Please come and talk to me about your experiences of TUMBLE DRIERS.

[ByThePowerOfBaileys]

having had a few days of no washing over Christmas I now have a mountain to contend with. But not enough space to dry more than 2 loads a day.

SO

1. How often do you use yours (ie every wash?)

2. How long does it take to dry a load?

3. Does it really cut down on ironing?

4. Approximate cost per load (energy only not capital cost)

5. do you have to be there when it is finished in order for it to help with ironing

Any other good/bad experiences - recommendations for makes/models.

We would be keeping it in the garage so would have to be a condensing one (I think)

THANKS in advance - hopefully we can get one in the january sales.

I've got a large condenser dryer... love it..

1. I use it a couple of times a week... I put clothes on an airer and just finish them off in the tumbler

2. not long.. its nearly dry anyway...

3. I rarely iron.. as long as you get the clothes out when they have finished straight away.

4. no idea

5. see 3.. get one that reverse action as apparently that helps with less creasing

happy shopping...

Personally i only tumble dry stuff that isn't 'nice' as IMHO tumble drying shrinks/ clothes. ie towels, underwear, pj's etc Everything else I put on a horse.

I have a bosch which takes about an hour. i don't set it I just turn it on and it stops and bleeps at me when finished.

we had a condensing one before and that needs emptying after every dry so make sure it has a conviently placed tank.

thanks RumMum

Does it take a full washing load or do you have to do half at a time?

Morning

1. How often do you use yours (ie every wash?) In the winter lots, espeically for childrens stuff and bedding, in the summer I prefer to hang outside

2. How long does it take to dry a load? depends - currently have a condensor nad it takes longer, but we use the water for the plants and it doesnt have to be vented. vented one took less time

3. Does it really cut down on ironing? yes I dont iron bedding or boys stuff

4. Approximate cost per load (energy only not capital cost) not sure buy an A rating

5. do you have to be there when it is finished in order for it to help with ironing, mine is a sensor one and it also has an ironing setting, so if you are not there you can pop it on that and then take out and fold.

If I do a wash on an evening - I will hang stuff out, but I do find my dryer really useful. We have a hotpoint, origionally had a bosh that lasted 10 years (was a wedding present) you need to get a reverse action one so the clothes dont tangle.

Mine also takes a load at a time and I have no experiance of shrinkage, but then I do dry on a lower heat setting!

Hi, yes it takes a full load of washing.. I must admit I did forget to mention I don't put anything delicate in there.. ie.. hand wash items, although it does has a warm dry as opposed to hot...

1. How often do you use yours (ie every wash?)
   Most washes in winter or if it's very late at night and doing an urgent wash.

2. How long does it take to dry a load?
   Quite a long time

3. Does it really cut down on ironing?
   Don't iron anything except work shirts so don't know.

4. Approximate cost per load (energy only not capital cost) Don't know

5. do you have to be there when it is finished in order for it to help with ironing See above.

Only things that have ever shrunk for me are things that I discover afterwards have that pesky "Do not tumble dry" label. I personally can't see the convenience of a tumble dryer if you're not prepared to trust most of your stuff to it. We have a condenser as it means you can put it anywhere and don't have to vent it.

I know they're a bit eco-evil, but I do love mine.

so do I have this right?

DH wears Jeans and Tshirt to work - with a tumbler I wouldn't have to iron either?

Boys wear 100% cotton clothing because of skin issues - wouldn't have to iron.

Bedding - wouldn't have to iron
Towels - dont iron them anyway

undies - can they go in? (bridget jones's & cotton other - not pretty little things [grin)

1. How often do you use yours (ie every wash?) Only in very wet weather or in the winter and it tends to be pants, socks, pjs - again not "nice" stuff because it does shrink/wear out quicker. Everything else I hand on coat hangers after shaking well and very rarely iron any of it. Anything I am going to tumble goes make in the washing machine for an extra spin at top speed so it drys quicker/cheaper.

2. How long does it take to dry a load? we have an "A" energy rating so it is low temp & takes ages but is cheaper to run, it has hotter/faster settings.

3. Does it really cut down on ironing? I use my iron on about 20 items per year.

4. Approximate cost per load (energy only not capital cost) - no idea but it is "A" rated on low & slow setting

5. do you have to be there when it is finished in order for it to help with ironing. No it carries on intermittent tumbling to stop it creasing.

Any other good/bad experiences - recommendations for makes/models. Ours is a white knight and it as less than £200 5 years ago.

We would be keeping it in the garage so would have to be a condensing one (I think) Mine is kept in the brick shed and isn't a condensing one.

