paraphernalia, winter coats and other rarely used items.

Then my partner’s mum bought one for us – apparently it was an issue the family had picked up on. It turns out, behind the sofa was the best storage place for it when not in use, and it’s been a gamechanger ever since.

Dry:Soon deluxe three-tier heated airer and cover bundle

Dimensions when open: 70cm x 74cm x 132.5cm

Folds to: 8cm deep

Laundry capacity: 15kg

When your flat is so cold you can see your breath indoors, you know there’s an issue. Especially when it doesn’t even really get that cold in south-east England.

Luckily, musty clothes will be no more for me. This admittedly rather cumbersome-looking heater is actually a dream to use. All you need to do is fold the horizontal shelves and clip them into the vertical stand, before turning it on. It then proceeds to heat up very quickly.

It comes with a cover designed to aid the drying process, but I’ve never really felt the need for it, as it’s already much, much quicker than I’m used to.

This can also be used as a storage cover too. But, in all honesty, mine is up so often, it was usually only packed away when people came round. And as that’s not happened in a very long time, there’s been little need for that either.

You can fit a decent load of washing on the airer, thanks to its three spacious tiers. My washing machine has a 6kg drum-load capacity, which is usually a few days’/a week’s worth of washing for two people.

King-sized sheets can be draped over the top, while a bottom sheet can lie across the middle and pillowcases on the bottom. So with a little reshuffling every few hours to make sure all corners of the duvet cover are dried, you can dry all the linen for a bed in one go.

I’ve never been a fan of tumble drying, due to a dislike of that crispy-towel effect and the risk of shrinking clothes (I’m clearly doing something wrong). And there’s no room in our rented flat either. But even if that wasn’t the case, Lakeland says the heated airer is very cheap to run, apparently costing 10p an hour, compared with £1.55 an hour for a tumble dryer (depending on the model). Not that I’ve worked it out, but since having it, there’s been little noticeable difference in bills that would warrant not using it. It does make a great alternative to a tumble dryer, in terms of cost and space, and it’s far less risky when it comes to potential shrinkages.

If space is a real issue, there are smaller designs, or this one can be half-assembled, so only one side of the shelving is up, making it useful for smaller loads too.

The airer also claims to hold 15kg of wet washing, which sounds an awful lot and I’m not sure I’ve ever put that much on it. But it feels pretty strong – my cat likes to sit on it while it’s full and we’ve not had any issues, bar fluffy clothes.

And if ever you can’t find your cat, rest assured, it will be sprawled out across the middle layer, basking as if it were on a beach sun lounger in Tenerife. Oh, what a life.

The three-tier model is back in stock from 2 November, but the smaller Dry:Soon model (£119.99, Lakeland.co.uk) is available in the meantime.

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The verdict: Dry:Soon deluxe three-tier heated airer and cover bundle

This may seem like a lot of money, but considering the endless usefulness of this heated airer, the fact it’s more affordable than most tumble dryers (and a huge space saver compared with one), it’s great for renters or for families with a lot of washing. I’m sure you’ll never go back to a plastic, non-heated airer again.

For more options, read our round-up of the best heated airers