To not allow the tumble drier to be used apart from emergencies

Well the fact is you weren’t too keen on this young man, were you? you obviously felt he didn’t do the work you were expecting him to do and the tumble dryer incident was the straw that broke the camels back
I m intrigued now was this young man a relative ? If not how come someone of 17 comes all the way from France to do your garden work ? If he is a relative surely he would wash and dry his own things without needing permission and actually I d be excited if a 17 year old wanted ( or knew how to) even use the washing machine and tumble dryer ?? most would leave it on the floor and shove in their case for Mum to do when they get back

BlueBelle it's a website. We've been hosts for years. Mostly youngsters but we've had people in their 60s and 70s, come for a working holiday for a month or so. They generally help with the garden, the house cleaning and decorating. At present we have 3 . They sleep where our DC used to and we have made some good friends who come back so they must like it.
One day we will downsize but we do like some aspects of living in a big rambling house.

Even on lovely days DH just puts everything in the dryer, he says that if he puts stuff on the washing line the birds will poo on it
He never thought it was a problem when I had dozens of terry nappies and school uniforms to wash and dry.

I have a tumble drier that I use when I have to but try to avoid it. These last few hot sunny weeks I've found clothes on my rotary drier get dry in less than an hour but in the winter it's often not really worth putting them out . Then I put them on an internal line in the utility room and/or on a foldable drying rack in the kitchen. Towels I usually tumble dry but try not to over use it for environmental reasons more than economy. I have a friend who says her garden is not big enough for a washing line (though in my opinion she could easily fit a rotary drier in) and she dries everything, always, in the tumble drier even in the recent hot weather! I've told her, jokingly, that I disapprove and she laughs (we are good friends! ) but I do think it's appalling!
However I would not tell off a house guest for using the TD -the family do use it if they need to wash and dry things quickly before going home.

DH is even keener on saving electricity /protecting the environment than me. And I haven't had any problem with birds pooing on washing -it's very rarely happened. And the washing smells so much fresher when dried outdoors.

He sounds like a very nice thoughtful young man to me.
Doing all his washing before he went home.

I am afraid I uses mine all the time! I used to use the washing line, but kept forgetting to bring it in. Rock hard towels and jeans as well! However, now the offspring have all flown the nest, it only get used about 3 times a week rather than everyday. We never leave it on when we are not there, as 3 years ago we had a fire caused by our Tumble dier. Luckily - we were all there and put it out quickly, but 3 foot flames were a bit scary! Also - I would never make a guest feel in the wrong! As a one off I would have gritted my teeth and ignored it.

Yes I agree Petra , we all have our idiosyncrasies though. My present guests do not scrape all the debris from the plates before putting them in the dishwasher - drives me mad !!
At least they put them in the dishwasher though.

NonnaW, a rotary dryer would take up very little space and they can fit just as much washing as a long line.

Agree Maggie -that was my thought too. And a folding rack for drying in the house on wet days. I know people who live in a small flat and dry all their washing on a rack/clothes horse which lives in a cupboard when not in use.

I was surprised to learn from reading this that modern tumble driers don't use too much electricity. I had one for years and dried everything in it before I had a family. Once I had a family and needed to be more frugal I stopped using it regularly. It was useful for days that the washing was just slightly damp when brought in from outdoors and in the winter to finish off the previous day's drying before the next lot went on the airer. Also for emergencies such as running out of clean school shirts.

I have a retractable washing line that I pull across when I need it and it sits flat on the wall when not in use . I have a huge banister where I dry bits in wet weather . I just hang it across when I leave for work and they’re dry as a bone when I return . Not a tumble dryer in sight.

Ah yes, pollyperkins, I’d forgotten that my daughter had a really useful portable heated drying rack for indoors when she lived in a small flat and didn’t have room for a tumble dryer. From Lakeland I think.

