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.

I always am shocked at posts like these. I’ve lived in the states all my life and use my washer and dryer every single day. They are totally standard essentials here! I do have some place to line dry if I really wanted to but I can’t be arsed. We live in a very arid state and most days I only dry for a few minutes and then hang up to finish drying, we are lucky in that respect.

Anyway to answer the question it sounds like she is using as it as an excuse for bad behavior. My mil does it too except when the offending thing I do/don’t do doesn’t apply to her any more. Smile and ignore!

I love mine! She's using it to make digs. Stop 'kindly explaining' and just front her. 'The digs about the dryer are wearing thin. I'm really not bothered about how you run your home, your house, your way, my house, my way. The dryer is here to stay. We're not bothered about the cost of running it. So it'd be nice if you stop bringing it up because it's getting old.'

Modern dryers are not expensive to run.

We are not allowed to hang washing outside. Some things get hung indoors, but using the dryer is essential to keep up.

Also I can never get soft towels if I dry them outside or inside. Has to be the tumble drier.

I've lived in the states all my life and use my washer and dryer every single day. They are totally standard essentials here! I do have some place to line dry if I really wanted to but I can’t be arsed.

Honestly it's threads like these that make me feel despair. What the hell is the point of people fannying about with paper straws when virtually every poster on here thinks that tumble drying (even in an arid location) is a necessity.

Our kids are going to HATE us. If we are angry about the baby boomers getting free education and cheap houses, how are they going to feel about us leaving the world half underwater?

My PIL are a bit like this with dishwashers. Despite actually having a dishwasher themselves they rarely use it and complain that it ruins their dishes When they are at ours watching the kids they never use ours, always hand wash any dishes they use. It annoys me slightly if I go to work leaving a half full dishwasher and they have stood and hand washed everything instead of just shoving it in the dishwasher and putting it on. I end up having to rewash half the stuff because they've not cleaned it properly. I'd actually prefer it if they just left the dirty dishes lying out tbh.

@Stuckforthefourthtime I can't help agreeing with you. I'm staggered by the amount of washing people seem to think is "essential". Previous generations managed to get stuff dry without tumble dryers OR radiators. I think the OP's MIL has a point, she just needs to find a better way of expressing it.

Has anyone suggested saying to her "I just don't like drying in the house when it's too cold or wet to dry outside... I find everything ends up with that sort of sour wet dog smell, you know?" And then maybe lean in and wrinkle your nose

We’ve pretty much always had some sort of dryer - out in the shed, a washer/dryer when we moved house, and a condenser now as we built a utility cupboard to hold 2 appliances.

We dry on the line as often as possible, there is nearly always a clotheshorse out at night with delicates or boating gear on it and we have a dehumidifier for that, but the dryer gets used most days.

With a sports mad dd, school uniform (including fresh shirt daily), DH and I in professional offices, DH commuting by bicycle so sweaty gear, and dd and I both sailing/boating/scouting - as well as the normal “running the house” sheets and towels etc, there is a lot of laundry to get through.

She would have a heart attack at mine then, I have two tumble driers ( a 9 and a 10kg) to cope with the washing from my 13kg washer. We have allergies and my son can get very ill due to it so I dry 99% of my washing in them. And I love it. Would never go back to before.

Just tell MIL that she can comment on the cost of running the drier when she's the one paying the electric bill. Until then, it's none of her business.

I tumble dry all laundry. I never use the washing line, regardless of the weather and don't feel at all bad about it. It makes my life immeasurably easier and that is what's important to me.

Stand up for yourself and don't let MIL affect you negatively over anything. Life is too short to live it the way that other people think you should.

“I always am shocked at posts like these. I’ve lived in the states all my life and use my washer and dryer every single day. They are totally standard essentials here! I do have some place to line dry if I really wanted to but I can’t be arsed. We live in a very arid state and most days I only dry for a few minutes and then hang up to finish drying, we are lucky in that respect.”

I am always shocked at people who live in arid places and can’t be arsed to dry their washing naturally. The OP, on the other hand, sounds quite reasonable apart from the daily laundry. My family is almost twice the size of yours and it’s 2-3 loads a week. Maybe you can cut back a bit there?

