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!

We are a family of 4, and use the tumble once in a blue moon

I would do without a dishwasher ….use it once a year on Christmas Day….not used it since 2022 as we were away last Christmas

How do you dry clothes? There’s only 2 of us and we have a utility room ….but use tumble in winter….no way would I have wet clothing around the house ….….and waste of money to heat the utility room when we only use the log burner most days

we have them on a clothes horse in the dining room

I would vote dishwasher and washing machine with perhaps a ceiling dryer maid thing and a dehumidifier to dry the washing

Ordinary washing machine & dishwasher.

i don't have a dryer, prefer to line dry. Airer in the middle of winter.

washer/dryer are all shite, even the very expensive ones need you to take most of it out for the drying cycle.

Thanks everyone, really helpful replies, seems overall people are very much in favour of a dishwasher! Must not have know what I’ve been missing out all these years washing up by hand!!

And had never thought of putting a dryer somewhere else in the house, been walking round eyeing up options! I might be able to squeeze one under the stairs. Will explore this option too.

In meantime, I guess I now need to find a decent dishwasher, any recommendations?

My kitchens have always been weirdly small. At one point we had a household of 6 and still never had a dishwasher. Just not something we have ever felt wr needed. I don't mind 5 minutes peace doing the dishes a couple of times a day. Always had a dryer apart from a year when it looked like a laundrette in the house. Kitchen is still small but the dryer is under the stairs and works well for us...

My mum moved her washing machine and tumble drier into the conservatory. Worked really well.

2

We have both a dishwasher and a tumble dryer and I would cry if we had to give up either. We got a heat pump dryer to save ££ like some PPs, and even as a family of 3 the amount of time and effort it has saved has been amazing. On wet cold winter days, nothing dries, especially bed linens. Like PPs have said, the dryer does not need to be in the kitchen, and ours has a separate water tank that we empty after each cycle, so is just in a random corner of our house.

Do you have a garage for the tumble dryer?

I have a tumble dryer in the garage. Only ever use it for towels. I line dry most of the year but I do have a massive airing cupboard which is literally my favourite thing in my house. I can hang practically a whole load in there and if the hot water is on it's dry in a few hours. I always worry about shrinkage in a dryer.

Washer dryer and dishwasher

You have the option of using the dryer in emergency (eg realise at 8pm PE kit needs to be ready for the morning)
but otherwise just live like you had a washer and dishwasher

Use washing line in the Summer and a heated dryer & dehumidifier in the Winter

If you want a separate tumble dryer it doesn't have to go in the kitchen. No plumbing required.

Having a separate washer and drier upstairs is a good idea. Don’t have to carry dirty clothes downstairs and back up again!

Can you not put a tumble dryer in a cupboard? Mines in the garage.

Unless your washing machine leaks.

Definitely dishwasher is a necessity esp if you plan to sell in the future.

We haven't had a dishwasher in years and years - only time I miss it is Christmas. We have our condenser drier in the garage, along with a freezer. Works for us

Washer dryer , dishwasher and dehumidifier

washer dryers aren’t the best but useful in emergency but for everyday drying use surer and dehumidifier

Dishwasher definitely.
Skip the tumble dryer and get a big heated airer - look on Lakeland

Or perhaps an oven/hob/dishwasher combo? 😆

@Brushmyteeth we have that, and love it. So much better than having washing around the house.

We have been there and it’s a dishwasher. We started with a combined washer drier but later got a tumble dryer and put it in the conservatory.