To rely on my tumble dryer.

[CAK111512]

Bit of an odd post. I use my tumble dryer a lot. I have two kids, we go through a lot of washing. I use my washing line as much as possible but when the weathers unpredictable I shove everything I can in the dryer.

Every time my mother in law comes over. She mentions the dryer. Saying things like you need to get rid of that darn dryer, I can’t believe you are using it again, they cost so much money, I’ve always coped without one, why don’t you dry it outside (whilst it was raining), telling me it will all shrink (I’m pretty good at laundry and know how to read labels and not what to dry in them). Telling me to save all my washing until it’s sunny. I kindly explain that during the summer months I use the line as much as possible but when it’s rainy I use the dryer. I cannot wait until a sunny day to so all my washing because I would have tons to catch up on.

Its sounds stupid but every single time she comes over, when when it’s not on she makes comments on it. Is it really her problem?

I do a full load, sometimes more every day.

Aibu to not be able to cope without a dryer? How would you cope within the winter months? I don’t like it all lying around indoors to dry, my house isn’t big enough.

It's one of thise things that poele get so used to they say they can't live without. I have one but I dry most things outside, at mo I have some in the dryer and some on the line. Can I live without it yes but then I do have a garden. I have also lived in a flat with a shared laundry for the whole block, and in communal accommodation with no laundry facilities, so I know one can do without.

My mum used to make comments too about how much they cost to run blah, blah, until we compared energy usage and our electricity for our family of 4 with our ridiculous tumble was a fair whack less then what her and my dad were using! She hasn't mentioned it again! Now I think she spends her time nagging my dad to switch lights off 😂

I think it’s a generational thing. They use to be incredibly expensive to run.

I use my tumble dryer all the time. Hate line drying and hate to see other people do it. Looks scruffy.

I once worked for a man who had a washing machine which would spin on 600 rpm/800 rpm/1000 rpm. So not very fast, as washing machines go.

He always went mad if I set the thing to spin at 1000 rpm. He said it would break the machine.

He also had a tumble dryer and insisted that I never use it - despite the fact that the reason why I was there was to look after his wife who was incontinent. The amount of washing was enormous.

I remember telling him that my washing machine at home spun at 1500 rpm and he was appalled.

Some people have very odd ideas about machines which make doing the laundry easier.

I no longer work there.

And I live in the West Coast of Scotland where it rains almost every day. I would be lost without my tumble dryer.

I hate mine. I dont like the smell and I don't think dryer sheets work. I've got a ceiling airer which is a godsend in a small house.

Otoh, not liking line dried washing because it looks "scruffy" is beyond stupid. Doubly so if it's not even your own washing you're talking about.

I have a tumble drier which I hardly ever use. I line dry for most of the year but I live in the south east, which has very different weather to the north west or Scotland.

The tumble dryer is useful on those in between spring and autumn days when it is raining but the heating isn't on. Even then I will dry inside on an airer for most of the day and just finish off in the tumble dryer but then I am lucky enough to have space for an airer in my house and just an average amount of laundry to do. If I lived in a tiny flat with no balcony or had a baby in cloth nappies or dc who wet the bed, then I don't see what choice I would have other than to use a tumble dryer?

I’m not sure it’s a generational thing , my mum was nearly 80 and tumble dried everything she could , she had even done away with her washing line ( for safety reasons ) . I also tumble everything that can be tumbled all year I really can’t be bothered with putting stuff in and out on a line and never being sure it will be dried .

I love my tumblr dryer. I use it for most of my washing.
In my last rented home, the landlord had it written into the contract that we couldn’t hang wet clothing inside the house. I did wonder how the fuck she expected us to do our washing or even hang a coat up after being out in the rain!

My tumble dryer has been broken this past week, last weekend was ok it was sunny I could hang out washing, this week it’s rained everyday, we live in the West of Scotland it rains a lot here, there’s 6 people in this house, I have a huge backlog of washing. There’s no way I can get it all dry in the Winter without a tumble dryer.