I have one, but use it very infrequently, I put the washing outside in good weather, or on an airer in the spare room during the winter. It's there for emergencies, I'd hate to use it every day, but realise that if space for drying washing inside is limited and the weather is wet and cold then the tumble dryer is the only option for some households.

I'd never leave it on if we both go out, or when we go to bed.

For various reasons - not least the fact that hanging out washing here could result in it landing in Norway- I use my dryer for all laundry. I have an A rated condenser machine which is plumbed into the sink drain so all extracted water is carried away. It costs less than £1 pw to run and my smart meter barely registers when it’s on. It’s carbon footprint is also very low.

I would be very concerned about drying clothes indoors on racks and radiators - all that condensation has to go somewhere, usually into the fabric of your home. Perversely, our higher standards of heating and insulation make this more likely to occur. Damp is not good for anyone’s health, especially those with chest issues, and possible mould spores in the atmosphere are even worse.

Technology isn’t all bad. We can cause more environmental impact by being Luddites!!

(SueDonim will understand about flying laundry methinks!)

I use mine far less often nowadays, but I certainly wouldn't be without it. However I wouldn't prevent a guest's one off use. When dd and very little Gdcs are staying I will often wash and TD their things to save her having yet more washing when she gets home.
As for your young guest, OP, since there's a TD there, presumably he thought it was there to be used.

I wouldn't be without mine after years of being without since a child. It is so useful. I keep the filter clean and hopefully it will continue to operate well for some while yet. I certainly wouldn't stop a guest from using it - my DD used it when hers was on the blink. Now if the guest wanted to use umpteen times a day that would be a different matter!!!

I prefer towels from the dryer, they are easier to fold up and are less like sandpaper. If we run it in the middle of the day it doesn't cost anything as we get our electricity from photovoltaic panels on the roof. We have also just got a new one which uses less power, too.

Almost everything else, though, I hang out on the line and iron.

As for the OP - I don't think you were unreasonable to draw the young lad's attention to the fact that the dryer is expensive for you to run, (depending on how you actually phrased it, and your relation ship with him) but you should also look into getting a new dryer which runs more economically.

Sorry - skipped page 2. Grammaretto, I still don't think you did anything wrong, but next time you take someone in like that, you know to set out the rules from day 1 to prevent any bad feelings (yours or his).

I agree that the tumble drier is a luxury - mine is hidden in a cupboard and used only if something is desperately needed immediately or in case of illness. I can't bear the waste of electricity when there is a perfectly good line outside and warm wind a'blowing! However, if my family are staying I do allow it to be used ...admittedly with gritted teeth!

Sunny and breezy today so there is a line full of washing drying nicely, I hope.
However, had my visitor wanted to pack it all ready for her return journey we would have tumble dried it (about 50p for a large load apparently - it takes two washing machine loads at once).

JackB I dried two lots of towels in the tumble dryer yesterday (it was rainy, good excuse).

That's very gracious of you to come back, Grammaretto. I think you've a way to go yet before you reach Basil Fawlty levels!

Katek yes! We used to live on the far north coast and my goodness, the wind up there. I remember once going to get the washing in and of the cots sheets and some towelling nappies, all that was left was the hem. The main body of fabric had been ripped off and was several gardens down!

I also found my neighbour's stripey flannel pyjamas wrapped round a bush in my garden. I made my dh take them back, I was too embarrassed, back in those days.

Good to have your explanation, grammaretto. The young man should at least have asked permission.
I tend to use my drier for bedlinen in the spring when tree pollen (mainly birch) is at its worst. Dried on the line, it can transfer the nasty allergens to me as I sleep!

OP - do you tell all your guests not to use the dryer? Had the young man previously done his wash and hung it out?
I’m just wondering whether he deliberately disregarded your feelings about the dryer or wasn’t aware he shouldn’t use it.
Anyway the incident is over and he, and his clean dry washing, have gone.
Enjoy your interesting house guests and your intriguing house. The perfect starting point for novel ...