The Critical Role of Drying Cabinets

Construction sites, wellness-focused corporate offices, major sporting venues and critical emergency bases are a diverse client base for a very specific product. However, they share a common friction point: wet gear.

This challenge applies not only to these environments but also to sectors such as airport ground support operations, rail maintenance teams, cold stores, and large-scale distribution centres - all of which face daily issues with soaked, frozen, or contamination-prone workwear.

Wet workwear, soggy cycling kit, or damp technical fabrics can impact hygiene, safety, garment lifespan, and operational speed. When expensive PPE or sportswear is left to air-dry slowly (and often poorly), you risk mildew, lingering smells, and unnecessary downtime.

This is where the professional drying cabinet steps in.

Forbes Professional supplies premium, purpose-built cabinets from leading manufacturers like Podab, Primus, and Miele. These units offer a quiet, energy-efficient, and incredibly gentle way to dry virtually anything. Crucially, they’re designed for flexible installation, often running on simple single-phase 13amp or 32amp power options. For larger cabinets, there are 3 phase standard or 3 phase heat pump options, making them accessible to facilities of all sizes.

Here are just some of the environments where Forbes Professional installs drying cabinets:

1. Critical Readiness: Aviation, Fire Stations, and Emergency Services

For our emergency services - an area where we have extensive experience, including installations for clients like major regional fire services and aviation rescue teams - the need for a drying cabinet is a matter of life and safety.

This also extends to airport ground support staff, including luggage handlers, ramp agents, refuelling crews, engineering teams and maintenance personnel, who rely heavily on Gore-Tex and high-performance laminated garments that cannot be tumble dried without risking delamination.

After a call-out or shift in extreme conditions, essential gear such as firefighting uniforms or aviation suits must be quickly dried and decontaminated.

• Safety First: Damp PPE is compromised PPE. Moisture retained in multi-layered fabrics can turn to steam when exposed to high heat, posing a serious burn risk to the wearer.• Preserving PPE Integrity: Aggressive tumble drying ruins the reflective stripping, delicate membranes, and fire-retardant properties of technical gear. Our cabinets use non-mechanical airflow, protecting your investment and your team.• Guaranteed Readiness: Emergency services don't run on a standard schedule. Gear needs to be dried and ready for the very next incident. A high-capacity drying cabinet ensures rapid turnaround and complete equipment readiness 24/7.

2. In the Office: Supporting Active Commuters

Many modern businesses encourage wellness and sustainability through Cycle-to-Work or running initiatives. This is a great initiative for the planet and employee health, but it often creates a secondary problem: Where do people dry their wet, sometimes sweaty, gear?

A Forbes Professional drying cabinet transforms clients’ changing room amenities:

• Valued Employee Benefit: It offers a clean, discreet solution for employees who cycle or run to work, allowing them to start their day dry and comfortable. It shows the organisation cares about their wellness commitment.• Sleek and Tidy: The unit neatly consolidates all damp items - helmets, shoes, jackets - into one enclosed space, preventing clutter and odours from polluting office changing areas.• Gentle on Sportswear: Perfect for the sensitive synthetic fabrics (Lycra, Gore-Tex, etc.) found in performance clothing, significantly extending their lifespan beyond what a standard tumble dryer can offer.

3. At Home: The High-End Residential Upgrade

In luxury homes, especially those with extensive utility rooms, boot rooms, or properties near outdoor pursuits, the drying cabinet is the ultimate functional upgrade. It's perfect for items that simply can't go into a standard machine.

• Drying the Undryable: Think expensive riding boots, fishing waders, bulky ski jackets, or delicate cashmere sweaters. These cabinets handle garments that require careful, gentle heat and airflow.• Seamless Integration: The compact footprints from brands like Miele and Podab allow the units to be built directly into bespoke utility room cabinetry, offering a sophisticated, streamlined aesthetic.• Simple Setup: The ease of a single-phase 13-amp connection enables a straightforward installation without requiring the kind of complex electrical work associated with heavy-duty industrial machinery.

4. Major Venues and Commercial Operations

From major sporting venues and prestigious stadiums to high-end residential boot rooms, the uniform and specialised kit requirements are vast and varied.

• Venue Staff Uniforms: Ensures large volumes of staff uniforms, from catering to security, are consistently dry, fresh, and presentable for every event.• Specialised Kit: Capable of drying high-value, bespoke items like football kits, grounds crew overalls, or highly technical gear, such as the flying suits used by our helicopter base clients.

We also support logistics hubs, freezer environments and cold-store distribution centres, where employees work in temperatures as low as –30°C. Jackets and PPE often become moisture-logged and freeze solid, requiring thorough and gentle drying between shifts.

• Flexible Footprint: Compact designs from brands like Podab and Miele fit neatly into small plant rooms or changing facilities, and the single-phase, 13-amp power requirement makes installation straightforward.

5. On Site: The Construction/Industrial Imperative

In the construction sector, where we have clients with facilities across the UK, downtime is costly, and safety is paramount. When heavy-duty high-visibility jackets, boots, and protective gloves get soaked, they need to be dry for the next shift.

• Minimising Downtime: Eliminates the frustration of workers starting a shift in damp gear, boosting comfort, morale, and focus.• Preserving Workwear: Extends the lifespan of expensive, specialised workwear by avoiding the damage caused by high-heat tumbling.• Hygiene and Comfort: By quickly and efficiently drying wet items, you significantly improve the hygiene and comfort of changing areas, removing the risk of lingering dampness, mould, and odours.

These same advantages apply to rail workers, depot teams and technicians, who spend long hours outdoors or in exposed trackside conditions and depend on rapid, non-mechanical drying to maintain both safety and comfort.

The Forbes Professional Commitment

We understand that every organisation has unique, critical requirements. We have implemented our drying solutions in diverse, demanding facilities across the UK, ensuring essential uniforms and equipment are always ready.

Forbes’ National Account Manager, John Dobbs, explains the value:

"Our clients trust these drying cabinets because they deliver on three key metrics: speed, energy efficiency, and textile protection. Whether it’s drying contaminated fire suits for a major regional service, or ensuring all major venue staff uniforms are pristine for a weekend event, these units are essential for organisations that prioritise operational readiness and staff welfare."

If you’re looking to improve operational efficiency, protect your investment in workwear, and provide a superior amenity for your team or residents, a commercial drying cabinet is the answer.