Will I need a tumble dryer (no central heating only have night storage heaters)?

[moominliz]

I'm still relatively new to all this so sorry if this isn't the right section to post this!
I'm due at the beginning of February so obviously it won't be warm or dry enough to dry the (I'm presuming mountain loads!) of washing that will be created outside. The problem being we only have night storages heaters so no central heating, therefore no radiators, so would a tumble dryer be the solution?
DP seems to think we'll manage fine without one however, I'm not sure if I'm worrying uneccessarily and we will manage or, given the unpredictable British weather, if its best to get a tumble dryer to be on the safe side?

[Ealingkate]

DPs always seem to think tumble dryers are unnecessary, unless they are involved in the washing - they are wonderful things.
I've got an AEG one which is A rated and uses half the energy of a regular one - it was expensive but over time it should be worth due to reduced running costs.
Get one

[harrietlichman]

Hi!
Personally, I wouldn't contemplate NOT having one - I have lived in a house with night storage heaters (before kids!) and the idea of all that washing and drying without a tumble dryer would have been a nightmare! Some (most?) babies need changing several times a day and I found myself constantly washing and drying for the first few months - I think if you had radiators you could feasibly manage but without them you might really struggle to stay on top of it all, and in the early days and weeks, anything that makes life easier is worth its weight in gold!

[StainlessSteelCat]

Bought one before we had DC1. DP thought I was mad.

Roll forwards 6 years or so. Dryer breaks and we don't replace it immediately. We now have 2 DC. After 4 days of washing hanging everywhere, DP asks when we're getting a new dryer, because we need one.

Buy one.

[gregssausageroll]

Coulnd't be without mine. Not just in winter but all year round, particularly with the heavy rain we've been having recently.

[wonderstuff]

I wouldn't be without mine. My Zanussi stops when the clothes are dry - its fantastic

[Truffleshuffler]

Yes you definitely need one.

[beachhut]

Can I suggest a spin dryer instead?

They get an astonishing amount of water out and I reckon halve the drying time,
making an indoor airer far more efficient if you can't get washing outside.

This is especially true for cloth nappies and towels.

[pussinwellyboots]

We've been away for past 4 years to a holiday cottage with no washing machine just a spin dryer and storage heaters and found that we have ben able to dry a large amount of washing by spin drying it last thing and then hanging out in front of a few of the storage heaters - far enough away to not be a fire risk! (although i wouldn't be tempted to get a spin dryer as well as my washing machine). My approach is always to wait and see how it goes for you, some babies create more washing than others. We have 2 dc's aged 3 and 1 and i can count on one hand the number of times that i've used the dryer part of the washer dryer since they were born.

[moaningminniewhingesagain]

We manage fine without one - even when I had 2 in cloth nappies. Did need to use airers though.

I mostly haven't got one due to lack of kitchen space, and because I would use it all the time rather than my washing line.

So it is doable without but life would be easier with one.

[beachhut]

UsingMainlySpoons- think that whether or not a separate spindryer is better than an extra spin depends on

a) how good your washing machine spin is. Mine's not that great (though newer more expensive machines may be better!).

b) how loaded your washing machine is, especially for heavy stuff like towels and jeans.

Worth noting that it's technologically easier to spin 'vertically' as in a spindryer or an old toploading washing machine rather than a frontloading washing machine, so would expect a spindryer to be more 'efficient' at what it does.

Whether it's worth getting a spindryer on top of a washing machine can be debated, but would definitely get one instead of a separate tumbledryer.

[thisisyesterday]

when i had ds1 we lived in a flat with no tumble dryer, no central heating and no outside area to hang clothes and we managed ok for nearly 2 years!

in fact, i only got a tumble dryer about 18 months ago, when we had ds3!

i would say you ought to be just fine with clothes airers. but then, if you have the space for a dryer, and you want a dryer then you should get one!

[AngelDog]

When we had night storage heaters, in winter the washing took so long to dry it got smelly with damp before the things were properly dry. But it was a cold, single glazed flat - we even had ice on the inside of the kitchen windows after an evening with the oven on & the oven door open.

[welliesandpyjamas]

You don't need one. Your clothes will dry on airer(s) in a warm house/flat with no problem. It just means that it takes a bit longer to dry and that you need to have the airers out a lot in your living space - I get around this by having weekdays as washing days only so they don't get in the way so much when we're all at home :)

A tumble drier will make your life lovely and easy though so if you have the money to buy one and the space to keep one then go on, treat yourself. Having your first baby will be enough of a shock anyway

[moominliz]

Thanks everyone! You've all just confirmed my thoughts and I'll look into spin dryers too, I'd not really thought of them.
I think if DP did the washing we would no doubt have had one a long time ago :) !

[mizu]

We have brought up 2 dds with no tumble dryer and only storage heaters in 2 bedrooms upstairs. Managed but would have LOVED a tumble dryer. Couldn't really afford it at the time and was a bit eco-conscious. Every autumn we say shall we get one this year? And never do.

[DaisySteiner]

I would really recommend a pulley airer. They dry so much more quickly and efficiently than normal clothes horses and they're close to the ceiling so out of your way.

[Putthatbookdown]

a couple of people here have spoken highly of an electric airer at Lakeland Costs about £ 80 and about 3p an hour to run Folds away too You can dry a load on it

[AngelDog]

I have the Lakeland airer. It's very good but I'd use it with a dehumidifier or an open window in a well-ventilated room. We have mould on the ceiling now from the room I have it in.

[suzikettles]

If you've got the ceiling height then definitely get a pulley as DaisySteiner says. They're great for hanging a load on and then getting it up out of your way.

We don't have central heating or a tumble drier & ds was born in winter. I didn't have a problem keeping up with the washing, but we do have our pulley above a gas fire in the kitchen so I could get a load dry overnight. We also live in a top floor flat and benefit from our downstairs neighbour's heat!

I will say though, if I had the space I'd get a tumble drier.

[lachesis]

I'd get a drier. They're no longer that dear and worth the money, IME.

[moominliz]

Little update, after trying to dry one load of washing for about 3 days during this delighful summer weather we're experiencing I made the executive decision that we're getting a tumble dryer.
DP obviously had to do the typical man thing of umming and ahhing and getting the tape measure out to measure the blatantly adequate space in the kitchen before agreeing that it was a good idea!