Space for one appliance - which would you have?

[AnnieStar12]

I am re-arranging the kitchen to make space for an additional appliance and can't decide which will make my life easier:

1. Washing machine + Tumble dryer

2. Combined washer/dryer + Dishwasher

Interested to know whether people found a stand-alone tumble dryer or full size dishwasher a bigger help to domestic life?

In my experience, I have had a washer/dryer for many years and they are never as good as stand alone tumble dryers. It takes ages to dry and you can only put small loads in at a time so you end up with lots of washing hanging up anyway and just use it for pants and socks. I have never lived with a full size dishwasher so I am used to washing up, but don't really know how much of a time saver they really are as you have to load and unload anyways - maybe I'm naive to how much time it'll save! The people we brough the house from left behind a half size dishwasher which I found no help as I would only be able to put a few bits in there and would then need to wash up everything else anyways. But maybe I'd feel differently if it was a full size one

We are a family of 4, with one more on the way so lots of laundry and lots of dishes!

I’d go for a dishwasher. I have both and my dishwasher is used every day whereas my tumble dryer is only used occasionally.

You can also put a condenser dryer in pretty much any room if you decided later that you wanted one. Mine is in my bathroom (with my washing machine) and my sister has hers in a cupboard in the hall.

I also have 3 children and honestly couldn’t manage without the drier but also would really miss the dishwasher. Can you have a condenser drier else where? Cupboard under the stairs, garage, toilet? If you possibly can I would have all 3, having our kitchen replaced at the moment and I have missed the dishwasher the most but that’s the only appliance I haven’t been able to use, I put the drier in my walk in wardrobe so still using it upstairs and used the launderette for the washing. So my advice would be if you possibly can have all three.

I never replaced my tumble drier when it broke, so for me I'd say dishwasher. But when the kids were small I used it a lot more, and I would've said tumble drier. So it depends on your family and life stage really.

Pretty much the exact same question was asked a few days back.

If you are a family of 4 who are going to be expanding then I don't think you have much choice other than to have a dedicated tumble drier.

Unless you want your house mouldy and covered in washing in winter, or are prepared to be ruthless about re-using clothes without washing them.

Dishwasher! Tumble drier is so so useful but there are other ways to dry or another place you could put it.

family of four - dishwasher on twice a day, more at weekends. It can be on 4 times if we have visitors. Saves loads of time and keeps the sink tidy.

I would go for a washer-dryer and a dishwasher, @AnnieStar12. We had a washer-dryer when ds1 was a baby - because we only had space for one appliance, but dealing with all the laundry a baby generates with no dryer was not something we wanted to do. I don't know what washer-dryers are like now, but back then, ours didn't have a massive load size, if you wanted it to do the full cycle of washing and drying automatically, but if you were prepared to take half the washing out after it had washed, and dry it in two goes, you could still do decent sized loads.

I do think a dishwasher is a wonderful thing to have - and I would rather have to juggle loads in the washing machine or do smaller loads, than to have to wash up by hand!

100% the dishwasher. You just need to do half loads more often with the washer/dryer combo and it works perfectly with no need to separate wet washing and hang up half and dry half (delicates I do on their own).

Do you have a sunny garden? You can get a lot of laundry dry on breezy winter days.

Absolutely the dishwasher.

Normal washer and dishwasher.

Combination are rubbish. Would be without my dishwasher though.

This and a plug in heated airer.

Well it depends on your alternatives. Have you got or could you create a space to dry washing? The best I've used was a sort of carport with a clear plastic roof and washing lines across, it was like a greenhouse. Ceiling airer in a warm, ventilated room? Are you at home during the day to hang washing out?

Also tumble dryers cost a lot to run compares to dishwashers.

I think I'd go for flexibility, put plumbing/connections in for both . Maybe have a washer dryer while DC are small but keep the drying function for emergencies.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say separate washer and dryer, but that's because I hate hanging out washing (family of 5 with tall teens and a pre-teen and 2 dogs so at least 8 large loads a week) so I pretty much tumble-dry everything. I also hate loading the dishwasher more than washing up in the sink. I bought a really good heat-pump dryer to keep the electric costs down.

With a family of 4, the dishwasher will be a big help. You'll be filling it 1-2 times a day.

Having said that, I wouldn't want or use a dryer.

Washing machine and dishwasher here. We rarely use our tumble dryer. It depends on how much space you've got though. We have a spare room where we can hang up wet washing if it's too damp to dry outside.

If I had very little space in the house I'd go without a dishwasher in favour of a tumble dryer

Family of hayfever sufferers here so chose dryer. No regrets.

Dishwasher all day long. I have a combined washer dryer and it’s most definitely not crap, Samsung eco bubble if you’re interested. The secret is to not wash and dry in one go. Give everything a second spin then put the dryer on.

Washing machine + dishwasher then we use a dehumidifier in the room we dry the clothes in.

Dishwasher. Get a dehumidifier for the room you hang your washing in (bathroom.in my case) and your washing dries much faster than without.

Family of five here including years ago using washable nappies. Never had a tumble dryer - outside line did most of the job plus airers inside to finish. Some clothes can be worn more than once!

There was a washer/dryer and a dishwasher here when I moved in. The washer/dryer was absolutely rubbish (a NEFF one so a reasonable brand). I ditched it asap and put a heat pump dryer under the stairs, no regrets. So I’d say do something like that and have both.

Dishwasher and a washing machine, wouldn't bother with a washer dryer. We don't have a tumble dryer. Only think I really miss it for is towels and bedding, which I mostly take to the launderette to get done,

Definitely dishwasher. Never owned a tumble dryer and never been an issue, and we’ve got 2 kids including using reusable nappies. We are pretty strict with rewearing clothes.

I agree. We’re a family of six and although I have a tumble dryer I barely use it. It’s only used to finish off bits that haven’t dried after being hung for 24 hours and in the occasional emergency.