Can you survive without a tumble dryer?

[bargainhuntingbetty]

My tumble dryer has died I think and I was wondering if you can survive without one. I have always had one so cannot see how it will work without one. HELP

there's 5 in our family and have managed without a tumble dryer for about 4 years now. Have one of those Sheila's Maid thingies and use radiators. Hang out in summer Etc

Yes of course you can. We have a washer/dryer and the dryer rarely gets used. It is much more difficult in the winter without one, but it is possible. From about March to October we never use it. I prefer clothes dried on the line and it helps keep the electric bill down too.

I've never had one! It works fine We use cloth nappies too so there is a fair bit of washing going on! In the summer I was early and hang outside during the day and in the winter Iwash later on and hang in the evening and leave out overnight so it isn't in the way all day. I must admit that things are so much easier since I got a laundry maid though as things dry much better than on a clothes horse

I've never had one. You can air clothes indoors or out - if you have a garden obviously you can get the rotary driers or indoors you can get airers (eg from Argos), whether freestanding/collapsable ones or ceiling-suspended ones. Better to put the clothes onto an airer and stand them in front of a radiator rather than block the heat from the radiator by plastering it in clothes - and they dry quicker if you turn them over once one side is dry.

No. I simply stop washing when I have no tumble dryer untill --dh- someone goes and gets me a new one.

If it is summer I might still wash a few loads and line dry them, but during the winter there is no room to dry clothes. The house is too small for clothes airers to be here there and anywhere everywhere and besides which the cat or dog would only pull them off and sit on them.

What is a laundry maid??

I've never had one so you must be able to!

Never had one in my life, my parents didn't either.

And, hang on... yup, am alive.

I've never had one (although my parents do). I dry on a clothes airer with a dehumidifier running next to it, which works very well, although takes up a bit of space in the spare room (and probably uses just as much electricity as a tumbler ). I put towels on the radiators in the evening and take them off in the morning (we very very rarely have the heating on during the day). In the summer I dry outside.

Indith, what is a laundry maid?

Do the clothes (i.e towels and socks) not dry hard if you dry them indoors?? I hate hard towels.

Yes, we do .... but then again we live in the Canary Islands so the weather is on our side most of the year

Although I did read an interesting academic paper recently in Jurassic Witterings that suggested the dinosaurs died out due to lack of tumble dryers. Or lack of electricity to power them. Something like that. It was very scientific.

Mine died two years ago, and I haven't replaced it. It is a PITA in the winter, especially drying duvet covers and towels, but it can be done.

I cant afford to buy a new one until after the summer as we have a lot of expense going on just now so I will just have to learn to not need one. I have a garden with a rotary drier but my garden is such a mess that I hate going out there. Oh well, I will just have to get the garden dealt with wont I????

I use my tumble drier for about 20 minutes a couple of times a month (in other words in dire emergencies usually when an item of uniform isn't quite dry enough to put on) and really could manage without it if I was 1 degree more organised. Family of 4.

I had a tumble dryer when I lived alone and looked after only me. Now that I live with a husband and 2 children, I seem to be able to cope without one.

Betty, my clothes dry hard if I have the dehumidifier on full - I have it about 2/3 round the dial and they're fine. Towels on the radiator - not really. But then I quite like a nice rough towel, it gets you dry properly

I couldn't. That's not to say it's not possible. I suppose in theory you could do without a lot of appliances. No tumble dryer would mean wet washing draped about the place though which is grim (imo).

Nothing like the washing line for preference though if the weather is ok.

A laundry maid is one of those airers that hangs from the ceiling. Tis a thing of beauty and I possibly still get slightly too excited by it

SOH really? That sounds amazing. I'm sure I read a book recently that suggested the dinosaurs died out in a war over pants though but I may be wrong, I'm not sure how well researched it was.

I bought one at the beginning of this winter, after never having had one before (so obviously you can survive without one - I'm 36 and have had clean, dry clothes for all that time!)

Having said that, I hated my house being hung with washing, especially sheets etc all the time. We live in a small house, with no spare room / utility room and it was unsightly. I think that if you have a spare room, give it a go for the spring / summer and see how it goes.

THanks all, that has filled me with confidence that I will survive. I am terrible at washing it is my most hated thing so it is ease I am always looking for. I need somthing to make me put it all away tho.

Yes, can manage without easily.

If you are used to having one though you probably find it harder than never having one in the first place. For example I am struggling without a dishwasher yet I know lots of people don't have one and manage fine.

I don't like tumble dried clothes, they never feel like they fit properly afterwards.

I live in a small flat but still manage to get everything dry. Clothes on racks in bathroom with radiator on in there and door closed. Line from my roof terrace to a tree opposite.

I don't have a dishwasher and I honestly don't know if I ever would. My Mum has one and when I stay there I find it a real chore to load and empty it, invariably opening the door to put something in and finding it full of clean plates that need to be put away.

Indith, no that's true about pants and dinosaurs. They dug up a stegosaurus with a thong in its mouth and it all just clicked.

Did you get the card btw? Trying to establish if I have your address right...