Washer/Dryer - do we need one?

[ICantGetMuchSleep]

I am 38 weeks with our first DC and we are debating the need to buy a washer dryer. We have a perfectly good washer at the moment but are not sure if we will need a dryer once the baby comes due to the volume of tiny clothes that will need washing! We do have central heating and could stick stuff on the radiators to dry but know a dryer would be loads easier. Due to small house, we don't have room for a seperate dryer and money is tight so won't buy a washer/dryer if we don't really need it.

So, in your experience, what should we do?

Plenty of us survive without them. We've never had a drier and had 2 in washable nappies at one point. You get into a washing routine easily enough. Mine tends be hung out in the evening when there is heat/fire on and mostly dries overnight so I don't have it cluttering the house in the day.

I love my tumble dryer more than any other applicance because I try not to use it to save money where possible, it's nice to know it's there if needed and with the babies clothes was really needed!!!

In summer you won't need one as you can put on line to dry but in winter, even on brighter days, they won't dry much.

Not sure what modern washer/dryer combos are like but our one at uni (15 yrs ago) was crap! Everything came out damp and it never dried it all properly but I'm sure they've moved on since then .

Also - putting wet washing on the rads is so bad for condensation - you could get radiator airers but it still ages to dry stuff unless you've got a really warm home.

You may not have the space, but if you have high ceilings I strongly recommend a pulley airer. We dont have a dryer but don't miss it at all using one of these.

I didn't have a dryer with both my babies and had nowhere outside with dd1 to hang things up either The house looked like a laundry, It didn't bother me because I am a slob relaxed, but if it will bother you then buy one. Babies require more washing than you can possibly imagine.

Could you sit a tumbler on top of your current washing machine, even if it means moving it somewhere else, like the bathroom/downstairs loo/garage? In one house, our tumbler sat on top and it was fine.

Yes, second the pulley airer. Ours has made such a difference. Dd deciding to potty train helped too!

We have the same thing. We struggle with washing drying all over the house with just the two of us, so I am assuming with baby washing it's going to be pretty much essential. We have no more room at all for a separate drier, so will probably also be ditching a perfectly good (although admittedly very old, as we were given it when we moved in!) washer to make room for a washer/drier.

D

Also forgot to mention, I'm going to have to go back to work at 6 months, so time for washing/drying and rotating things on and off radiators/drying racks etc. is going to be an issue as well.

So washer-drier it is for us I think.

D

I didn't have one with my first and we got so fed up with having a big airer in our bathroom which luckily is a good size that my partner knocked a wall through and hung a door so we could use the garage as our kitchen wouldnt fit a tumble drier. I now never have much on the radiator (our 20 month old just love to pull it off anyway or wipe his nose/mouth/dribble on it.) Also our clothes dont feel like cardboard and you have to barely touch them with the iron if you get them out quick. You can get them on 0% finance I think if that helps. I agree you can manage without but it makes life sooo much easier, I found it wasnt just babys washing it was all of ours especially when you get sicked on, dinners thrown at u etc. With an airer you can only dry one load and a bit (even with a big one) at a time and it takes up so much room. Do you live near parents? Mine used to let me dry loads when we went over and they threw in dinner :). I'd agree it's best appliance ever though, but definately you'll manage without if you choose to.

If you do go for a washer drier I would just add that it is really worth spending a little more and going for a mid range - we used to have a crap Indesit which I can only describe as a washer-dampner and have just upgraded to a Bosch (an older model, not the brand new one) which is absolutely fantastic - given that I had given up hope that washer driers (well the drier bit anyway!) actually worked! I don't think it is necessary to go top range (ie siemens/miele), but if you don't get one that actually dries you'll probably regret spending money on one at all!

HTH