Do I get a tumble dryer?

[TittyBojangles]

We have space for one and a hole thing for venting do wouldn't need to be a condenser, but do I actually need one?

Most ppl I know seem to have one and say I'll never manage without one again once I've tried one. Are they right? I couldn't live without my dishwasher, well obviously I could but I really wouldn't want to. Would a tumble dryer be like that?

If it helps there is me, dh and 4yo ds, soon to be another addition. Have a good sized garden for drying (though having to use radiators mostly due to weather atm), utility room with airer rack thingy.

Don't want to waste money, then electricity, on something I can very easily manage without, but with new baby arriving, ds starting school in sept, dh work shirts, my work uniform, maybe it'd be a great idea, plus apparently it means you dont have to iron anything?????!!!!

Sorry for the epic post for such a simple question.

[Jenda]

I think so! I don't have one at the moment so my house is always full of clothes dotted around to dry. It probably costs more to have the radiators on than it would for a quick spin in the tumble dryer. I don't have DCs but I would consider it a must if I did! It's lovely to put warm freshly tumbled clothes on in the morning too

[KeatsiePie]

My pov. is off b/c I'm American and it is the default here. But yeah, they are great. I do line dry in good weather. But in winter and/or when I am busy, it's great to be able to just whip through all the laundry in a few hours. I never iron, and I save a fortune on dry cleaning. I can't really imagine dealing with baby things and uniforms without one. I think you would probably love it.

[PigletJohn]

you say you are draping wet washing around your home and on radiators.

Using a tumbledrier instead will make your clothes fresher, softer and less creased, and will reduce condensation, damp and mould in your home.

[TittyBojangles]

Thanks for the replies, you paint a lovely picture of my home pigletjohn!

[LadySybilLikesCake]

I have one. It doesn't use that much electricity to be honest, I use it for 3 hours a week and my electricity bill is £1.18 a day (I work from home so the TV/Laptop is on all the time). Having wet washing on the radiators isn't good for condensation and I hate my house looking like washerwoman Wendy's laundry.

[Floralnomad]

The tumble dryer is my must have appliance ,I use it every day ,all year round - my electric bills are not at all high .

[passmethewineplease]

I love my tumble dryer. I line dry when it is nice but I don't like to as I feel it makes my hay fever worse in the summer. I also hate having clothes hanging everywhere waiting to dry, reminds me of a jumble sale.

Get one.

[LadySybilLikesCake]

I rarely iron now. I just pull the clothes out when they are dry (and warm) and fold them up. It saves time too. Instead of doing one load one day, putting them on the radiators to dry overnight and doing the same the next 2 days, I can put one load in the dryer and another in the washing machine so can do all of the washing and dry the clothes in a few hours.

[writtenguarantee]

reduce condensation, damp and mould in your home.

that's the reason why I would get one. Even at the best of times, damp is a problem here (I assume you are in the UK), and having wet laundry out just make that a million times worse. I, like the person above, am american but living in the UK, so I am used to a dryer. Frankly, most UK houses smell like damp to me.

We have one. In the summer we hang in the garden. In the winter we use the dryer. I never hang clothes in the house because I don't want or have damp issues.

[ouryve]

Drying on radiators is really bad for causing damp. Having another child will probably tip it over into definitely very useful territory.

[writtenguarantee]

I have one. It doesn't use that much electricity to be honest,

it's easy to work out how much it costs. Most dryers are multiple KW (usually 1-3). Thus, if you pay 10p/KW (approximate low end ball park) it costs about 30p a load.

[writtenguarantee]

*electricity is priced per Kwh.

[findingherfeet]

I recently got a washer/tumble dryer and I am indebted to it, I have a 3 year old and a baby and you forget just how many (flippin) times you have to change LOs clothes!

For the first time in a long time I feel on top of the laundry, it's a really good dryer that dries properly, very little gets creased and quite frankly I love it.

[Hoggle246]

I always hated the thought of one but got one just before my ds was born. My god I got my money's worth in the first month alone. I use it for towels/bedding/baby vests etc but still dry actual clothes on airers. But we won't have space to do that once spare room has another child in it so will then use it for everything.

[PeggaPip]

Ohhh yes! I couldn't manage without my one, and I certainly wouldn't have been able to cope with the amount of washing a newborn generates (sick covered babygrows/Muslins, poo explosion stained vests) if I didn't have one! Plus like other have said I very very rarely have to iron anything. Ok I never iron

[WowOoo]

I use mine a lot in the winter.
Means there won't be so much condensation from damp clothes everywhere.
Get one if you have the space.

[WingsClipped]

I cannot live without it tbh. It was the very first thing we ordered for the new house. Before sofas, beds etc.!

I love that we don't have things drying around the house and I hate hate HATE hanging up clothes to dry. Such a waste of time trying to get them straight so they don't crease and trying to maximize how you hang it so you can get more than 1 load drying at the same time. Not to mention the damp and condensation problems.

I love how it enables us to have less stuff as well. I.e. We don't need so many towels, bedding etc coz I can wash and tumble and they are ready to use in a few hours.

[vickibee]

I always said I wouldn't get one but is impossible to ary laundy from November to March, I still hang outside if possible as nothing beats the smell of fresh air. Got a drier three weeks ago and quite honestly it is a big help. Don't know how much it is costing extra in electricity though

[PigletJohn]

a modern dryer typically costs about 30p for synthetic load, and about 60p for a cotton load.

[GrottyPotPlant]

Oooh I was about to start the same thread, except I haven't room so it would have to be a washer-dryer.

findingherfeet what make/model do you have?? They seem somewhat iffy as a category, so looking out for recommendations.

I'm sick of living in a laundrette with soggy clothes everywhere!!

[Knottyknitter]

Mine's been running 7 times today. Gorgeous clear day but the sun wasn't warm enough to clear the dew from the lawn, and I had a big laundry mission on!

We were going to try without when we moved in to the new house (flat had a washer-drier combo) but my DPs bought us one ASAP, as they couldn't believe we'd be ok without. I would try not to use it, but DP creates shed loads of washing and I've been trying to get the bump's stuff washed too. DP worries about the added electric, but he doesn't do much of the laundry cycle, so tends to lose his vote! It's a modern one anyway, so not hugely pricey to run.

Maybe in the springtime, I'll start using the line again...

[UsedToBeAPaxmanFan]

We use the line in spring/summer but couldn't be without the tumble dryer in winter. There are 4 of us so the bedding and towels alone are a nightmare to get through the washing and drying each week, let alone clothes. Today, I have run the tumble dryer 4 times as have changed all the towels in the house plus done one bed-change. We don't have a lot of drying space indoors, plus it's too cold to open the windows to air the place if we were drying inside on airers.

If you've got the space I would say, have one and use it as required.