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?

If you use a tumbledryer 10 times in 2 years, buying the dryer was a far bigger waste than using it ever is, financially.

Our clothes don't dry on the line this time of year. I resisted getting a tumble dryer until my eldest was 8 but life is much easier now I've cracked.

Soo ive to hang my washing out when its not going to dry just hang there not drying then put it in the dryer anyway there comes a time that washing wont dry in the winter especially if your garden is shaded and damp like mine is. One washing a week HA i wish we have a big machine and my washing machine is on most days.

I appreciate I'm a weirdo but I genuinely hate the smell of line dried clothes. I hang what I have to on the airer inside & tumble everything else

I dry outside on fine dry days but generally for 6 months of the year I use the drier.

I don't like my house looking a mess - and with a load of laundry being done most days it would annoy me hugely to have washing on the airer.

Everyone has their own view, and what is practical for one family isn't for another.

Yabvu u do 1 wash a week very easy to dry on line in my house I do at least 3 loads a day so defo need the dryer I don't have time to wait for it to dry on line I 100% use dryer I don't even have a washing line lol there is 7 of us in my house my dryer n washer are both 9kg

I didn't have one for 30 years and now I've had mine for a year, I wouldn't go back to line drying and drying inside

Mrs

I know what you mean, but this is what I do, honestly.
We have a damp house unless we have a constant airflow through each day, so obviously wet clothes hanging about wouldn't help this.
It costs too much to dry from wet and even if they aren't anywhere near to dry when I bring them off the line, they still don't take as long to dry in the dryer. It's amazing how well they do dry on the line.

You can buy 15kg washing machines??? Who knew?!

Gotta laugh at your smugness when you do one wash a week! Thanks for the chuckle though

When would you like to pick up your medal?

I've never had a drier.

Oh and I love my drier

I use 2 large airers to dry clothes during the winter/wet weather. Close to a radiator the clothes dry pretty quickly.

Family of 4 with 2 teenage boys ( 1 of whom plays a lot of football) full time workers.

I peg out during the summer and will time my washer so it ends just before I get up.

I rarely use my tumble dryer. I hate using it to be honest. Money waster and drainer of energy.

It smells nicer outside and I find hanging it out therapeutic. My TD is a back up. Only dh and me here at the moment. Was difficult when there was 5 of us but mini washing line above radiator from Lakeland was a wonderful buy plus my 25 year old big D airer.

I have a 5kg washing machine. It's
So old it has hot and cold fill. Surely the envonmental impact of buying a new washing machine just because when that one still works would be massive?

My washer belonged to my gran before me. When she died it went to my parents garage for 3/4 years and when I was In need of One because mine broke they gave it to me. It's about 25 I think.

I have:had two indoor racks and a set of lines over the bath. The house was wet. Single glazing and the windows would run with wet in the winter.

Don't have time when working but in school holidays I love to dry washing outside.

I use the drier every week, I do 5-6 loads a week, often both washing machine and dryer are on at the same time. The time it takes to hang clothes out I would spend with my DC plus my garden isn't accessable from same floor as living room so it would mean either taking DC into garden or leaving on own.

I don't have a dryer, and there are five of us -two adults, and three teenagers. I work full time and am out of the house for 12 hours a day including the commute. I've never lived anywhere where there was a dryer, so I suppose I don't know what I'm missing. In summer it's easy - things go on the line outside. In winter, it is harder. I hang things out, and bring them in the evenings, even if it's dark. I sometimes use a heater and use the indoor clothes airer. It gets things dry very quickly if you make a tent effect with a sheet. Admittedly, not very attractive, but it does the job. I put the airer in the (not much used) dining room, so we don't have to look at the washing. I haven't got space for a dryer in the kitchen.

Tbf i have been hanging washing out untill this week but it is time to stick the dryer on, garden is really damp ive no inclination now to hang it out wet to bring it in wet its too much effort

We can line dry some of the laundry and finish off in the dryer. Even in the middle of summer, we'd struggle to line dry all of it.

I would caution anyone to be careful when drying laundry indoors as it can pose a serious health risk:
www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-20176376

I do have an airer in a spare room for jeans and heavier non tumble things whats this about tent effect ?

Given that I usually have to do 2 loads a day (there are 8 of us), I wouldnt manage without a dryer, there simply wouldnt be room to dry it all, especially as I have a 9kg washer which has cut down the number of loads I have to do.

I don't know where you get this idea that clothes will dry in any weather except rain. That just isn't true, at least for where I live. Clothes have come in wetter than when they've gone out on some winter days where the humidity is off the scale.

I put clothes out when ever it looks like a possibility they might dry - but I find the above as well.

Some days it's not worth it - other days I have to wait to see if the mist burns off all stays all day or turns to mizzle.

Last winter it just rained and rained - seem liked whole winter was just wet with little let up. I had to buy a heater rail thing - replace de-humidifier that broke and rely on the drier as well. We still had wet washing hanging round everywhere.

Yes, driers are a waste of money in the summer, and a ridiculous use of energy blah blah

But I use it anyway because it's convenient, I do loads of things that are probably a waste of money for that exact reason. I used to be a bit more wary of using the planet's resources and spending unnecessary money but I'm too tired these days to care as much tbh and am only interested in making my life as easy as possible.