Anyone never owned a tumble dryer or microwave? - how do you manage?

Don’t have a tumble drier. Washing hung outside if at all possible, if not, use dehumidifier and airer. Finish off near radiators.

Microwave used for heating milk, soups, cooking veg, making custard, porridge. Saves heating milk in saucepan on stove.

Never had a dishwasher,no desire for one. The thought of packing and unpacking it puts me off. Now it’s just me and DH, don’t find washing up in sink a problem. Not bothered if a dishwasher uses less water, energy, whatever, can’t see it myself.

I used to dress my four DDs in M&S white cotton socks, all the same, although different sizes as I could never find that missing sock. When some socks were not completely dry, I popped them in the micro for a few seconds at a time, to dry off. However, I ever left them alone as I was aware that they could burst into flames.

I have a tumble dryer but haven’t used it for over twenty years because children have left home but I am always using the microwave for cooking food these days.

I don't have a tumble drier or microwave. No room for a drier and my microwave broke down and I still haven't replaced it.
I manage well without either.

Couldn’t /wouldn’t want to manage without a tumble dryer, our microwave is in the laundry/utility room and has only be used for warming up GC’s milk and meals.

I don't have a tumble dryer and don't want one, though it does make towels fluffy.
I use the microwave quite often, for reheating items, especially spare portions of meals I have cooked and frozen. A good joint of beef from the butcher makes four meals for the two of us, and is just as good when frozen slices are thawed and reheated in gravy. I also cook fish in the microwave, in a covered dish, with a dash of milk and a knob of butter. No cooking smells in the kitchen.

Well, I’m in the minority - never had a tumble drier, microwave or a dishwasher. Line dry clothes as much as possible - otherwise hang them on an airer. Couldn’t afford a dishwasher when we were younger, so used to not having one. Now there’s only two of us, so not too much washing up.

I've not got a tumble dryer, and it's like widow Twanky's laundry here.
If I had room, I would have one.

I managed to get through life and mountains of terry nappies without a drier despite my Dad offering to buy me one. I gave in post nappies. It’s great on wet days and for finishing off towels. I try not to use it too often as it’s almost an antique - 34 years and holding. DD3 never hangs washing out and her drier seems to be in constant use (££££ not to mention un/ green). Chalk & cheese. DD1 isn’t allowed a microwave. Her DH won’t have one in the house. I use mine most days. I could, more than likely, do without both but not without an oven, hob, fridge or washing machine. How times have changed in the last 50 years?

Never had a tumble drier and never wanted one. The washing dries outside or on a rack in the house. I wash once a week in summer and in winter when/if I think there is some chance of getting it dry outside. It just takes a bit of planning.

The microwave is used for the occasional bit of cooking and heating up the Christmas pudding, but also for defrosting. We've always had a dishwasher and I would hate to be without one. We only put it on when it is full, and don't do pans and serving dishes in it.

Tumble dryers only shrink clothes if you put them on a too high heat Having no central heating so no rads to hang things on I do use a tumble dryer
My Nan use to put her big old clothes horse full of clothes in front of the coal fire when she wasn’t sitting by it and always over night as the fire died down
I certainly didn’t have either a washing machine or tumble dryer or a microwave when I was bringing my babies and children up I didn’t even have a telephone either until they were almost teens how did we all manage !!!

We only use the tumble dryer in Winter for heavy things like towels. Other things get dried on an airer in a spare room (or bathroom if all bedrooms are occupied). We're lucky enough to have a garden for drying in the Summer.

Don't cook in the microwave except for part cooking baked potatoes if necessary. We only really use it for warming plates with the plate warmers we bought about 20 years ago. Could really live without it I suppose but it's built in.

I have both of these. The microwave gets a lot of use. It saves on washing up as you can heat up soup or custard for example in the bowl. I need a tumble dryer as my usually tolerant DH hates to see clothes drying around the house. I think it reminds him of his rather chaotic childhood with a large family in a small house. I do have a radiator airer in the spare room for jumpers.

I have a small tumble dryer which was my Mums, but use it only rarely. (I find washing creases badly in it). In dry, fine weather, the washing is dried outside, but I also have one of those heated airers which is invaluable on the damp or rainy days where washing just won’t dry outside.

I have a tumble dryer, microwave and dishwasher even though I live alone now. All three appliances are used regularly and I would replace them immediately if not working!

I don’t want damp washing lying around my house, it smells, looks untidy and creates damp. I only have a small washing line on the patio and even using that can be too much work if my arthritis is bad, standing up to peg things on can be beyond my energy levels. So I tend to wait a few weeks until I have enough to fill the washing machine and then transfer straight to the dryer. As hour later, it’s all dry and back in the wardrobe - I do have dozens of pairs of socks and knickers. Any5hing not suitable for the dryer gets hung on hangers in a very small airing cupboard. I do hang some things out on a sunny day if I have the energy and know that it will dry fully, no way will I put it out then bring it in and start draping around the house! Who wants to see my big girls knickers when they visit?

My dishwasher again only goes on when the machine is full, that depends on if I’ve been baking or not. I use a very hot wash with a drying time and my crockery is sparking clean. It takes less energy on my part to pop items in as they are used then unload them in one go than stand up at the sink and hand wash them, dry them and put away.

