Leavingt the tumble dryer on ...

[redskyatnight]

DH has "suggested" that I should not leave the tumble dryer on when I am out due to the risk of overheating and the house burning down. Apparently this happened to Terry Wogan.

I have never heard of tumble dryers being a particular fire risk and would rather not leave half dried clothes if I have to turn if off to go out. I am also of the opinion that the risk of fire is small and actually I would rather not be in the house if the tumble dryer is going to spontaneously combust . Also, we leave on (e.g) the oven, washing machine, other electrical applicances while we are out and surely these also have risk of catching fire?

I genuinely do not know if IABU and will organise my future tumble drying habits round the responses I get.

[blackeyedsusan]

don't have a tumble dryer, or an unused room... washing still dries.

[oreocrumbs]

We had a dishwasher fire, a couple of years ago pre DD when I was a smoker, DP went to bed and I pottered around tidying up and set the dishwasher away. Decided to have a last ciggarette so was stood at the back door and saw the smoke start to come out of the dishwasher! Was able to turn it off and shout for DP to help but I still shudder to think what could have happened if I had just gone to bed and not stayed up for that last fag - possibly the only time a ciggarette has been beneficial.

[HalfSpamHalfBrisket]

Earlier in the year I got home from work to a horrible acrid, electrical burning smell. The fridge had burned out (all the food was warm!). I dread to think what would have happened if it had actually 'caught' as there is no door between the kitchen and the stairwell.
I've always turned my tumble drier off but this has made me even more careful with my electricals. A lovely firefighter told me to always unplug mobile phone chargers as there is a big risk of them overheating if you leave them in permanently

[PinotScreechio]

at using fairy wings to dry clothes hahaha

[Magneto]

I never leave it on if I'm not paying attention - so if i have to go out or if it's bedtime.

Anything electrical is potentially a fire risk, especially if it makes heat.

[littlewish]

My DH is a firefighter, we NEVER leave the house with any kitchen appliance left on, even if it's just to pop to a neighbours for 5 minutes. He has seen far too many lovely homes with fairly new tumble dryers etc have their kitchens ruined and worse. It's just not worth the risk. We have smoke alarms everywhere too! I switch my washing machine off at the wall and pop it back on when I get in and it carries on where it left off, a PITA but no risk of house burning down.

[CultOfSkaro]

I worked for a household insurer and was staggered to find how many house fires were started by washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers. Have never left them unattended since. Also, I would never use a PC that wasn't plugged into a surge protected power point, tons of computers wrecked by electrical surges during thunderstorms.

[tyler80]

Just when are you supposed to do washing without leaving your machine unattended? We have a new efficient machine but the wash cycles last for ages. I've heard of the risk for tumble driers but not washing machines.

[susiedaisy]

Mine once made a terrible noise and then a burning smell wafted through the house by time I went to see what was going on there was wisps of smoke coming from it, fortunately I was home otherwise I feel sure it would of caught fire, I now never leave my new tumbler on when I am not home.

[memphis83]

My friends house was totally gutted, she left her tumble drier on while she picked her kids up from school, she returned after 15 mins to find fire crew there, her whole house was ruined and all the family pets dead, it was a fairly new drier, put me off ever owning one!

[Astronaut79]

BTw, my washing is on the line today, although it does mean I'm spending my precious toddler-free mat leave day anxiously gazing out of the window (I live in N wales; the rain is sneaky). I also know that when I bring it in, I'll have to give in and use the tumble dryer anyway, or try and bung it all in teh airing cupboard and risk Dh whining that I've made all his clothes smell of piss.

However, still not had the central heating on!

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Tumbledryers and dishwashers and now freezers as the sad story of a family killed in Neasden shows. Basically, don't leave the house without turning off the electricity at the mains

[Bogeymanface]

I wont leave any appliances on now when we are out because the son of my mums friend at church had his house destroyed when his dishwasher caught fire :(

Its just not worth the risk.

[aswellasyou]

I've just moved into a flat at university with a tumble dryer and I love it. So much so, that I'll probably buy one when I finish university next year. My flat at home is pretty small and last winter it usually took about a week to dry a load of washing. And there was a lot of washing with a new baby and my Mum staying at mine as much as she possibly could. It was a complete nightmare!

[Bunbaker]

"A fireman (sadly not a fit one) came to our toddler group to do a fire safety talk and advised that dishwashers, tumble dryers and washing machines are all a fire hazard and should not be left unattended in the day or switched on when everyone's in bed."

We were told that, and the fireman we had was very fit .

redsky We have one of these.

[Dirtydishesmakemesad]

I dont really have mine on when im out or when we go to bed (especially the bed one). I dry some things on the washign line or radiators. When we lives in the south east i did alot more line drying, here north west) it seems to rain all the sodding time so i can put washing out in bright sunshine and half an hour later be running to get it in from a sudden rainshower.

[LydiaWickham]

Colken - I put sleep suits on the airer in the kitchen last night around 9pm. They still aren't dry. Thankfully, DS is at MIL's this morning so we arent playing the 'fun' game of finding where he's stuffed them after pulling them off the airer (current favouite is the recycling bin as he's learned how to stamp on the peddle to make the lid lift).

They can't really go in the tumble dryer as it shrinks them, however 2 loads have already gone through this morning - it just wouldn't dry today outside.

Does anyone know if it ok if you set them on timers to go off through the night? I normally put the washing machine and dryer set to go off at around 5am so it's all done by the time we get up...

[valiumredhead]

Guilt is not an emotion that I encounter when turning on the drier - blessed relief is more like it!

[ballstoit]

Hmm, well I'm a SAHM with a tiny kitchen and bathroom which also contains the loo. The DCs bedroom has their 3 beds squashed in it but I guess I could use mine to dry clothes some of the time. As I try to avoid having the heating on as much as possible, the washing would probably take 3 days to dry, even inside

[MrsBloodyTroll]

Oh good, something else to feel guilty about!

[ElaineReese]

But Colken, that still assumes that you have enough floor space in the living room for one or more airers, and that the stuff will dry in an unheated house between say, half eight and half three - which isn't my experience!

I do use the radiators, though - seems a shame to waste all that heat - and it makes the house smell nice!

[GladbagsAndYourHandrags]

Our tumble dryer stops itself automatically when the stuff is dry but I don't know it this makes it actually safer?

OP I do agree that if there is a chance of house on fire I'd rather be out than in though

Ladybird, ladybird fly away home
Your house is on fire and your laundy is gone

[valiumredhead]

Covering radiators with wet clothes surely makes the CH work harder doesn't it - much cheaper to use the drier

[colken]

Ballstoit

If children are at school, and you are at work, the lounge/dining room is unused, isn't it. Those rooms are unused when you are in bed. I didn't mean rooms where no one slept because they had left home and not everyone has more than one bedroom, anyway. Even the bathroom is only used sometimes.