The telescopic clothes airer expands to be filled and contracts to allow more space in cramped areas.

Wall mounted airers are set to become a standard part of home equipment. Modern home designers and builders are including laundry airers as a drying system. Among the items considered are solar heating, cavity wall insulation, double glazing, light tubes and of course wind turbines, water recycling tanks, mulching systems, a grass roof as well as energy saving lamps etc. Most of the equipment-based items are expensive to buy and install and the pay back period depends on the number of sunny days per year or the speed of the wind that blows. They are all however, part of a movement known as the Green or Eco friendly movement that is designed to help us reduce CO2 emissions.

The modern wall mounted expanding airer is not expensive and it immediately and permanently contributes to reducing your CO2 usage. Every time you use it you are reducing your usage of a direct heat drying system such as a tumble dryer or launderette.

It also helps create more hanging space and often uses previously unused space in the home such as up in the cornice of the ceiling or in unused rooms. Some wall airers can hang 20kg and expand to take large loads of washing especially on a multi-strand washing line for use, say over the bath. They can be installed on garage walls or outside in a sheltered area as well as in kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms or, for that matter, anywhere where there is some unused space.

Space, of course, is a scarce commodity for city dwellers, a large proportion of whom live in apartments or small houses. Portable floor mounted airers are also useful in that the smaller version can be used standing in the bath and, together with a wall mounted washing line holding up to 69 feet of washing, provide a complete drying service for any washing load.

Nothing can be as untidy as seeing all the small washed items strewn on every radiator because of lack of space to dry indoors. The solution lies in a wall mounted drying rack, which can become the centre point for drying all year round.

The search for additional space is often a problem to be faced in the modern home and the clothes airer fills this need easily then folds away out of sight after use.