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Housekeeping

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Original poster

washer dryers - any good?

16 replies

mistymeanour · 03/09/2014 12:41

The house I moved to 2 years ago has integrated appliances in the kitchen - only a washing machine (no seperate dryer and no room for one). I really miss having a dryer for sheets and towels. The washing machine is 4 years old and has started making horrendous noises - so probably time for a replacement. Are washer dryers in one unit any good?

Many thanks

OP posts:

e1y1 · 03/09/2014 18:19

General consensus is no, they're not that good. However, it is brand dependant. Some owners on here said theirs are great, and others said theirs are rubbish.

I can't give any first hand advice, as I have never owned one.

However, when I was a kid, I remember my Mum having at least 2 or 3 (maybe more) washer dryers, and I can remember the dryer ALWAYS breaking on them; on all of them too :/

This would have been around 20 years ago though, so technology will have changed since then.

MirandaWest · 03/09/2014 18:21

There's a washer dryer here (rented house). You can't dry a whole load - I dry a few things if necessary but I think it would take longer than a separate dryer (never had one of those). Also smaller than separate dryer.

MirandaWest · 03/09/2014 18:21

I have been here over 4 years and no issues with it though.

AnnoyedByAlfieBear · 03/09/2014 18:21

My Zanussi one is pants. It takes 3-4 hours to dry one medium sized load.

starving · 03/09/2014 21:22

I have an AEG washer dryer. Had it nearly 5 years and before it had a Bosch for over 13 years. Love it for drying towels, they go nice and fluffy. I think if I dried more clothes that way then I would need a separate dryer but just towels & very occasionally sheets works well.

DefiniteMaybe · 03/09/2014 21:25

I have got a hotpoint washer dryer and it is useless.
It doesn't dry clothes it cooks them. Everything shrunk and smelt vile, I think I lasted a week before I went and bought a separate dryer.

Sapat · 03/09/2014 21:38

I bought one when we lived in a flat. Was told they would live about 3 years, it is about 9 years old now and still not dead. However, as a washing machine it is meh, and as a dryer it is rubbish. It only dries half a load and takes hours. It cooks the clothes rather than drying them, and you still need to hang the clothes to get the residual moisture out. I don't use it much and once we moved into a house we bought a dryer, which worked beautifully until it suddenly died after 2 years. Was a bit gutted, so never replaced it. But with 3 kids and colder months ahead I may well bite the bullet....

bluewisteria · 03/09/2014 21:48

Check out 'Which' reviews - I seem to remember there are some great ones. I considered it, but then found space for a dryer, by taking out a standard cupboard that I didn't need so much.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 04/09/2014 03:33

I have an AEG one and it's ok. It's 5 years old and better than having no dryer. It can't take a full load of washing. So I take out some stuff to hang and dry the bulky things. I do have large conservatory for hanging clothes though. Only use the dryer in winter for sheets and towels as nothing dries quick enough even when hung.

TropicalHorse · 04/09/2014 04:47

I have a Miele one which I inherited from MIL. She claimed the dryer function "never worked" and would cost a fortune to fix, but when I had the bloke out for something else he had a look and said there was a belt off and since then it's worked! (Tells you rather a lot about my MIL, that)
It works quite well as a washer, although I never know how you judge these things. Does anyone ever get their clothes out of a new washing machine and exclaim "oh, they're so much cleaner!"
As others have said, drying capacity is v small and v time consuming so I only use it during monsoons.

Original poster

mistymeanour · 04/09/2014 08:45

Thank you everyone. I had a washer dryer about 15 years ago and it was awful - cooked clothes etc just as some have described. I was hoping they had improved. I can't afford Miele - I had Miele appliances in our last house as it was supposed to be a long term home but the recession put paid to that and the buyer asked us to leave them (unsurprisingly)Hmm - will look at AEG's.

OP posts:

MotherOfInsomniacToddlers · 04/09/2014 11:32

Mine is spectacularly useless, actually drys nothing. Can put a pillow case in for half an hour by itself and it's just as wet as it went in, completely useless. It's a zanussi

adevasher · 14/12/2014 15:33

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Missingsleepandthecat · 14/12/2014 23:21

DS2 had an Indesit washer dryer, it wasn't too bad at drying but lasted 18 months leaving him and myself (since I bought him it) with a bitter taste towards them

CakeSnow · 16/12/2014 00:58

I bought my Bosch washer dryer in the sales 7 years ago and it still works perfectly. I dry outside on the line in the summer to give the dryer a break.

CarCiKoTab · 16/12/2014 01:35

I have a Candy Evo washer dryer it's pretty good as it does dry but you can't beat a separate I'm debating whether to get a separate dryer or a dishwasher atm. It takes longer in a washer dryer, things are more likely to crease and shrink which you get used to by making allowances for that. I have 4 children and we get on fine but, I have never had a separate dryer personally but my mum and sister have and it's amazing how much you can get done in one day! I think in your circumstance though washer dryer will be the way forward.

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