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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.