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.

Yanbu, I rely on my drier too. I hang what I can on the line, but then the rest goes in the drier and the stuff on the line gets finished off in there. There's 6 of us in our house so there would be wet clothes all over the house if I didn't have one. I've also previously lived in two flats that didn't have any outdoor space at all, so a tumble drier was my only option.

I only use mine when I have to, because it's expensive and bad for the environment.
However, it's bad for your environment to have damp clothes hanging about the house, even worse putting then on or near radiators.
Ask her if she wants her gc to live in a damp house.

We recently bought an AA rated dryer. This summer holidays especially it's been used at least three times a week because of the wet weather.
When the sun's out all my laundry goes on the line but it's been so wet recently it can't be helped

I got rid of mine when it caught fire! And I had been cleaning lint out regularly... very scary. Got a heated airer instead. A load put on in the morning is dry by bedtime and then I put the next load on to be dry by morning. Saved us a fortune in energy.

I like the sound of a heated dryer. Will go and have a look. Before the dryer I used to have a small spin dryer which used to nearly dry the laundry out with its extra fast spin. My washer is quite old and spin speed is only 1000 so the spin dryer did help alot

Tell her it is on so often because sitting on it gives the best orgasms

Why are you doing that much laundry? I'll bet anything you like you don't actually need too.

2 full loads a day???

Why are you doing that much laundry? I'll bet anything you like you don't actually need too.

We did when we had a smaller washer 5kg - we got 9kg one and went down to one load a day - also number of people also make a huge difference it's often people in smaller households who make comments.

The polar bears are dying out but it’s ok because we can dry towels so they are soft

Never mind polar bears. Think rising sea levels, more extreme weather, drought, heat waves, huge forest fires...

bigKiteFlying there's 4 of them. Pretty usual number. No need for that much laundry - I'll bet towels and bedding are being washed far more frequently than necessary. Plenty of clothes can be worn more than once.

I struggled when we were just four - but some of that was re-usable nappies - gave up on by third - but mostly it was a small machine meaning multiple loads were needed.

We did and still do towels once a week and bedding really not frequently enough.

I agree it's worth looking at what is being washed and how frequently but for us a bigger machine was the change needed for fewer washes.

I use mine except in summer but couldn’t manage without it as we are a bigger family with no space for dryers etc. I do air dry some things if they aren’t tumble dryer friendly but that is a manageable amount.

I don't have much of an outdoor line . Dh says the drier was bought for using and he pays bill .
They are brilliant for those times when you have a tissue in the wash un noticed. A few minutes in the drier has it sorted .
I hate it when people can't mind their own business.

Cryalot the state of the planet and the waste of finite resources is everyone’s business, business that we should have been taking a lot more notice of decades ago.

That kind of individualistic attitude is probably heading for the dustbin. We need to think far more communally that we have done in recent years.

bigkite washable nappies - fair dos.

I remember being told by a doctor that if you follow the unhealthy trend of washing your clothes below or at 30 degrees you will not kill off the bugs and germs unless you use a hot dryer cycle.

Its very unreasonable to use a dryer as much as you describe. They use an enormous amount of energy. Are you familiar with global warming?

Just buy an indoor drying rack and save the dryer for towels/sheets.

@spongemumnudiepants your doctor sounds like a quack. Bacteria are not all harmful. Society has become obsessed with cleanliness and it’s is actually very damaging to our immune systems. We need bacteria and the purpose of washing clothes isn’t to kill it.

My MIL (who is generally lovely) went on a bit of a random green kick a while back (which I applaud generally) but declared my dryer to be the work of Satin - I then kindly pointed out that the energy she used when she washed just one item in the washer, got a new car every other year and ironed everything including pants and socks and reboiling a full kettle several times a day more than outweighed me using a dryer on wet days - I also thanks to geeky DH and our smart meter app could show her exactly how much we used and saved through various other measures.
It's never been mentioned since but I notice she no longer seems to wash lone items or swap the car every year

I remember being told by a doctor that if you follow the unhealthy trend of washing your clothes below or at 30 degrees you will not kill off the bugs and germs unless you use a hot dryer cycle.

Well scientifically that's probably true.

but why are you worried about germs, bugs and bacteria on your washing in the first place? These things are EVERYWHERE. You have billions living in you, on your skin, in the air, in your house. Bugs, germs and bacteria are entirely normal.

Trying to create a life without bacteria is unhealthy and abnormal.

Yes, unless there's someone sick with a bug or constantly poos on their clothes, there's no point in very hot washes.
Exceptions for people with allergies to dust mites. But airing the bed should reduce them anyway.

Does she spend money on anything you would consider non-essential, nails, facials, Sky, Netflix, going to Waitrose?

Say that we all make our choices and this is yours, and that you wouldn't dream of spending £20 on having your nails done but it depends what is important to each person.

Might shut her up!

Put her in the tumble dryer

Re heat pump tumble dryers - they're more to buy, but definitely better in terms of efficiency. Mine's rated A+++ (a Samsung) and the heat pump recycles the hot air that would usually be spewed out into the room and uses it to keep drying during the cycle. I've certainly noticed a difference between my old B/C rated dryer and this one in terms of the warmth in the room while it's working. (There isn't any!)

I couldn't manage without a dryer in the winter! But if you're replacing an old one, consider a heat pump one?

@MrsFrankDrebin I'm not au fait with heat pump driers and keep meaning to read up on them.

Do they need an outlet vent thing?

My dryer is ok as far as condensers go but when I need to replace it I'm going down the heat pump route.

@Underworld345 and @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

I just thought of your post as I'm paying my mums energy bill and it has typical costs for doing various things and it says that a tumble dryer costs 29p for a 1hour cycle compared to 14p for a 40degree wash cycle
And a single dishwasher load is 24p