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

No intention of making anyone feel guilty- but interesting that this was published today

''A single tumble dryer could be responsible for releasing 120m micro plastic fibres into the air each year, a study has found''

food for thought. They have their uses, but the energy consumption is also massive.

We had a tumble drye when we had two children in nappies ( only 17 months apart) but when it gave up the ghost we got a pulley line. We now have a dehumidifier under the line and that works well in winter.

My take on it is that without things which make life easier, one is more likely to need a holiday, to escape the drudgery.
Holiday- plane, driving, consumerism....
Better to have a dryer.

No tumble drier, never have had, I dry clothes on airers when I can't get them on the line. Used the big laundrette tumbledriers on occasion, they are lovely but never got on with domestic-scale ones, seem to take forever.Don't use microwave much but I would replace it if it broke, and would be desperate without my dishwasher (only 3 of us but we seem to produce a cafe-worth of dirty crocks)

I love the tumble dryer but use it very sparingly - never when the washing will dry outside. We still have an airing cupboard so use that for many items.
The microwave makes a bowl of the lightest, fluffiest 'steamed' sponge pudding in four minutes (brilliant when the kids were at home and permanently ravenous). I also use it for scrambled eggs, jacket potatoes, defrosting meat, pepping up half-cold coffee and warming the teapot! Best of all, it keeps the Sunday roast's jug of gravy piping hot whilst I dish up.

I do have a tumble dryer but could not exist without my pulley.
It in the utility room and I dry everything on it from jumpers to duvet covers.
Unless you really do not have the space I can’t think of a better “dryer”.

I keep my tumble dryer in the garage, that way I only use it as a last resort.
I struggle to understand people that just put everything from the washer straight to the dryer.
God gave us sun and wind to dry our clothes for free!

The issue these days is that many are not allowed to dry washing outside if they live in flats or have covenants banning it. Many homes also no longer have airing cupboards.

jml812

The issue these days is that many are not allowed to dry washing outside if they live in flats or have covenants banning it. Many homes also no longer have airing cupboards.

jml812 good point. This ‘no washing hanging outside’ seems to be becoming more prevalent. We were told not to put things over radiators because it made the central heating work harder, So when saving on electricity, it simply added to your heating bill.
I’m keen on drying things outside whenever possible. It’s good exercise bending down and stretching up to peg the things out, and they smell nice when they come in. With only two of us at home, on our frequent wet days, most washing gets hung on hangers over upstairs door frames and dries there. I’m not anti- tumblers. I had one when the children were younger and we had no central heating and a lot of washing. It’s still there and working, but I really only use it to fluff up towels now.
I use my microwave a lot; for rewarming pre-prepared meals, cooking porridge, scrambled eggs and other things. Its major use is for cooking vegetables. No using fuel to boil water to cook the vegetables, just put them in the microwave steamer for between three and five minutes and they’re done-healthy and economic.

I've never had a dryer as I have always considered it a waste of energy and even more so just now. In summer everything goes outside but in winter I put things on hangers and hang them on the shower rail or put things over the radiators. I don't bother much putting them outside in winter unless it's a very nice day as it just ends up as one more process to do. Bed linen goes on a drying rack in the spare room.

I do own a microwave but use it rarely, mostly to reheat things. My sister in the USA does almost all of her cooking in hers but I can't think that things taste great. Nothing like a good old fashioned pan on the stove where you can look after the food and get the best flavour out of it.

Only two of us, I dry clothes on an airer in the back room. I don't have an oven I use a combi microwave.

Sloegin

We had a tumble drye when we had two children in nappies ( only 17 months apart) but when it gave up the ghost we got a pulley line. We now have a dehumidifier under the line and that works well in winter.

Out of curiosity, where do you have your pulley line and where do you store the humidifier when not using it?

Double size sheets and duvet covers must be awkward to dry on an airer or on radiators, I live in a bungalow so no banister to hang them over.

I don’t have a utility room so no where to have a line and the only place to use a dehumidifier and clothes aired would be in a spare bedroom, not something I would want out all the time.

I think I’ll stick to my tumble dryer, neatly housed in my kitchen next to my washing machine and clothes put away an hour after being washed.