THANKS in advance - hopefully we can get one in the january sales.

There are 6 of us hence a lot of "bits" to tumble, just keep adding to the tumble dryer after each wash if I do 2 or 3 loads on a trot (have a 6kg capacity washing machine)

Depends on the tumbler but I'm another one with a Bosch condenser. It's fab and has a very good energy rating. With four dcs it's on a lot.

I usually do everything - except the specifically labelled non-tumble dry stuff. Don't put bras in but certainly any other undies.

thnaks all,

any more opinions on TD'ers - am trying to convince DH

1. How often do you use yours (ie every wash?)Most washes - except for things that specifically say 'do not tumble dry'

2. How long does it take to dry a load? Depends on the size of the load. Just make sure you get on with an automatic sensor.

3. Does it really cut down on ironing? Yes, fold or hang as soon as it comes out. I do still iron some things, but not much.

4. Approximate cost per load (energy only not capital cost)Don't know! But buy an A rated one which will be the cheapest to run.

5. do you have to be there when it is finished in order for it to help with ironing No, if it has a sensor it will continue to do an occasional cool tumble until you switch it off manually.

Any other good/bad experiences - recommendations for makes/models.I had a Zanussi which lasted for about ten years. have John Lewis own brand now.

We would be keeping it in the garage so would have to be a condensing one (I think)You just need to be able to have an outlet for the hose. If you can avoid condensors I would. They are slower and more expensive to run.

if you get a condensing dryer try to find one with a tank in the place you'd expect to find a detergent drawer on a washing machine as it saves an awful lot of bending down. Also most of the major brands have a cheaper brand that they make or share designs with so it's worth doing a little bit of Internet research first
To save yourself about 100 in store

bump for the evening crowd

we had a condensing one for years but it got worse over the years and stopped working as well (took ages to dry everything)

we've got a vented one now and it's far far quicker to dry the clothes - I'm amazed we didn't get one beforehand. We got the John Lewis branded one and it wasn't that expensive either.

I have a hotpoint ultima condenser with a sensor I couldnt go back to traditonal drier.

its soo much quicker and more efficient

The only hastle is having to defluff the condensing unit approx every 3/4 loads

Thanks all - seems to be split between the condensing / non condensing unit.

I have tried to talk about the costs of me turning the heating on to dry the washing and the cost of having the iron on for so long - in comparison to the 20-25p per load costs.

Anyone else got pearls of wisdom that may help my case..

No condensing one does not blow out hot air it uses steam to dry the clothes and collates water some where that you have to empty out.

I've had both and much prefer the non-condensing one but you do need to ventilate it. One day we will ventilate ours properly through the shed wall, in the meantime we just leave the door ajar slightly which works fine.

1. How often do you use yours (ie every wash?) Pretty much every wash, I have a utility room so have a rail (like a shower rail) and I hang up that which cannot be tumbled and it dries from the warmth of the tumble drier.

2. How long does it take to dry a load? As I do my boys clothes they wear lots of jeans so up to 2 hours

3. Does it really cut down on ironing? Yes, ds2's stuff as he is little I don't iron jeans or trousers but do give his t-shirts a once over, ds1 is almost 6 so I do iron his jeans, much easier than if they were line dried (I have a very powerful bosch iron)

4. Approximate cost per load (energy only not capital cost) about 25p

5. do you have to be there when it is finished in order for it to help with ironing - I separate mine as it comes out and do the ironing later

Any other good/bad experiences - recommendations for makes/models.
I have an AEG condenser model, as it is next to my washing machine I got a drain kit and now the water drains into the pipe for the washing machine drain.

It is a 7kg load, easy to defluff. The only issue is that the delay start is 3, 6, or 9 hours whereas I would want to be able to program any time in but that is the only issue. It sings when it is finished, rotates the drum for up to 30 minutes to stop creases forming. I am a sahm so do a wash in the evening, put it on tumble in the morning, come back from school run and it is finished so I unload it then.

Bedding goes straight back onto the bed.

In my defence of using the tumble drier all the time, I have severe hayfever so if I hang stuff out in summer the pollen then comes into the house on the clothes/bedding and makes me really ill.

Yes my condenser one does blow hot air from a vent at the bottom, but as my utility has a door into the garage I open that to cool it

Seems mad to heat an entire house to dry a load of washing.

We have a condenser and it's brilliant. Candy, I think. 8kg.
foxinsocks-have you tried cleaning the condenser coil? It gets a bit linty then stops working so well. Clean it out and it will be like new.