To wonder how on earth anyone copes without a tumble dryer?

[Bumbles55]

Ours broke yesterday and I feel like I’ve lost a limb! Having to wait an entire day or more for washing to dry (and having to put the heating on full blast 24/7 in order to facilitate this) is torture. I’m so used to washing uniform etc at night and being able to quickly chuck it in the tumble dryer in the AM whilst we get ready. Washing loads take proper pre planning now! Despite it being only DD and I at home we easily get through one full wash per day so the house is already absolutely covered in clothing drying on radiators etc.

The new one won’t be delivered for 2 weeks - unsure how I’ll survive in the meantime 🤣

I’ve had 3 loads outside today, just put them on the airer on a bit to finish off/warm up. The heating didn’t even go on until quite late.

How can two people generate seven loads of washing each week?

I have one but use it rarely.
there’s four of us. I use a combination of radiators and (mostly) the heated airer but was drying stuff outside until two weeks ago.

wash stuff less often. We are four and I do a few loads a week but not every day

I have a washer dryer, but never use the dryer, have you seen how much electricity they use? Fine if you’ve solar panels, otherwise no.

Never had one. Brought up two kids and now there are two of us. Line dry or heated airer work fine here.

In the past I've been without one and must have coped (but do remember significant issues with damp trying to dry clothes) but I categorically would not survive without one now 😅

I frequently tell DH it's the one thing I can't live without, it's very close up to being my best friend 😅

We did not have room for a tumble drier, and I am not keen on the fact that they are hard on clothes. But I live somewhere with very damp weather and need to dry inside a lot, so we bought a Meaco dehumidifier. It's fab! Cheaper to run than a tumble drier and much kinder to the clothes.

We pay £80 a month on electricity and use the washer dryer about 3 times a week so it can’t cost that much.

North East coast of England here which is bitterly cold and windy for at least 6 months of the year. Never had a tumble drier, don't need one or want one, always managed. I do think it comes down to what you're used to / habit.

I'd struggle without my dishwasher though as I'm a beekeeper and have to sterilise hundreds of jars at a time. Again, it's priorities and what you're used to.

2 clothes horses and a dehumidifier here.

I’d rather get rid of the telly than the tumble drier. I can’t stand having damp clothes draped around the house. Even though I mainly line dry and will put things on radiators if needed, 10 minutes in the tumble gets them properly dry and less creased. No ironing either.

Yes, that’s exactly what I do. The only things that I would put in the dryer would be towels and maybe some pants etc. I don’t think I would even want to risk my linen sheets.

I'd rather get rid of the oven than the dryer.

Are you 💯 electric? Presumably you don’t have solar panels as you have a bill.

Washing can still dry outside when it's cold. It's high ambient humidity that stops it drying. I hang mine outside all through the winter.

Heaven forbid your linen sheets are damaged. Christ, how to say you’ve pots of money without saying you’ve pots of money. 🤣🤣

Those with the heated airers how
are They drying your clothes? I’ve had mine on all day and washing still wet. It doesn’t get very warm and only the parts that make contact are dry.

I put my washing out this morning and it was dry this afternoon

We're a family of 3 including a toddler in reusable nappies most of the time. We've never had a tumble dryer. In the summer everything goes outside unless it's raining. Now its colder and damper, it goes in the spare room. We're fortunate to have a large spare room with space for 4 airers - not heated ones - and can fit 2-3 loads on those.

And I confess we're quite economical with our clothes wearing - we wear our clothes quite a bit before they go in the wash. I WFH a couple of days a week and we're home bodies, so will wear the same clothes for several days while at home, and just put fresh clothes on when I go out.

YANBU. We have a small house so no utility or spare room for a heated airer/ dehumidifier combo. In the winter we really rely on ours!

YABU to do a wash a day for 2 people. What are you doing to your clothes that they need washing so often?!

Yep - that's always the argument that gets drummed out when this debate comes up. I have had one for the best part of 40 years - working FT with 3 children it was essential. I dont want wet washing hanging around for days on end. I now do own a humidifier now - so does reduce the time non dryer clothes need to be on a rack.

I don’t know. We tumble dry all year round.

It’s as essential as a dishwasher or washing machine.

Ours broke last year.

Drying on the rack was slow, everything smelt and you could only do one load of washing a day. We ended up having the heating on all the time until we gave up and just took it to the laundrette. Cost a fortune but it was easier than trying to dry it inside

The UK is terrible for high humidity, though. It’s what makes our winter cold so cold, often! The damp!

I don’t have one but is your washer spinning properly? And is the airier in a small or warm space itself?

I know with our non heated airer I put the towels on the outer sides on three sides with the dehumidifier on the open side almost creating a little tent and it’s at the top of the stairs where the heat rises naturally.