What's more important - dishwasher or tumble dryer?

[Boatshoes]

Evening all! We have just sold our property and found a lovely little house which we hope to put an offer in on Monday. The only problem is, it is smaller than our current one (but is in school catchment / has lots of other benefits which outweigh the negatives), and does not have a garage (we currently have one stacked full of DH's tools and my tumble dryer). The new house is an end of terrace that has no further potential for extending and no garage.

The kitchen in the new house is lovely but minimalist with few built in cupboards. There is already a built in washing machine, but, due to the aforementioned lack of cupboards / space, it will be a toss up between installing either a tumble dryer or dishwasher.

We are a family of 4 (DH works away during the week) and I have 2 young DC. I think they would help with the washing up, but I do like just putting on the dishwasher of an evening - so much easier! But, that being said, I do a lot of washing and my tumble dryer is a godsend (I know some people hate them, but it helps me keep on top of running our busy household).

So, what would you prioritise? Dishwasher or tumble dryer?

I used 2x airers like this for our family of 5 before we got a tumble dryer. They are great as take up v little floor space.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8500368

Team Tumble Drier here! I hand wash a lot of dishes and pans anyway (kids are still in bamboo plate stage, pans are nice ones which you’re not meant to DW etc) so often do cutlery at the same time to save putting on a half empty dishwasher cycle

Tumble drier is obsolete about 6 weeks of the year but the rest of the time it’s invaluable. Laundry drying in living spaces - unless you have a giant house where it can be shut away - just depresses me. I want to do my chores and then enjoy a tidy house, not stare at DH’s pants while I’m watching TV 😂

Dishwasher is non negotiable with a family. Either get a washer dryer of one of those plastic Ketter boxes big enough for a tumble dryer and sit it next to the back door. My dryer is in the spare room but you may not have one.

Think outside the box as to where a tumble dryer can go.

Mibe for ages was the bedroom tv stand. Covered by material and vent stuck out of a window when in use. So can be put in any room as long as near a window.

Then dishwasher in kitchen,

I truly hate my washer dryer, it makes everything come out all steamy /slightly damp and need airing anyway. Annoying.

Dishwasher hands down.

Tumble drier all the way!

We got rid of our dish washer as we barely used it.

I hardly use my drier. But I think for the occasional school uniform crisis when you wash something that's needed for the next day in an emergency and then forget to hang it out overnight, not having a dryer is difficult! I would go for dishwasher and washer dryer in these circumstances.

Dishwasher for definite, saves so much time. We hardly used our tumble drier and eventually got rid of it. The dishwasher is also a better choice for the environment and your bills. You're going to use hot water to wash dishes anyway and some argue dishwashers use less energy than washing up. However, a tumble drier will always use more energy than hanging clothes up to dry on an airer.

We went three years with no dishwasher and it was soul crushing for me- there was just always something on the draining board and the kitchen always looked messy. My sister always went without and was always saying’you just get used to getting it done’ but I never did. Hilariously a year after we moved her ils got her a dishwasher and shes since said ‘Jesus, we wasted so much of our life washing bloody dishes

Saying that in the winter (or when you’re wrecked and not home enough to take in washing!) a dryer is a lifeline (6 in our house and we don’t have tons of clothes) I’m sorry op, I can’t choose!!

Dishwasher 100%.

Dishwasher for me, but it's close if you have children and lots more laundry than I do.

Thank you everyone so far for your opinions / votes - this has been playing on my mind all day! My DC are very sporty and active and will always get caked in mud / sometimes stuff that looks like mud (😂) so my tumble dryer has been a godsend when I have to get kits or uniforms washed and dried for the next day.

In the new house, there is only a kitchen/diner and living room downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs (all of which will be used), so no space for drying things inside the house. As a pp said, with this unpredictable weather, it will be a real pain in the bum to dry things on radiators / in the house, especially if my DC are ill (they both have an autoimmune disease which can be horrible on their tummies when it flares up, requiring rapid change of clothes / bedding).

On the other hand, popping things in the dishwasher after a big meal just saves me a headache! But the house does have a lovely Belfast sink and a nice view of the garden if I do opt to forego a dishwasher😂

Are washer / dryers good nowadays? I've only ever had separate washers / dryers.

Thank you to everyone again for your input!

Tumble dryer 100% for me. Cut down condensation and makes it easy in winter. I do dry outside when I can. Mine lives under the stairs…is that an option for you?

Dishwasher and washer dryer, not ideal but I would rather let the WD take hours to dry a wash than be the washing dishes three times a day for years to come, especially if your or your other half enjoy cooking.

I've never had either, but think I would choose tumble dryer.

Dishwasher.

DH and I both WFH, so 3 meals a day or 6x bowls/plates etc to handwash a day, whereas I only wear 1 set of clothes that need washing. Do you have outdoor space for a clothes line? A conservatory or somewhere to hang clothes inside to dry? I lived 20yrs in a flat with neither. I now have both and in the past 2 yrs- have never used the dryer- it still has the plastic wrap on it! I don't have kids though.

Dishwasher ! Can you fit in a Shelia maid ?

https://www.castinstyle.co.uk/section.php/2/1/traditional-pulley-clothes-airers?msclkid=30fd90e7e8841ab989a1f68341ea145e

We would struggle without either. I actually be put off buying a house if we couldn’t have both.

Both! But if I could only have one I think it would be a dishwasher but would need a couple of heated airers!

There's no space under the stairs for a dryer unfortunately - at the moment it is all open but I would want to add a door to it to put away coats / shoes and the hoover.

Another thing to consider is hiding the drier in another room. We only had space for a washer when we moved in, but with a cooking hobby it was a no brainer, the dishwasher was essential for our marriage to survive.

So, until the kitchen was refurbished, the washer/drier went into a corner of the dinning room. We only needed to drill a 4”x2” hole on the wall near the floor to get the washer’s hoses and drain through the other room and connect to the sink. In terms of appearance, we put a piece if plywood above it to make it perfectly square, had a very nicely looking tablecloth made to measure matching other textiles in the room, and put a lamp and books on it. It was a bit tall for an accent table but nobody ever noticed it was the washer unless it was working.

@MaryFuckingFerguson I know, usually I would be put off by the lack of space but this house has so many positives (it's the village we want to live in, fantastic school catchment, near a park for my football-mad DC, recently renovated and no chain, and bargain price to boot!) we would be hard pushed to find anything that ticks all the boxes.

Tumble dryer every time. There are six of us at home. Washing goes out as much as possible but there is no way I would do without my tumble dryer.

Never had a dishwasher not particularly bothered about getting one.

We have both , if the dishwasher was to break we would shop around , view loads etc if the tumble dryer was to break one would be ordered the same day . It’s easy to wash up , it’s not as easy to get your towels soft .

I don't have either. My kitchen is too small
unless I want to replace a much needed cupboard with a slimline dishwasher.

However, if I had to choose I would probably go for a tumble dryer. If you go for a dishwasher get a heated airer. I have the one from Lakeland with the cover which definitely helps to dry clothes quicker.