Anyone still using their tumble dryer

[LovelyNanny26]

We are a family of 3 (soon 4) and the washing never ends in our house.Our toddler is constantly messy and covered in food.I would like to wear and outfit more than once but due to my toddler it is impossible and my husband works in construction.I was drying my washing outside but nothing was getting dry and caused condensation on the windows.I have finally caved in and bought a Hoover mid range dryer and Oh my god it is amazing.How I have managed before one I don't know.Are they really so bad like people portrait them to be.Anyway it will only be used during winter months.Can't wait for the spring to come.

Same here. I tried to dry stuff on an airer but have got so much condensation now l think the extra cost is worth it. Will stop using it as soon as l can.

Yes, I use mine when I need to. I understand it's easier for me than some, especially those with children. I am on my own now, retired, so utility bills are not something I stress about. However I don't use it to dry from scratch, never have; I hang things up to dry for a while and finish off in the drier. I wouldn't be without it.

I use mine for the underwear and other fiddly bits. Everything else gets washed last thing at night then put on an airer in front of the log burner before I go to bed.

I do this I have now started using the spin cycle so clothes aren't as wet then airer overnight and 30 mins in dryer

Yes I do. The other day I decided to dry on radiators- they were on all bloomin day. I will put in radiators- in spare room etc if they are on anyway but am.not putting the on simply to dry washing,surely that is going to be more expensive than dryer. As for bill, I got no idea. I know it is already double what I was paying 18 months ago. No smart meter. I keep declining

Yep! I hang whites and nappies and things that can’t go in the tumble on the heater airer in the conservatory with a dehumidifier. Everything else goes in tumble. So I’m using electricity for everything - airer+dehumidifier for hours, tumble for an hour. So I’m sure it’s all much of a muchness probably.

I only bought mine a few weeks ago and I also love it. We moved house this year and in our old house we had an airy spare box room where we could leave things to dry. The new house is old and prone to condensation and the only spare room is a conservatory.
I would give up many things before I gave up my dryer in this house!

We are but we are still on a cheap fixed rate until June. We use it for about 50% of the laundry when we can’t dry outside. Bedding, towels and the pre-schoolers washing as she generates loads due to a combination of accidents and messy play. Probably 3-4 loads in the dryer a week (7-8 loads total on average).

We do dry outside as much as poss and spin most things at 1600 which helps a lot. But we can’t dry much inside the house due to very low ceilings and not much space (little cottage).

Yes, got a heat pump one

If I had one I would! We've actually had to use the ones at the dry cleaners a few times because the washing is piled everywhere. 2 toddlers and 2 adults, 2 drying racks and wash basket always overflowing.

I was using mine to finish off clothes that were taking more than two days to finish drying but now that I’ve decided we can’t suffer freezing from open windows to help the damp in the rooms from the washing and we can’t continue to be below comfortable alllll day it’s not taking as long to dry so not tumbling so far , but I’m soooo tired of the house with washing all over the place and going round checking and turning clothes over etc. I am very concerned about the damp that must affect the house somewhere along the way.

We have oil fired heating as well, but £15-£20 a day seems crazy! We spend max £6 a day with the tumble dryer on. I think you need to check what's eating your electric!

Would a heated airer and a dehumidifier be cheaper to run than a tumble drier?

We use ours, we have economy 7 and it goes on a timer at night. I try to avoid but have given in at the moment.

I have been managing without but now it’s freezing I will probably use it for twenty minutes occasionally to dry things thoroughly after they have been on the airer overnight. I do put things over the radiators too.

Yes most days, I don't like wet washing hanging around the house, Ours is just a vented one as it is in a room that isn't heated much so a heat pump one wouldn't be very economical as it is too cold in there

Almost certainly the Everhot, the lights that my ASD DS insists on having on all the time including through the night, the underfloor electric heating under our very cold flagstone floor....

The reasons for our large bills are many and varied!

It will be an extra 900 for the average user (and most use more than average). No £66 vouchers next year

Only for bedding and towels mainly and I've reduced the amount I wash these. Occasionally I put some clothes in or underwear if I need to. Tbh its about a £1 a cycle so not extortionate. I've moved my airer upstairs and it dries clothes quickly up there.

Our condenser drier is economical, also heats the house well. So heating off tumble drier on works well.

I have a heat pump dryer but I still rarely use it. I have a heated airer and have just got a dehumidifier. I put a lot of washing on the airers, one heated, one not, and put the dehumidifier on . It was all dry the next day. I am still not sure the airer and dehumidifier is cheaper than using the tumble drier though. I don't have a smart meter so have no way to calculate it. I find it a pain having all this drying washing in one room over winter, but there are some things that shouldn't go in the drier anyway . It's too cold to have the window open in the room so a dehumidifier is a must.

I use mine on wet days without any sun and / or a breeze. I mostly use it for towels, bedding and underwear only though. I hang the rest on the airer and run the dehumidifier / keep the airer in our warmest room; so there isn't much condensation. Most years it starts to get brighter and sunnier by mid February, and washing can go back outside.

Yes I am, but I am trying to use it much less than usual.
You need to spot clean your clothes op and only wash in the machine when actually dirty/smelly. That will help you to get less washes in a week. I work from home and wear the same outfit all week if I can. I keep my body clean and don't smell.

Some other tips I find that help:

I have moved bedding from weekly to fortnightly washes

I pulled out some old towels from storage back into circulation so that I can do the same with towels.

Wear the same lounge clothes/Pj's for the week before washing

Prioritise work/school uniforms and underwear/socks for washing

Strip your toddler down before each meal. Skin is easy to clean with a cloth/quick shower. They can then rewear the same clothes for a couple of days. Nobody cares if a toddler is a bit mucky.

Absolutely use mine. I’m not wearing damp clothes in a damp climate in winter ffs.

Yes, I live in a high rise flat, I don't need to put the heating on and don't want washing drying in my bedroom.
I live alone so it's only 1-2 dries a week.