To think putting clothes in a dryer is a complete waste of money unless it's raining outside

[emmeline25]

I have a lot of laundry to do each week. I bought a large washing machine and dryer so that I could do one load of washing a week. I do my laundry every Friday morning.

Friday morning, as I was putting my laundry on the line, my new neighbour mentioned that it was only 10degrees celsius today. I explained that as long as it's not raining, my laundry goes out on the line. When I got back from work my clothes were completely dry. It was only 10 degrees but the wind had dried them.

If I know it's going to be raining on Friday I put the wash on, on a different day. If the forecast is for rain all week I use the dryer. The dryer has been used about 10 times in the two years I've lived in this house.

Even in very cold weather , clothes will dry. It doesn't have to be a hot sunny day for them to dry. Yet among my friends and neighbours the dryer is used weekly and clothes only put out in the summer. Some of my friends use the dry on very hot days!!!

I lived in a flat for two years and had no choice but to use a dryer then. I hated it and ended up putting a communal washing line in the grounds.

I find when I do use a dryer, even on the lowest setting it can shrink and damage clothes. Clothes definitely don't last as long as when line dried. Driers also cost money. Okay it's only 30p-50p per load but still, if you can line dry I just wouldn't bother. I also absolutely love the smell of line dried clothes. I have always been brought up with line drying though.

So, AIBU to think if it's not raining and you have a garden with space for a clothes line, putting clothes in the dryer is a waste of money?

I haven't got an outside. I do put some washing on an indoor drier but once that's full up I don't want to hang washing all over the place and get damp so it goes in the drier.

You do a lot of washing a week but only one load???

Oh good, I already replied to this thread two years ago

YANBU. I would not live somewhere that had no outside drying space. There’s NOTHING to beat the chalky smell of air-dried clothes.

UABVVVU to think this. I dry outside when it is dry, depending on what I have washed, but I also use my tumble dryer. I have solar panels so providing there is light they generate electricity, (more, obviously, if it is sunny!) so I'm not using very much electricity. I like to have fluffy towels and my DH doesn't like his socks dried on the line, plus I quite often finish things off in the dryer after they have been on the line and I can avoid ironing if I dry things in the tumble dryer. I don't know whether you work or not but I work full time and I certainly don't have time to wash everything on one day a week and get it all on the line and get it all dry. And one wash a week? My duvet covers and sheets take up one wash, then the towels take up another, we both need clean clothes for work every day (tops anyway), how on earth do you manage with just one wash a week!

Nope. Tumble dryer for everything (or nearly). Very convenient, everything soft, minimal ironing. Soft towels, bliss.

I line dry in summer and on nicer spring/autumn days but rarely in winter (out and home in dark) unless it’s a particularly nice weekend day. Dryer is invaluable for those ‘I need that for the morning’ moments after a day at work.

Ok.so it is a zombie thread but I have a vile washer dryer (no room for separate) and it won't even take all my towels at once to wash and then you have to halve the load to dry!! I must do about 5 washes a week! I do dry outside if the weather is ok as I have a South facing garden but I hate crispy towels so they always go in the dryer.

Some people prefer to spend money for the convenience of just chucking clothes in the dryer.
Much quicker than hanging them on the washing line, checking they're dry, bringing back in again.
If working full time there's a risk stuff will get rained on if left outside all day.