My microwave is used reasonably often, last night for instance I partially cooked a jacket potato in it then popped it in the oven to crisp up, the oven was on anyway to cook a pudding. I then reheated a chicken casserole I made on Sunday. Today I used it to cook some bacon on my microwave grill. My microwave if getting on a bit and I’ve begun to research these multi function ninja machines which sound interesting.

I have no intention of going back to the days of being a good little housewife and doing things when there are machines around that do a better job! Am I lazy? Who cares!

well, I have all three, sorry! Microwave just used for heating up coffee that has got cold/heating frozen peas, but does do very good scrambled eggs. Tumble drier used when needed as I loathe damp washing hanging about the place, don't have bannisters to hang bedding and towels over and don't even have traditional radiators to hold airers. My new one is rather good, has sensors and such, removes creases, I just use it for a short while, and then finish off on an airer in the utility room, this stops cotton items getting stiff and crisp, and really cuts down on ironing too. Dishwasher goes on when full, means the kitchen is cleaned up quickly, and I will always make space for one. the dishwasher uses less water than washing up a couple of times a day, and quite frankly, used sensibly, all of these appliances make my life a lot easier, so why wouldn't I use them?

Never had a tuble dryer
House 1 had warm air heating with a vent over the bath by the window. I had a tidydry strung across it, hung the washing up. opened the quarterlight window and turned the heating on. Washing was dry in three hours. This included nappies.

House 2 Victorian villa. Had a small utility room and tidy dry was strung up there.

House 3 had to dry washing over bath

House 4 big Victorian semi. In the kitchen /eating room, there was a big fireplace that had held a range and then housed the central heating boiler. It had a metal rack above it. I draped the washing over that and the warmth from the CH heating dried it.

House 5 (current abode). For the first 25 years I had a free standing drying rack in the large integral garage. Last year we built an extension, including a Utility room. I have a heated towel rail as radiatir, a rack over it and a ventilator immediately above that.

I've had a microwave for nearly 40 years. Only use it for reheating food and defrosting. I am a batch cooker, so always have a lot of home made readymeals in the freezerand the microwave defrosts and reheats them while I cook the veg.

I've never had a tumble dryer even though I used to wash and dry clothes for a family of 4. Now it's just me. In my previous house I had a really high, long line and would peg clothes out even if it was drizzling. My mother always said that clothes put out only for an hour, especially towels would always dry quicker and softer if put outside first, whatever the weather. I've known me put towels out in the rain and put them to spin again so that they would dry softer.
If the weather was really bad everything was put on hangers to dry overnight on the shower rail in the bathroom and then would be dry enough to go on the radiators.
Since I've retired I can chose what day to wash clothes and now it's just me so not a great deal of washing.
I've had a micowave for approx. 40 odd years and would not be without it. I cook food and portion it off to put in the freezer and then defrost when needed. Saves me a great deal of money, especially now when fuel prices are going to rise so dramatically.

Had both for decades ,usually left for work before 9am and if I'd hung out washing it was soaked through by the time I came home .Much simpler to wash and dry once .There are few days when it doesn't rain here in the West of Scotland and washing doesn't dry well in the cold damp winter either.
Microwave is used for defrosting my batched cooked frozen dinners ,much quicker than an oven and better than sitting them out in the kitchen.
I got rid of my dishwasher years ago,I LIKE washing dishes ,its good thinking time .I dont have many gadgets though ,no stand mixer or coffee machine or food processor.

Don't have a tumble dryer. In bad weather I put clothes on an airer in front of my dehumidifier which works brilliantly. Microwave for scrambled eggs, regeatong food, cooking some types of vegetables. Never owned a dishwasher.

I am a recent convert away from my tumble dryer to a dehumidifier. It's more economical and will dry everything quickly. I'll still tumble towels and large bedding items as I only have room for a small airer.
The microwave and dishwasher are well used as both are more economical than using the cooker and manual washing up.

I only use my microwave to re-heat my home made ready meals, maybe to soften butter when baking

Tumble dryer is a miele condensing so it uses minimum energy , depending on the load and no damp gets into the house, very useful at this time of year and everything is treated gently with no shrinkage

I agree with pittcity, a dehumidifier is a very good way to dry clothes without putting damp into the house, should be used in a closed room for that purpose

No way would I be without a tumble drier. I use the outside line in the summer but in the winter I couldn’t stand damp washing laying around and causing damp
The microwave is a combination with a normal oven and grill which is built in to the kitchen over a larger oven.
I batch cook and freeze a fair bit so often have an easy meal ready to heat in the microwave. Love my morning porridge made in it too.

In cold damp weather I drain and spin as a separate setting, and then I hang stuff over radiators, except when I have visitors.

I find the foot of the stairs is a good place to position a clothes horse, as there is an updraught there.

The only space I have for a clothes horse is right in the window of my living room, with my sofa facing it.
Not the best view.

I have a tumble dryer which is now 20 years old. I only use it when the weather is bad and I cannot get things dry. It does bring towels up nice and soft but clothes dried outside smell so much nicer.

I have never had a microwave. It does mean I have to plan in advance to take frozen meat out of the freezer. Once I used one in Florida and cooked 2 pieces of chicken at the time allowed for the whole packet - terrible smell of burnt chicken ?? I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t have one.