Gransnet forums

Chat

Advice please on washer dryers.

(72 Posts)
Nandalot Fri 09-Sep-16 14:56:12

Does anyone have one of these and would you recommend them?
My daughter's washing machine needs a repair. The house she has moved to has no room for a dryer. Her old dryer is currently languishing in the detached garage. It has not been used since she moved in a) because to remove it we had to cut the condensation hose off and b) it is one of the ones that has been recalled and there is a 6 month waiting list for the safety adjustment.
When the washing machine is working, if the weather is bad, you will see me carrying big blue bags from that Swedish furniture store full of wet washing 9 doors down to my house to dry. She has some space in her house for radiator drying but not a lot and no room for an airer.
Are these washer dryers really so bad at drying?

durhamjen Sat 10-Sep-16 15:39:53

You've said it there exactly, path20.
It's there when needed.

harrysgran Sat 10-Sep-16 18:41:33

I bought one about 6 months ago I thought it might be handy as living in a small bungalow I was fed up of clothes hanging on radiators causing damp I wouldn't say I use it all the time but iit does come in handy when I'm in rush it has a 1 hour wash n dry cycle and a 32 minute wash cycle that I often use then use the dryer .

Spangles1963 Sat 10-Sep-16 23:52:10

I agree with Lona. I bought a heated clothes airer just over 2 years ago,and think it's brilliant. It is cheap to run,folds down easily,and is very effective. I bought it from a Groupon offer,for £30. Was meant to be £50,so I consider it a real bargain.

Tina21 Sun 11-Sep-16 08:19:21

I am a fan of condenser washer/driers. They have a small footprint in a small modern home.
The thing to remember is NOT to overload them for drying. But that is true of all dryers.
If you do a full load wash you will not be able to dry it all at once.

Retrolady Mon 14-Nov-16 10:50:51

I've just bought a new Zanussi Washer-Dryer and, so far, it's great. It is noticeable that the cycles are very long though, but that seems to be the case with any machine nowadays.
I had another Zanussi W/D before, which I'd had for fifteen years and I loved it. I had an extra guarantee thing, but I only ever used it for things which wear out, like the drive band (whatever one of those is) or the door seal. I only replaced it because the insurance was going up so much, due to its age and lack of availability of parts, that a couple of years premiums paid for this new one. Also it was so old, the casing was beginning to rust, but it is kept in an unheated utility room.
The other thing with both my Zanussis is that the tumble dryer load is the same capacity as the washer, which others don't seem to have.
One, slightly unrelated point, do others feel 'new appliance fear'? I was dreading the arrival of this new one, being so familiar with the other one. So many new buttons (touch screen - OMG!) and things to understand ... so far, so good though. smile

rubylady Tue 15-Nov-16 05:14:32

I use mine but then there is only me now so no problems at all. I found a quick wash the other day and then a shorter dry so in all my washing was done quite fast for a washer/dryer. I love mine and wouldn't be without it.

BlueBelle Tue 15-Nov-16 06:45:52

Whenever you read of a fire it seems to be a washer/tumbler it's not something I d want

whitewave Tue 15-Nov-16 07:03:48

I've had one for years. Selective in what I dry and never use a full wash/dry cycle. Always wash then select drying time manually.
So eg yesterday put sheets through hottest wash then dried for 45 mins. Damp enough for ironing.
I don't have room for separate machines

Pigglywiggly Tue 15-Nov-16 07:17:32

I have a Whirlpool washer/dryer, nearly 9 years old. The wash cycle is very long, as is the dryer cycle. It only has a 1200 spin
It doesn't have a reverse tumble at the end of the drying cycle so clothes come out creased if you don't get them out quickly.
I mainly dry towels in it and rely on a heated airer to speed up drying.
All in all I am not a fan.

Pigglywiggly Tue 15-Nov-16 07:24:15

Bluebell Can you point me to statistics on washer/dryer fires?

Witzend Tue 15-Nov-16 07:41:11

I bought a Lakeland heated airer for dds one winter when they were in a house with no TD, no room for one, and not even any radiators to drape things on (warm air heating)

They found it fantastic and several years on, one dd, now with 2 babies under 2, uses it all the time. It can fold away flat and even when fully open does not use a huge footprint. You can open it just halfway, which takes up even less floor space.

I well remember one dd telling me, soon after they got it, that even jeans would dry overnight.

Nelliemoser Tue 15-Nov-16 12:42:16

I have not had one, but my concern is that it is more to go wrong in one machine. If one part goes you have to replace the lot. However many of us do not really have a choice. It's between space and our budget.

Nelliemoser Tue 15-Nov-16 12:46:27

Ooops I meant to say stacking these items might be a better option if you have the room, but then you might lose work top space.

Pigglywiggly Tue 15-Nov-16 12:52:23

Nellie the dryer part of mine did go wrong but I could still use the washing cycle.

Nelliemoser Tue 15-Nov-16 15:41:37

Pigglywiggly True I know what you mean, but if you really do need a washer dryer you are rather missing out on the benefits you paid for in the first place.

Now living in a house after the children have flown I always have washing hanging space in a spare room.

punkaj007 Mon 22-Jul-19 16:25:10

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Bordersgirl57 Mon 22-Jul-19 19:33:32

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BlueBelle Mon 22-Jul-19 21:31:45

I don’t know about Lakeland airier dryer thingies but I bought one from Easylife and it went back it was totally useless it only dried the clothes on the bit that was touching the rod, the rest didn’t do anything but stay wet
Did your daughter leave the drier on all night then witzend ? You say her jeans dried overnight

Witzend Mon 22-Jul-19 22:44:37

We put one in a flat we rent out, and touch wood it's still fine after over 6 years.

An alternative (cheaper both to buy and run) could be a heater airer, e.g. from Lakeland. I bought one for a dd - she'd 'inherited' an old washing machine with her first house, there was no room for a dryer as well, and she couldn't afford to replace the WM.

The heated airer was and is brilliant. It takes up very little floor space (can fold down to half) and dries even jeans overnight.
Several years later, with 2 very little ones now, she uses it just about every day.

GabriellaG54 Tue 23-Jul-19 15:36:13

Stacking units.
Buy a new tumble dryer and stack it atop the w/m.

NanaMacGeek Tue 23-Jul-19 23:35:00

I have an integrated AEG washer/dryer. It works well. There is plenty of flexibility in the programmes and the length of the drying cycle can be incremented by 10 minutes at a time. Clothes in the dryer tumble in both directions to reduce creasing and there are different settings for cotton and synthetic garments. Towels come out soft and fluffy if I put them in the dryer.

It all seems quite simple, I don't have a 'wash day', just put clothes on for a wash when there is a reasonable load. I may use the dryer, put some clothes on an airer or hang them on the line outside depending on weather, required 'finish' or how tired I feel. I like having the choice. I don't iron anything!

My DIL was impressed when the family stayed recently and baby's wet bedding, dribbled-soaked clothes and any fabric which his grubby toddler sibling came into contact with, was washed, dried and ready for action again within a few hours!