I’ve never had a tumble dryer. I hang the clothes on an airer and run a low energy dehumidifier in front of them - the clothes are dry in next to no time. It’s amazing how much water is collected. Wouldn’t be without a microwave nor a dishwasher for that matter.

In answer Teacherannes comment above our dehumidifier is quite small (no where the size of a tumble dryer and not that heavy) it has a handle on top and can be moved easily so storage isn’t a problem.

When we had work clothes, drying outside or in the bathroom, followed by 5 mins in a tumble drier and a good shake got most of the wrinkles out. A good way to avoid ironing. Since retirement, don't need to look smart and put the tumble drier in the garage where it isn't used except in dire emergency - can't remember last time. Not good for the environmernt. However, as we are temporarily in a flat with no garden, I do have an excellent extractor fan in the bathroom to avoid consensation, so that helps with the washing as well. Yes, use the microwave to warm milk and defrost my little dogs dinners if I forget to take them out of the freezer. Could live comfortably without either.

I lived on a new estate until a year ago and was amazed that I was the only person who used a washing line in the garden. Most of the estate was young families apart from us. I thought that it was eco friendly not to use a tumble dryer but the youngsters don’t seem to care. When I can’t use the line outside I have one over the bath and use an airier, put clothes on hangers on curtain rails
As for microwaves, I’ve been without one for a few months and only miss it for heating up dinners.

Microwave can be useful but tumble drier never: far too expensive to run with electricity costs. We use bathroom radiators and the staircase ballustrade. No mould problems.

I hang my washing on an old fashioned airer that is fixed to the ceiling to dry clothes in winter. It is near my multifuel burner....dries in no time. Not had a microwave in 15 years. Do love my airfryer though ?

I've had a microwave for over 20 years and use it for cooking rice, veg and porridge plus the usual reheating of stuff. I've had a tumble dryer for even longer and like another poster use it to 'finish off' washing rather than drying straight from the washing machine as it does save ironing. I prefer line dried laundry but sometimes it's just not possible.
We've had a dishwasher for over 30 years and it gets full enough to run through most days.

I have never possessed a tumble dryer, too expensive to run. I hang my clothes outside for many months of a year using a rotary drier and when it is raining, on a clothes horse in my kitchen. It can take longer when the weather is warmer and no heating is needed but it is wet outside.

I could not live without my microwave or dishwasher.

Never had a tumble dryer and haven’t space for one. I use a Lakeland heated airer

We replaced an old tumble dryer which I found had stopped working after several years of not using it, after DH had major surgery, and his bedding and towels needed washing and drying daily. Was amazed how much better the new condenser dryer was, clothes come out beautifully dry and increased, and water gets tipped from a tank down the sink.
Having said that, now only use it if the weather really too bad to dry bedlinen outside, like now with snow coming and going, otherwise all drying of clothes gets done on the Drysoon dryer from Lakeland which Casdon mentioned, uses very little electricity and dries overnight on Economy 7. Room does get steamed up though. DH says the dehumidifier drinks electricity….
Combination microwave gets used all the time, cooked deboned Turkey in it for Christmas lunch a couple of years ago when we were between cookers. And in use daily for porridge, heating up drinks, reheating and defrosting freezer meals and softening butter for cooking.
I remember my DM reheating a roast dinner on a plate over a pan of hot water with a saucepan lid over it when DF was working late, all dried up around the edges. Sometimes we don’t appreciate how labour saving modern devices can be.

Oofy ?? I remember dinners reheated that way too. Sometimes the gravy had formed an almost impenetrable skin which you had to pierce to get at your food!

Haven't had a tumble dryer in decades. In winter, I use the heated towel rail in the bathroom, having spun the clothes again after the washing cycle is complete.
Never had a dishwasher, but I couldn't live without my microwave (cook, eat one third, freeze two more meals) or a washing machine.
(I use the local launderette for washing and drying very big things a couple of times a year)

For the first 45 years of our marriage I did not have a dryer, then we moved into town and now live in a typical australian queenslander house where the living area is on the second floor. As I have bad knees and the stairs are difficult my husband decided to build a laundry upstairs for me and install a dryer. Its lovely but I sometimes miss the smell of sun dried clothes. As for the microwave, its just a box to defrost things, I dont cook in it.