I'm fed up with ugly clothes airers taking over my home – these clever alternatives are more discreet

Nothing ruins a room's overall look quite like an overflowing clothes airer, especially if you have guests coming over. As the colder months make outdoor drying more difficult (nigh on impossible), most of us end up with laundry racks taking over our living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms.

While practical, a traditional clothes horse (and even some of the best heated clothes airers) is rarely pretty when it's covered in washing. Thankfully, there are a number of clever ways to make drying laundry indoors less of an eyesore, from changing where and how you hang clothes to swapping a bulky floor-standing rack for a more discreet alternative.

If, like me, you're fed up with staring at laundry all week, these expert-approved solutions are worth giving a whirl.

1. Choose a clothes airer that hides the washing

If you can't hide your airer, conceal the clothes instead. Covered and screened designs are a smart option for anyone who regularly dries washing in a living space, and the Joseph Joseph Eclipse 3-tier ecru clothes airer with screen, £135 on Amazon, is one of the smartest-looking examples we've seen.

Rather than leaving every item of washing on show, it has a fabric screen down one side that helps disguise the laundry behind it. It's a small design detail but one that could make a big difference if your airer has to live in your kitchen, living room or another highly visible spot.

Richard Joseph, CEO and co-founder of Joseph Joseph, agrees. 'A covered side instantly tidies the look of laundry while adding an elevated design element to your home,' he explains. 'It's great at concealing clothes whilst blending seamlessly into your surroundings.'

Covers can also be useful for heated airers. Catrin Parry, buying lead for cleaning and laundry at Lakeland, recommends pairing a Dry:Soon heated airer with its purpose-designed cover. It conceals the clothes, helps speed up drying and is my top pick in our buying guide.

2. Swap a wide airer for a tower design

When floor space is limited, think upwards. A tall, narrow tower airer can hold a large wash while taking up less room, says Lauren Roelofs, Laundry category expert at Brabantia.

The Brabantia HangOn tower, £80 at Argos, for example, offers 23 or 30 metres of drying space, with independently folding levels and wheels making it easier to move when guests arrive.

Mary Widdall, Product Category Manager for Laundry at Minky, agrees that vertical designs suit flats and smaller homes. Slimline and extendable models can also provide drying space without permanently taking over the floor.

3. Make use of the back of the door

For smaller loads, an over-the-door airer can keep laundry off the floor and out of the centre of the room.

Brabantia's Hanging Drying Rack provides 4.5 metres of drying space and attaches to a door or suitable radiator. Lakeland's Beechwood and Steel over-the-door airer, £34.99, is another slick-looking alternative to a traditional clothes horse.

Catrin says these designs are useful for 'making the most of underused drying spaces,' and most collapse for easy storage.

4. Install a retractable washing line

This is one solution I've actually built into my own utility room that has also gone viral on Instagram. I have a brass retractable washing line, £14.99 on Amazon, that I can pull out whenever I need extra drying space and then retract completely once the washing is put away.

With a retractable clothing line, you get a useful drying space without having another bulky laundry product permanently taking up room. I also deliberately chose a brass design so that even the small part that remains visible feels like it belongs with the rest of the room rather than looking overly functional.

'For a larger wash, a wall-mounted retractable line is a practical option,' says Emma Rawley, Senior Product Manager at Beldray. 'Beldray's 16m retractable clothes line, £12.99 at Amazon, can be used indoors, provides drying room but then retracts back into its casing afterwards.'

5. Use a radiator, bath or ceiling airer

Radiator, wall-mounted, over-bath and ceiling-mounted airers make use of otherwise wasted space and keep laundry off the floor.

Lakeland's over-bath and extendable ceiling airer, £39.99, is designed for this purpose, while Minky's Over Bath Airer, £29.99 on Amazon, provides 9.5 metres of drying space above an area used only occasionally.

Radiator airers are useful for small loads, although Emma warns that they should only be used on compatible radiators and work similarly to a heated clothes airer, but should never be placed on portable or electric heaters.

6. Put small laundry on a peg airer

Socks, underwear and kids' clothes don't need to take over your main drying rack.

Richard recommends a compact peg hanger, such as Joseph Joseph's Petal 22-piece quick-grip drying hanger, £10 on Amazon. 'Peg airers can be ideal for drying smaller items without the need to assemble a full-sized airer, helping the space feel more organised and less cluttered,' he says.

Beldray's 20-peg folding airer, £9.99 on Amazon, works similarly, clipping onto an existing airer or washing line before folding away.

Separating smaller pieces makes the washing look tidier and frees the main rails for longer garments.

7. Make the laundry itself look less messy

If buying another product isn't an option, changing how you load your airer can make a difference, says the experts, whether it's a traditional clothes airer or a heated one.

Lauren recommends grouping similar garments, placing larger pieces towards the outside and smaller items inside, with underwear and socks on the lower racks. Shirts and blouses can go directly onto hangers, freeing rail space and allowing them to move straight into the wardrobe once dry.

Mary also suggests grouping similar items and colours together, while leaving space between garments rather than overlapping them.

And Emma recommends an extra spin cycle before hanging washing. Removing more water means less drying time and less looking at your airer!

Shop clothes airers you won't need to hide

Failing all that, if you're in the market for a new clothes airer, these are by far some of the prettiest looking I've found.

So there you have it! Disguising an ugly clothes airer isn't just about hiding it. Choosing a smaller or more attractive design, organising the washing and getting it dry and put away quickly can make the biggest difference, say laundry experts! Easier said than done, though!