What do you put in your tumble dryer?

[FatCatThinCat]

I just bought a tumble dryer as we don't have enough space to hang dry stuff. Finally, a house without mountains of laundry waiting to be done! Or so I thought.

Two loads of washing done today and none of it can go in the machine according to the labels. Kids pyjamas, cotton underwear, leggings, t-shirts. What the heck? What's the point of getting a machine if nothing can actually go in it.

Or do I ignore the labels and put it in anyway? When I was a kid I used to go to the laundarette with my mum and everything went straight from the washer into the dryer. Are clothes manufacturers just being over cautious?

Underwear socks pjs bedding and towels and any clothes that can be

We don’t have one atm as we moved and decided to see if we could do without it for a while. So far it’s working well.

We used to use it mainly for towels (keeps them fluffy), bedding and underclothes/tee shirts/underwear/socks. Again it keeps them feeling softer. Also the odd load of regular clothing as needed.

I do miss having lovely soft, fluffy towels.

Yes to
Pants
sox
bras (I don't have underwiring)
PJs
T-shirts without screen printing on
towels
sheets (etc)
tea towels
dishcloths
jeans

"It depends" (I have a low heat setting which I use, but sometimes it depends on how much I like the item or how devastated or not it would be if it shrunk)
Hoodies
Sweatshirts
Football socks
joggers

No
Material like football shirts or shorts
Anything with screen printing on it
wool

I tumble everything except knitwear, my dresses and bras.

What is with no bra tumbling?

Everything.
Some fleece things seem to survive (ie my 10 year old primark pjs). Others die. But tbh fleece actually dries so fast i just hang it over a door overnight.

Everything goes in. We have no space for a clothes horse without it being either in the middle of a room or in the way of where you need to walk.

We've just had the garden done (it was a disgrace before) so in the spring we will get a line fitted, but until then, everything gets tumble dried.

@Mrsjayy

What is with no bra tumbling?

It's supposed to ruin the wires and make them go out of shape.

It also often ruins the more delicate fabrics that bras tend to be made from.

I have low heat sportswear setting so that goes in there. It's all washed together in Halo sports wash so easy enough.

There's a few kids t shirts I separate out with glitter stuff on the front....they get put on top of the dryer, where it's warm and dry quickly. Bras in net bags the same.

Wool jumpers get the wool wash then dried on top of dryer flat whilst other things are in it.

Other than that, it goes in the dryer. I haven't got time for messing about.

Everything except anything pure wool - we don’t own anything pure wool. It’s has two choices - survive or bin.

I put in everything except woolly jumpers and bras. I don't have silk. Never had a problem.

If you look at the washing instructions you do tend to see that nothing can be tumble dried but that isn't true. I think it must be the manufacturers covering their arses.

Everything bar wool. But then I also don't separate laundry either, so I'm not that bothered I guess. Never had anything shrink though.

Everything goes in our drier except a very select few of my pyjama tops I have the shrink fear with them and some of the dc pyjamas with iron on picture thingies on them.

Clothes labels are a load of nonsense. Hand wash/dry clean only, my arse!

@FatCatThinCat

I did notice a difference between brands. The M&S kids stuff says it's ok but all the H&M stuff says no, even though they seem to be made of the same materials. So I wondered if it was related to the poorer quality.

Some brands use pre-shrunk cotton for their clothing, the H & M organic cotton is likely to shrink. I now just buy everything in bigger sizes and then everything (accept wool/ silk and viscose) goes in the dryer. Acrylic I put on a delicate cycle (but I still find it shrinks!) never had a problem with fleeces but again I do it on delicate cycle. A lot depends on your dryer and it's cycles!