Those with 3 or more children, is it possible to...

[perceptionreality]

...get all the washing done and dried without use of the tumble drier (in winter)?

I think not but if anyone has any tips that would help me avoid using it I'd be glad to hear them!

Yes! I have 5 DC and no tumble dryer, you just have to be organised, do it regularly and have a big airer

On mild days like today you could stick the washing out then tonight (on economy seven) dry them off properly. Utilise when you put the heating on (on cold days/ nights etc.) I never have my heating on and tumble on together, its like doubling up HTH

I have four and never owned a tumble drier.

Yes. We have a drier but rarely use it because it costs so much to run.
It's a pita to keep on top of it, but it can be done.

i think it depends what your set-up is.

i have 3 children and got a tumble drier last winter when ds3 was 1.

I literally couldn't keep up with it. I seem to have particularly mucky kids (ie, ds1 ALWAYS comes home with dinner all over his school uniform so needs a fresh set every day) plus a DP who can only wear things once

I had stuff hanging on every radiator, on 2 clothes horses and on a pulley airer above the stairs and I still couldn't keep up. we simply did NOT have the space for more airers, and quite frankly I can't stand being surrounded by wet washing and having to have the heating on constantly to get it dried, so eventually we got the drier.

I don't use it at all over the summer, it's only used in the winter really when the backlog gets too much

ours is a bosch, and is B rated, and I think costs less to run than having the heating on all day tbh.

I have an A rated dryer which I use all the time (except in summer) Its on for about 40 mins/an hour to dry each load but it costs less than keeping the heating on!

I have 2 dc btw.

I was told by a builder to NEVER dry clothes on radiators as it will cause a damp problem in the long run and condensation.

I have an airer I use occasionally but I live in a very hard water area and towels and jeans for example are awful when not tumble dried

I don't think I could manage it, and in winter. Nappies (few nowadays thankfully) are always hung from ceiling airer, as are other delicates and woollens, but I couldn't air dry everything without great inconvenience.

I have 3 and have had a tumble dryer since they were babies. I do tend to use it otherwise I am overwhelmed with washing. They are all teenagers and it gets worse.

yes, forgot to mention in my post that I had 2 in washable nappies too, which adds to it

They coped in the olden days, it must be physically possible

Me, DH and one DS and we use the tumble drier most of the time

We hardly use our drier (only 2 kids though), and we mainly use a ceiling airer. I find winter is fine, as the heating is on, and summer is fine as it is lukewarm. The trickiest times are spring or autumn when the heating onheating is off and it's damp outside.

Oops, that's meant to say "when the heating is off".

oh its possible but hell I would say

I can't even get it all done in the summer without a drier

The argument of in the olden days they managed without doesn't really stand up. For a start they would only have had a couple of outfits each at the most, now most people have more clothes than they need.
I have 4 children and use a tumble drier it makes it so much easier. I never use the drier in the summer though and hang everything out but in the winter everything goes in the drier. Mine has two heat settings and the tshirts and sweatshirts are fine on the cooler setting. It's only a few things that I use the aired for.

I live in a hard water area too - if I can I put it on the airer and then finish in the drier. From about May I put it all outside and then tumble dry to make it soft.

I'm rather horrified to hear it gets worse as they get older! My 2 year old needs her clothes washed constantly as she gets through 2 outfits a day sometimes and always comes home from nursery with paint on.

There are 3 children & 2 adults here and we don't have a tumble drier. I'm not a fan of them, so when we moved house I never bothered to get one. We manage fine - like someone earlier mentioned, if you're organised & have a large airer then it's fine. It's keeping up with the ironing I struggle with

4 dcs here and no tumble drier since I blew it up 3 years ago . Washing machine going constantly as we live on a farm and the kids are complete mud magnets at this time of year.

Drying done on Aga (rack above and one in front) and on big airer in front of wood burning stove.

ironing whats ironing?

My ceiling airer fell on my head yesterday when the rope frayed through! We also have an over-bath airer and a freestanding one, but the ceiling airer is the most effective. Anyway, I had lots of washing to do so I want through the damp stuff seeing what would go in the tumble drier, but about a third of the clothes were non-tumble-dry. Having previously damaged a pair of jeans and shrunk a top in driers I'm to tent to stick to what is says on the labels these days.

i have 4 and only use the drier in winter for towels(i love them soft and fluffy).2 big airers in bedrooms and firm routine for the laundry...wash at least.ironings another matter entirely.......

Perception what I meant was that the clothes are bigger so less go in a wash plus with 2 dd's they tend to wear something then shove it in the wash and they are always out socialising.

I love my drier. Can I ask if the people who manage without also work full time? I do and I cannot see how I could do it when I am out of the house in all the hours of daylight. I'm open to being corrected though

I always put the washing on in the evening and hang it out before i go to bed or when i get up in the morning before work. A dehumidifier gets washing dry very quickly if you have one. I use a lot of those peggy spider things that you can put socks and underwear on. MIl had 6 kids and always got her washing dry outside or inside overnight. She used to hang sheets over the doors at bedtime and by the morning they were dry. The ceiling airers are very good to dry clothes as well.