washer dryer when the dryer is more important

[superwoofer]

We are moving to a house where we won't have room for a separate washer and dryer so I have to get a combined one. At the moment I tumble everything - it's a jeans, tshirts and gym kit so I'm not that bothered about the washing function, but I don't want to be fannying around forever with a slow tumbler. I can afford the more expensive machines, but the reviews go on about their wash functions - I need to know which nearly incinerates the clothes ifyswim

I would love to hear from anyone who has a good dryer function!

When you say no room for a tumble dryer, could you stack a separate washer and dryer? Can you put a dryer somewhere other than in the kitchen? I would seriously look at making space for one - they are much better than the combined ones and, obviously, you can't have a wash in whilst another load is drying. We lost a base unit in a small kitchen to accommodate our dishwasher - totally worth it. We are lucky to have a separate futility room and our TD is stacked on top of the washing machine.

My experience of washer driers is that the tumble drier part is shite and really only useful for occasional use. Mine took forever to dry clothes and was dreadfully inefficient from an energy point of view.
Try and make room for a separate tumble drier. A good condensing one can go anywhere as no need for vent and they don't steam up the room they're in. Stack on top of washer, put in bathroom / shed / garage.

I found mine a bit annoying because obviously you can't dry one wash while you do another wash, so I found that it didn't save time for me

futility room

Sadly, it's under counter space and no possible other option, I have explored the house with that one purpose in mind, but no.

There's a new AEG OKOkombi which claims to dry really well. Or the Miele. I am prepared to throw money at this problem even if we have to economise in other areas, because we are only staying in the new house a year and even if we go back to a separate dryer when we move again, at least we will be left with a decent washing machine, ifyswim.

westcountrywoman I quite agree. I run a very efficient (if harsh) regime now with loads simultaneously washing and drying and I'm just trying to ensure my life doesn't revolve around laundry when we move.

I would second trying to find the space for one. Unless they have improved dramatically, ime they sre fairly useless at drying.

In our current house there was only space in the futility room for a washing machine, so we bought a condensing tumble dryer and stuck it in the garage.

After 2 years my dh suddenly decided to move it into the futility room on top of the counter above the washing machine. I thought the counter wouldn't take the weight, but it's been fine.

I would be prepared to lose space elsewhere for a proper dryer - understairs cupboard? Corner of spare bedroom (if you have one)?

One of my friends keeps hers in the corner of her conservatory. She drapes a throw over it when not in use.

I have a Miele washer drier & it is painfully slow. The washing is fine but I hardly ever use the drier as it takes so long.

I suggest reading up on each machine's drying times and energy consumption. We have just had a new Bosch washer/dryer to replace a 2010 model and it's dreadful. Due to new EU rulings they have changed the way they have to be used and I can no longer dry anything till it is actually dry.Drying has to be done FROM WET each time and takes 2 and a half hours supposedly saving energy (as it is slower and cooler).Customer service have assured me Bosch and Siemens machines are all like this now.

If I try and fluff up towels or down coats the machine decides that hey are too dry and injects a jet of water into the drum to make them wet again! All perfectly normal apparently.

I have one, my mum has one, my old house had one. IMO they are all shite. I don't dven bother trying to dry in mine anymore! Remember also that if you put in a full washing load, you won't be able to try it all because it needs room to move about (hence dryer drums usually being bigger than washing drums). So if you want to tumble dry everything you also need to be doing half size loads.

If I try and fluff up towels or down coats the machine decides that hey are too dry and injects a jet of water into the drum to make them wet again! All perfectly normal apparently
Wtaf??

SillyPops I forgot about that downside, I'm thinking of putting a separate drier in & ditching our old undercounter freezer.

OK so life as I know it is officially over [sad face]

All I can hope to do is avoid one that actually makes my clothes wetter

Could you put one in a garage or shed? One of my neighbours has hers in the porch (obscure glass so you don't really notice it). Or even put one in a Keter storage thing - friends did this when short on space and two small children's laundry to deal with.

could you not put a separate tumble drier somewhere else? (Spare bedroom)

I have honestly scoured the house for any possible space for a separate dryer and there isn't one, but if anyone fancies a day by the seaside to look for themselves, I'll throw in a bag of chips . The spare room is DH's office and he works from home so I don't think that's going to work.

It's a rental. No garage or shed. It's only for a year until we get back into our house. I have a friend nearby so maybe we could have some kind of regular gin soak meet-up while I use her dryer.

I'm going to look into the AEG L99695HWD ÖKOKombi Plus because apparently the dryer is good although there's a possibility it won't fit under the counter (I won't know till I get in there).

You'd have to make the walls good afterwards if its a rental property, but you can get wall-hung tumbledryers. One of my friends had one which she got in John Lewis.

Would that be an option?

Cheaper and believe me a whole lot less bother than buying a combo (which is rubbish for drying) for a year is to use a launderette just for the drying. The machines are huge (like two/three whole loads at a time) and often you can just leave them running while you do shopping/playgroup/coffee/school pickup and come back to collect later. If they are open in the evening you can go and sit there in peace with a book/MN. Even better if you have one that does service washes where you can leave your wet (or even unwashed) washing and you come back to folded and bagged piles (sometimes they offer ironing too).

We did this for 6 months during building work and honestly it was brilliant. I still go whenever we come back from holiday - an hour away from hyper-family and I get a week/fortnight's washing done in one fell swoop.

I've just got rid of my washer/drier in favour of a washing machine plus heated airer from Lakeland. The washer/drier was good for a few years but then the drying cycle stopped working...then the washing cycles...

Anyway, have you considered the heated airer? They really are good! Mine sits in the spare room and can dry a full load of washing overnight. Very economical to run too. Although it might not be quick enough for you!

At the moment I put in about one load a day, an hour in the washer, 50 minutes in the dryer, fold and put away. I never iron. I know conventional washer-dryers are crap but I'm still hanging on to the dream that a really expensive one will work. The AEG okokombi gets good drying reviews although at 1.2k I could probably use a laundry service for a year.

In fact, I have just had a look at a laundry service that picks up and delivers. I might get a quote.. outsource the whole futility business!

Our Miele is ten years old, and has a an "extra dry" function, which leaves socks too hot to handle and suitable for a baby. I love it.

You put a baby in the tumble drier Lemonsole???