Can a family of 4 survive without tumble dryer????

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

And if so what is the secret...!!???? I am drowning in laundry here- help me[muffled cries emoticon]...

Poor dh is neglected - my utility is inaccessible due to mountainous piles of sheets, clothes etc. etc. etc. The children never have matching socks

Now I take full responsibility for general shiteness at sorting and dealing with laundry - but - I just cannot find enough dry hours in a day to get this stuff done - can't really aford to buy new tumble dryer - the one that came with this house doesn't work.

any tips from you housekeeping guru types??? It could well save my marriage....

I try not to use mine in case of emergency (like 2 weeks of continous rain!) because of cost and environmental impact. I try and line-dry stuff. It smells much nicer and sunshine is good for whites anyway!
Last week, I had stuff draped all over the house which wasn't terribly pretty, TBH, and because I'm allergic to those tumble dryer nice-smelling sheets, my tumble dried clothes always smell 'machiney'.
Stuff can go out to dry in any weather as long as it's not actully raining.Sometimes you only need half an hour...

Family of 4 here too, never had a tumble. Mt tip would be if you are really drowning in it would be to take the backlog to the launderette as their machines are bigger and have tumbles there.

My secret is a wash every day (but only one otherwise i can't dry everything) and I have a shower rail in my bathroom that I use to dry everything on. I put everything on hangers and it dries overnight. Underpants and socks etc go on one of those peg hanger thingies.

HTH

We used to have tumble dryers but I kept setting fire to them (don't ask . . ).

We are a family of 4 and we survive. I think it helps that we have a utility room with an airer in it so one load on there, then the next day another in the wash and by the time they are ready to come out the load on the airer is dry.

I hang towels over our landing to dry overnight, ditto bedclothes, so they are dry by the morning to be put away.

Now socks are another kettle of fish. DH and I could divorce over them. Today, however, I have decided to deal with the situation and bought some plastic things to keep socks together from when they get but into the laundry, right through to them drying. I got them on www.lookatmycrazyshoes.com.

i don't have a tumble dryer but want one and a family of four.

I have a chinese laundry effect in my house!

Everything in this house goes in the dryer.

Would never leave washing over radiators, think it looks awful and am sure it can't be healthy to have so much damp in the atmosphere.

Don't have a clothesline, either. The garden is my dh's pride and joy and he'd hate it to be full of washing.

TDs are really cheap, I'd just buy one if I were you.

I wouldnt be able to do it I hate having clothes around on the radiators, and dont have them on at his time of year

There are five of us and with school uniforms DH uniform and DD clothes my tumble drier is on constantly if I put it on the line my children play hide and seek in it !!!

I couldn't live without a tumble dryer if I was single.

We have one and don't use it.

Our electricity bills have plummeted as a result.

Just put stuff over airers, drippy stuff hangs over the bath for a bit - and my socks etc go on one of those hangy things in pairs - greatest invention in the worrld.

If you snap the crumple out of items as they come out of the washing machine, and put them on the airer with a bit of care, you can get away without ironing
Take that, you alpha mums
I have a t/d which gets used in emergencies. About twice a year I guess
Big airer from John Lewis and a old-fashioned wooden gatefold airer for sheets/towels

we are a family of 4 & have a tumble drier, but i hate it & rarely use it (& never for my clothes). much prefer hanging things on the washing line.

I was a family of 4 and haven't had a tumble drier since DCs were born.

You get used to it

We have 3 small children, always used washable nappies, and don't use a tumble dryer. We had one for a bit, borrowed, but didn't use it much and gave it away. We do have quite a lot of space to hang washing in the house. We just hang it on drying racks and wait til it dries.

I have never used a drier - cannot see any need for it at all! How many loads of washing do you do?

well they most have done before 1931 (apprently then invented!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I dont have one and we all have clean clothes lol

can be a pain sometimes having clothes drying round the house, they usually go on an airer in the spare room

hmm - don't know - but a family of 5 can (we do at least).

airers, bannisters and washing line.

put at least one load on every day.

don't iron anything that doesn't absolutely need it (ie work shirts only chez Badger )

If you're going to be busy and/or out all day stick on a load at night then hang it out in the morning before the first cup of coffee and if you're lucky it'll be dry enough to put away when you get home.

And make sure poeple know that there isn't a 'quick turnaround' option - if (eg) the favourite black tshirt is in the basket waiting for a dark wash they'll just have to wait, or if particular trousers are needed for a nigth out there has to be decent warning on all sides so you can work them into the regular cycle.

And buy everyone the same plain black / white / grey socks so no pairing issues.

we have a tumble drier but I only use it in winter (or if we are really desperate). Some big airers, shirts I iron straight from the washing machine then hang on hanger on curtain rails do the same sometimes with t shirts.

I hate seeing washing all round the house so do use my tumble drier quite a lot, or washing line outside in good weather.

Our washing goes - well to be accurate DP puts it - on racks in the kitchen. Wouldn't countenance a tumble drier, vile energy inefficient things. There are four inmates in the Inferiority Complex. Including two quite grubby ones who get through a lot of clothes.

I do a load most days - sometimes 3!!

I think the problem is dh - he refuses to have more than 2 pairs work trews only has one tie that he 'likes' and therefore only a couple of shirts that go with it so when he goes to board meetings or whatever he is storming around house asking for 'the' shirt and trousers! Causes no end of strife I feel like worst wife of the year and he is stressed out!

Sounds like I need to invest in some ties and shirts that match and more work trews and then we might just make it. thank you for all the input - respect to all the organised mums out there - I have the calendar but I am really not there yet!!

yes, very easily! I have a clothes rail up in my airing cupboard, and I hang all dh and ds's shirts on hangers in there to dry. Then I have a folding airer in the bathroom on which I hang everything else. Oh, and a nifty 'smalls dryer' from lakeland which holds up to 24 socks, knickers etc. (this also hangs off the clothes rail in the airing cupboard) If the weather is nice everything will hang outside.

Then just make sure you religiously do one load of laundry every day. Any more than that and you have no space to hang things to dry.

Trust me, it will be fine. I am sooo glad to be rid of my tumbler, I can practically smell the money I am saving!

YES btu why SHOULD you

Maybe you are taking too much responsibility for your DH's laundry. Really, if my DP behaved like that it would be more than the tumble dryer at issue.

dp does his own laundry. that way there's never an argument about why clothes aren't clean or dry. And it's much easier and more environmentally friendly than getting a tumble dryer.

tumble dryers only cos 100 or so

I used to yep, dried everything on an airer over the bath and in the airing cupboard.

I do have a dryer now but am trying to cut back on using it and so am off to buy an airer again tommorow.