Tumble dryer - Essential or not?

[MumtoLaura]

Just moved house - only got room for a slimline tumble dryer (and no outside wall so it would need to be a condensor). Is there such a thing? Do I need a tumble dryer?

I couldn't live without one.

It's okay at this time of year, but come the cold wet days of winter.

How about a washer dryer if you don't have room for both (we have washer dryer, works well for me)

You can most certainly live withoue one, but having one makes such a difference, esp if you've forgotton to get school uniform out the night before to dry!

I have never had one and never missed it. I know you can get tumble dryers that don't need a connection to the outside of the house as my MIL has one. The water collects in a tray at the bottom of the machine and needs emptying periodically.

No

I suppose it depends on where you live really. I live in SW London and ahve a garden with a line and dont have or feel I need a tumble drier and we have cloth nappies. My parents offered to buy us one when dd was born but I said no cos wouldnt have been able to aford the electricity to run it anyway

Desirable, not essential. And give washer dryers a swerve.

Having never had one, I'd say easy to live without - might be one of those things that its hard to live without once you have had it.

my old washerdryer broke down and I've now brought just a washing machine... and YES I do miss my dryer already.. I never used it that often... just to dry things off really but am already looking at dryers for the winter.

Rummum

It'd be nice, but I haven't had one in over 3 years and it works out. Just have to be SUPER organised w/regards to staying on top of the washing.

Same as Easy, an essential in the winter months, also you can not get towels all lovely and fluffy unless they have been in a tumble drier.

I have a pully which hangs from the ceiling above the kitchen radiator. I have a dryer, but only use it a handful of times a year, and never in the summer.

Well self evidently not essential. We don't have one and don't intend to get one- I think they are unnecessarily energy intensive. But like everything, if you are used to one, you'd probably find it an annoyance to do without.

Would love one. Definitely not essential but what is?

I always had one until I moved here, and I miss it soo much. I have fully fitted kitchen now and no room for one. Had washer drier last time, was very good. used to hang half up and dry the less delicate stuff. Winter isn't too bad cos have radiators to dry on, summer it dries in front of windows. Spring and Autumn is the worst - too warm for heating but no hot sun to air dry.

No, they ruin clothes.

Thanks for your opinions. I'll do without for now I think, and see how it goes as the weather gets colder.

tumble dryers save on the ironing - bigtime

Also, I loath seeing the house with damp washing draped everywhere.

I would say it depends on what facilities you've got for drying without a dryer. At my old house, although we had central heating we couldn't afford to run it last winter, and the house was very damp, so one load of washing took four days to dry (I am not joking!!!). We had a small fire in the living room, no pulley system, and obviously it was too wet/cold to dry things out. We managed (just), but have now got a tumble dryer as we will have a baby in the house soon.

we dont have a tuble dryer we have a rotary line outside and one over the bath, you will be suprised how quick clothes dry in the bathroom and it retracts itself back neatly into the wall! and cheap on leccy

When mine broke down and I didn't have it for 2 or 3 weeks waiting for a part, in mildish dampish weather, nothing got properly dry before I had to take it off the rack to make room for more, so I had to iron it dry, and everything smelt faintly musty, it was horrible.

Plus, with a dryer most things don't need any ironing

It doesn't have to go in the kitchen you know! Any room with an outside wall will do - my old neighbour has had a lovely big cupboard built in to her new bedroom and has the dryer in there, vented to the outside. Mine is in the bathroom, but it is a very large bathroom and the dryer is hardwired inside a cupboard.

couldn't do with out it in the winter. in the summer i dry everything on the line can't justify the running expenses on it the summer (enviromental not economical) but as much as i like to try and do my bit for the envionment i can't do without it in the winter, i can't bear rooms full of wet washing and radiators piled high with washing, and i'm sure that that contributes to the environmental factors as you need your heating higher to feel the benefit i the room.

We have a BOSCH washerdryer but it is rubbish
Doesn't dry stuff very well so I don't bother using the dryer cycle

Condensor ones are okay imo

I love my dryer, it is essential for me. Used to hate having clothes draped around the house; they dried all stiff and the house smelt damp. Now can do all my washing in one day and it is dry and put back in drawers - no ironing required. Even use it when it isn't raining. In fact I only hang washing out if it is the height of summer.

Could not live without one.

I do SO much washing it's not true (3 boys of 4 and under plus me and dh of course) and I'd never get through it without a dryer.

Also saves on ironing because kids t-shirts and stuff often come out with no creases.