I got my first tumble dryer about 3 years ago and it changed my life!!! We still hang up the vast bulk of the washing (although inside on a heated towel rack because of DH's asthma and allergies) but towels and bedding in the dryer are a) softer and b) no longer mean our house looks like a chinese laundry half the week!

MIL is an idiot. Tell her to stop banging on about it. You're a grown adult with the right to do your washing however the hell you like.

We don’t have one and we manage ok for most of the time (family of three).

However, we’ve just housesat for friends for a couple of weeks and they have one. It was lovely to use it when the weather was lousy. No laundry hanging about, less ironing to do and washing up straight nice and quickly. Can’t really fit one in our house but if we ever move, I will be so tempted.

With no garden I’d be really stuck without it. Currently sitting in the laundrette as my washer/dryer has broken.

I use mine most of the time TBH!.I tend to double spin things like towels ,then less time drying them .Take no notice at all .If she says anything just say airily "Oh I know you didnt have one,but times change and most people these days use them ,they are much more energy effieicent ". then change the subject!.Im quite sure she doesnt want her GC running out of clean dry clothes !

I also use the dryer a lot. With a baby we have a lot of washing. We use reusable nappies so we have a clothes horse inside the dining room for them as we barley use it and keeps it out the way! X

I don't even have a line in the garden. I tumble dry sheets, towels, jeans, and socks. I hang permanent press items in the airing closet. It has a heat light and an dehumidifier exhaust. I do combine drying loads and don't dry until it is a full load. I do not use disposable dryer sheets so that's my bit for the environment. Also I run the dryer at night so the heat it generates helps to warm the house.
I would give up my microwave before I would give up my dryer!!

I have a washer/dryer and hate the dryer part of it so use it as little as possible. Everything goes on the line or on the (what we call) iron maiden inside. It's cumbersome but can be folded away. I miss the freedom of just bunging everything is the dryer whilst washing another load. It's a military operation to get it done.

YANBU. When DD was tiny we had no outdoor space to dry clothes and if I dried them inside it made the black mould worse. I used my tumble dryer every single day. Would have rather not done so, but sometimes needs must

Our current house is amazing for drying clothes inside - it is so dry and airy. I put a full load on airers on the landing at 8am and it’s already dry now at 3.30pm. We had a washer dryer but that was a pain, it didn’t wash or dry things very well and its quickest wash setting was 1hr 45mins, which was a total pain. It died when I overfilled it and burnt out the motor and we got the cheapest washer from Curry’s for £200 to replace it. We’ve had it 18 months, I use it daily (today I’ve washed 6 loads of washing) and it gets things cleaner than my sisters £600 Samsung machine that sings a song to you when it’s finished! We don’t have space for a separate tumble drier so we just cope without it. In winter if we need things the next morning we just put them in the airing cupboard over night. When we were on a very rainy holiday in the UK a couple of weeks ago the house didn’t have a tumble drier but it was so damp inside, clothes hung on hangers were still damp to the touch 3 days Later. Made me appreciate my bone dry house even more!

I spent years, years, getting up at 5am to put the washing out before work, getting it in again at 6pm after work, airing it up in the house. Then I met MrGA & he bought a tumble dryer. I use it all the time & I will do this for the rest of my life. Keep telling MIL that she too should get one, or to fuck right off the cheeky mare.

I have never had one and there’s five of us at home. I think it’s one of those things you get used to having or not having.

People pick the weirdest things to be snobby about, don’t they?

Whenever she brings it up again, I’d just blandly say “Oh I love the drier- couldn’t be without it. Everyone’s different I suppose aren’t they.” Repeat ad nauseum until she realises you don’t give a shit.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/nov/25/carbon-footprint-load-laundry

Just saying. Tumble dryers are massive contributers to emissions. I have one too, so am no eco-saint, but think that using one in summer unnecessarily is a huge shame.

Totally agree op.

I use a clothes maiden outside when the weather is nice but I HATE damp laundry hanging around the house, it's like a bloody Victorian workhouse.