Tell her to fuck off and mind her own business. Can you tell I'm sick of judgemental people in my life too?

I dry 95% of our stuff in the dryer. Why waste time hanging it out?

I am a total dryer convert. I got one 2 years ago when we finally had space for one. I've done 3 kids, cloth nappies etc with no dryer. The house was always draped in laundry, long wet summers were horrible. Winter at least I could dry overnight on the pulley airer above the stove but in summer it took days. Now I dry outside when I can, have an airer for delicates and I tumble in a massively efficient heat pump dryer that costs £35 a year to run on overage use. £35 covers what I used to spend running a dehumidifier and scrubbing mould off walls.

I should say, my mother won't use it. If she does laundry here while up doing holiday childcare she puts it on the airer in the dining room if it is raining. And my mother in law who used to be a slave to her dryer ditched hers and took to hanging in the garage with a dehumidifier and constantly tells me how efficient it is and how she doesn't need a dryer. Yes love, you bought the dehumidifier on MY suggestion. I know they work. And there are 2 of you. Your wash consisting of 3 shirts and 5 pairs of pants a week is rather easier to deal with than my washing for a family of five with lots of sports kit, school uniforms and work uniforms that must be washed separately.

Modern dryers don't cost that much to run.

My MIL always had something to say until I told her each cycle only cost pennies. We have a smart meter and this bears out on that.

I borrow my housemates one to dry towels & sheets, but don't really use it otherwise, but I think it's up to the household & their circumstances as to what works for them. I don't like doing clothes in them but that's my decision. I'll miss the drier when I move as it means I can free up the airer just for clothes! Can't justify it for 2 loads a wk on my own though.

I find it truly bizarre how aggressive people get over laundry choices. I've lived in 2 rented flats and a rented house with either no outdoor space or a balcony over a main road with a lot of car fumes etc. I use airers and they go up where there's room for them and I try and put them down or hide them when I have company and when I've got no laundry. I also dry things next to open windows/doors where possible for fresh air and double spin things to speed up the drying as I don't love the Chinese laundry look, either. Without fail, if the conversation turns to laundry or storage in some way, DM takes a swipe at me using airers and how ugly they are. It's always said rudely and actually borders on aggressive. She's at home all day, line dries in a nice big garden and has a huge airing cupboard in the big house she shares with my dad; my boiler cupboards have been too small to be proper airing cupboards and have been important for storage in shared homes! The most recent conversation about me taking the two pointlessly small shelves out of the boiler cupboard in the flat I'm hopefully buying, so I have room to store a hoover & ironing board in there was met with a very aggressive remark about clothes airers and not turning the place "into a doss house". Lovely.

I live in England, it rains a lot, therefore I need to use my tumble dryer in conjunction with my washing line to get things dry. If you have a problem with this then I couldn't care less

I don't have a tumble dryer. I don't want one because I find them environmentally unfriendly. I also have a room I can dry inside in the winter.

I would never comment to someone else whether they should use one though, it's not my business.

She doesn’t have to get her arse in gear. She has a drier she can use and is happy to do so at her convenience.

I have four DC, I don’t think I would cope without my dryer...

Before I bought the dryer we always had clothes hanging around the house on airers and even on doors sometimes. It always looked so messy and I hated hanging it all too. The dryer has been a lifesaver.

My dryer broke earlier this year and I cannot replace it yet. Thankfully my machine is a washer dryer so I'm so grateful for that.

I live in the west of Scotland where it rains 350 days a year (May be less but feels like it). I don’t use a dryer, I line dry or use an Airer with a dehumidifier. The polar bears are dying out but it’s ok because we can dry towels so they are soft 🙄

We've never had a tumble dryer. We have three kids and live in Scotland. I don't judge people who have one - their choice - but when people make comments about not being able to live with one that's ridiculous.

Things get hung out when dry. Or put over screens in the house when it's not.

We also have one of those washing/drying sites at a garage close by. Last week my DS was away on a D of E expedition and came back with a sack of damp, reeking clothes. Much easier to chuck it in the massive industrial sized tumble dryer at £2 for 15 minutes than have it hanging round the house on a very damp weekend.

But that's a one off. I don't need one every wash and don't want one in the house.