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Small kitchen: dryer or dishwasher?

45 replies

Nellodee · 17/12/2023 18:35

I think a dryer saves more time than a dishwasher, but then my washer and dryer seem to be on constantly. But everyone seems to have a dishwasher. How? Is it either or?

yabu - dishwasher beats dryer
yannu - dryer beats dishwasher

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2dogsandabudgie · 17/12/2023 20:17

I have a washer/ dryer and it is used to dry clothes every day in winter. We have had ours for about 3 years and it has been brilliant. It is cheap to dry clothes as well. Have a smart meter so can see how much tumble dryer uses. I hate having wet washing hanging around the house. I have never had a dish washer, so I suppose you don't miss what you've never had.

Sugarsun · 17/12/2023 20:12

I don’t have either but if I had to choose it would be a dryer.

You can easily wash dishes up in the sink but if its raining and you need to get uniform washed and dried it can be very difficult to do on just a clothes rack indoors (and can cause damp).

I did see counter top dish washers.

Apparently they’re about the size of a large microwave and don’t need to be plumbed in.
I don’t know anyone who has one though, so I don’t know if they’re any good.

TheKeatingFive · 17/12/2023 19:59

Dishwasher sooner be naked than wash up

😂

hangingonfordearlife1 · 17/12/2023 19:50

dishwasher, can put a condenser dryer anywhere- bedroom, garden shed, under the stairs

EveWinter · 17/12/2023 19:42

My dryer is a heat pump dryer with a water tank you empty. It’s in a cupboard under the stairs but it could go anywhere. Get a dishwasher and see if you can figure out where else a dryer might go.

F1ymetothetoon · 17/12/2023 19:40

wineymummy · 17/12/2023 19:34

Can't believe how many people saying dryer. They are SO expensive to run. We have one and use it only when desperate. Overhead airer and 2 standing airers and outside line in the summer. In contrast our dishwasher is on at least once a day.

Not if it's a heat pump dryer mine costs pennies to dry a full load where previously I would have the central heating on for hours on end with wet washing draped over the radiators (not good for the house)

GeorgeBeckett · 17/12/2023 19:40

Dishwasher. It's not just having to wash the dishes it's being able to have them out of sight!

Modern washer-dryers are much better than even a few years ago, or a dryer can go in a bedroom or bathroom.

We actually don't have a dryer and are happy with our Lakeland DrySoon in the winter. It's kinder to clothes and DH has it on in the spare room whilst he's working and it keeps him nice and warm without having to have the heating on. If he gets cold he does more laundry so he can put it back on again. Win-win!

NeedWineNow · 17/12/2023 19:38

Dishwasher. We'd been in our cottage 5 years until we had the kitchen done and DH said that a dishwasher was a priority. I'm seriously tempted to get a washer drier for towels, jeans, thick sweatshirts etc. We hang outside where we can, but we're getting patches on the walls in our back bedroom where I put the airers up. We've got a dehumidifier but it doesn't seem to help - I'm never sure what the optimum laundry temperature is for our one which is very basic and doesn't have a laundry setting.

LuluBlakey1 · 17/12/2023 19:35

Saggypants · 17/12/2023 18:49

Washer-dryers are shite.

I think my answer depends on what kind of cooking your family does and whether you have space elsewhere for a heated airer.

I've had two in 20 years. Both great.

TodayForTomorrow · 17/12/2023 19:35

I vote dryer. I hate having washing everywhere and I'm quite good and washing up as I go so that by the time it's time to eat I've only got the plates and cutlery to do.

rwalker · 17/12/2023 19:35

Dishwasher sooner be naked than wash up

get washer/dryer ( yes there shit )and dehumidifier
clothes on air maid run dehumidifier then quick 10 minutes in shitty washer dryer to finish off

wineymummy · 17/12/2023 19:34

Can't believe how many people saying dryer. They are SO expensive to run. We have one and use it only when desperate. Overhead airer and 2 standing airers and outside line in the summer. In contrast our dishwasher is on at least once a day.

OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 17/12/2023 19:32

I had this issue and I have a dishwasher and a washer-dryer. Now with some further tinkering of the upstairs layout we will hopefully be having a standalone dryer in the airing cupboard upstairs. I will keep the washer-dryer and just use it as a washing machine until he dies.

Alchemistress · 17/12/2023 19:31

I have neither currently (tiny kitchen and no utility) but am looking to buy a new place.

If it came down to one or the other it would be dryer. There's only two of us but in a small house dangling duvet covers and towels from every space is depressing ( and damp). I'm used to washing up by hand and tbh we don't generate much washing up ( i.e we use the same cup all day rather than several different ones).

Namenamchange · 17/12/2023 19:25

dryer, but can you get the dryer in another room? Or cupboard maybe bedroom?

PaminaMozart · 17/12/2023 19:16

I'd get a washer-dryer and a dishwasher. Wouldn't want to do without one or the other.

Washer-dryers used to be inefficient and unreliable but they have improved considerably in the last few years.

PincesssPeachh · 17/12/2023 19:15

I’ve got both and if I could only keep one, without a doubt I’d keep the dishwasher!

F1ymetothetoon · 17/12/2023 19:14

Dishwasher for me but I had to sacrifice a kitchen base cupboard to fit one in. Three years later I sacrificed my extra under counter freezer to fit in a tumble dryer. No regrets.

Roselilly36 · 17/12/2023 19:11

Dishwasher without doubt

Wazzzzzuuuuuuup · 17/12/2023 19:07

Dryer over dishwasher if you absolutely have to choose. I have a dryer upstairs in my box room with my iron and ironing board. From taking a basket of washing upstairs, I can then get the clean clothes away once dry

Sahara123 · 17/12/2023 19:06

Dishwasher for me , we’re not good washer uppers ! Stick stuff in all day , onto a timer at night to use off peak electricity. I have a dryer but I hardly use it as it’s expensive to run .

poetryandwine · 17/12/2023 18:59

muddlingthrou · 17/12/2023 18:51

Don't tumble dryers wear your clothes out more quickly? Or did my mum lie to me 🤣

Your mum was right, or that is what we believe in my home country. Where the climate facilitates hanging the laundry outside most of the year.

But in the UK we have to deal with so much rain that you need to plan your laundry days carefully if you want to hang your laundry outside. Also there are allergies in my family making this a bad idea.

I do hang items to be ironed, and iron them when damp. That is most of our nice clothing. But sheets etc go in the dryer because hanging them indoors takes too much space, looks a bit depressing, and they take ages to dry in cool weather

Bax765 · 17/12/2023 18:59

I'd definitely go for a dishwasher! We use it every day, sometimes more than once.

I hang most clothes up to dry, but we have a combined washer-dryer which we use for towels etc.

Burgundylover · 17/12/2023 18:59

I had a dryer years ago but latterly the only time I used it was to finish off slightly damp clothes that had dried outdoors. I did not miss it when it died. When the weather is too bad to dry outdoors, I just hang up on clothes airers and it is all dry the next day.
I cannot do without a dishwasher. When it has died I have replaced immediarely. Washing up is time consuming, endless and tedious. You can't put a full meal's worth of dishes on the drainer so is impractical. I hate washing up.

fingerguns · 17/12/2023 18:54

I'd go for dishwasher and washer-dryer, or is there a place like an understairs cupboard you can put a condenser dryer?