Reluctance to use a tumble dryer is a British quirk

[User3735]

I've noticed that there is a lot of shame around using a tumble dryer, and even people who have one are reluctant to admit it, and make excuses why they have one and say they use it rarely. The claims of them being extortionate and terrible for the environment seem exaggerated to me whenever I look at the latest energy uses and cost. According to Which, the average tumble dryer costs around £150 per year to run (and less than £60 per year for a newer heat pump dryer). Yet people will buy expensive heated airers, rails and dehumidifiers to probably a similar value.

I have observed this tumble dryer reluctance from people from all financial backgrounds. The only pattern I have noticed is those who had one in their home growing up are more likely to use them, and those who didn't think they are to be avoided at all costs. I wonder if they did cost significantly more when they were new, and it is a misconception of running costs?

I have always had one, and when they have broken I have replaced asap. Our current dryer broke down this summer, and I put off replacing while the weather was better, but I now seem to have been influenced by the tumble dryer haters and I have a strange sense of satisfaction of powering on through winter without one. Whilst I get an utterly pointless sense of satisfaction that I am winning, the time spent shaking out, hanging and turning clothes takes up quite a ridiculous chunk of time compared to tumble drying and I am very time poor. Given our wet climate and issues with damp, I really can't understand why so many people are against them?

No space for a tumble dryer. Most UK homes don't have a separate utility room.and we don't have room for one in the kitchen.

Ours is in the garage. I couldn’t live without it in the winter.

What's wrong with top loader washing machines? I've always had them and am more than happy with mine - they go for years and years with hardly any issues, and when my current one eventuallys needs to be replaced I will be getting another top loader.

Also the washing process is so much quicker.

@ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming
I guess that in the UK the market is mostly for under the counter appliances as most of us don’t have a utility room (we do but it has a counter top so again needs to be an under the counter type). So that rules out top loaders. They do have them in France though. I lived in a a French apartment that had a drier in the bathroom, not uncommon there

No reluctance to use ours whatsoever. I have 5 DC so I wouldn’t survive without it.

I think it comes from people not growing up with one/not everyone having one.
I didn't have one till I was 25 and moved somewhere that had one already. I was shocked how much it costs to dry clothes, I had never had that expense before so that put me off using it.
I have been looking into swapping it for a heat pump dryer but the ones I looked at are so expensive to buy that the 80p saving per load isn't worth it for us right now.

Am not in America (although my husband is indeed American), but we have top loader washing machine and its dryer counterpart. I love the things.

Love mine. Cheap to run too as it is a heat pump one.

Yes, that is a bad thing to ME quite obviously .

Yes, I realise the reason why most people in the UK have front loaders, but the pp said Americans do have to put up with top loader washing machines and crap detergent though, so we win on that front. I was querying what is so awful about top loaders that "Americans have to put up with them" and why are Brits so fortunate to not have to use them. Also, I don't know anything about the detergent they use in the US, but what is wrong with it?

I don't live in the UK or the US so can have whatever sort of washing machine I want - and I choose a top loader any time.

I'd definitely prefer a top-loading washing machine, but our utility room also has counters so we have a front loader. I hate when the leggings/pyjama legs are all tangled together so most of the load falls out in one go. I also think my parents' top loader in NZ does a much better job of washing than our high-end front loader.

We have a holiday place in the US and a top loader. I bloody love it. It’s so much better than our machine here, and the cycles are so short. As for detergents being ‘crap’? Give me tide capsules and tide with bleach any day over what we have here.

Top loaders are the best. They are so much bigger and in my experience less issues with leaking and mildew.

But how do clothes move around in top loaders? With front loaders they 'fall' down whenever they reach the top (unless the machine is spinning of course) and that helps with the cleaning process. We had top loaders at college and when we looked inside (while operating) to see what was going on, whatever we loaded last, would still be sitting on the top...

The agitator in the centre moves the clothes through the water. They don't have to jumble up to move around.

Good to see some love for top loaders on here!!! I'm in NZ @GrouchyKiwi - lots of people here still use them. I've also never had a leak/mould issue, and I love the shorter cycles.

Half of our clothes can’t be tumbled dried because of the fabric, I hate the way it makes the clothes feel and I much prefer to use a clothes line outside when poss.
my USA family don’t understand it! But then, they happily use AC all year round, still use styrofoam, single use plastic, and have a fridge full of bottled water, drive everywhere is massive SUVs … so perhaps I should ignore them…

Aarrgghhgh, my TD has stopped working! DH said the plug is all burnt out 😲 I haven't seen it yet.

Not sure whether to stick a new plug on & see what happens, or whether to buy a new one.
We've had this one a while, it's a White Knight vented & I've always been very happy with it but not sure what's best to go for if I do end up replacing it.

Any recs from anyone please?

The plugs can get very hot, @2024please, especially if they don't have sufficient space around them or there is a loose connection in there. If you've had it a while, I would definitely replace the whole thing. You don't want it to burn your house down.

You're right @PickAChew it's my biggest fear. ☹️

Our TD is in the garage but I was planning on having it in the kitchen when we have a new one fitted - hopefully this year. At the moment though, there's no room for a TD in there but I cannot do without one!

You really really need to get a new one.

This is our second winter without one. I have two clothes horse. One goes in spare room and one in utility in the place the tumble dryer was 😂 Clothes dry well and no issues with condensation and mold. I'm reluctant to get another one for environmental reasons and cost of running one. I don't mind seeing washing drying. Sometimes have sheets hanging over the bannister or tops of doors overnight and they dry in the morning.

No reluctance at all. I live in Cornwall, which has the climate of living in someone's colon. Nothing would ever dry otherwise.

I have one. Only use it for sheets/ towels.

I don't like what it does to my clothes.

I grew up with one. Used mostly for sheets/ towels!

Well, I'm in Australia and just sorted a load - 3/4 of the washing said "do not tumble dry".

I have a tumble dryer and happily use it for towels etc, but it's use for clothing is a bit limited. That said, it is a heat pump dryer with lots of different cycles so I'm sure I could find a cycle to suit most of the clothing, but I have lots of hanging room under the veranda so it's not usually an issue.