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

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.

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.

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?

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!

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 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.

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.

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 !!!

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.

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?

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

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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 use a Lakeland heated clothes horse in the winter, it can be used for everything unlike a tumble dryer, and it’s much cheaper to run, about the cost of a light bulb. It can fit three loads on, and warms up the room it’s in so I’ve switched off the radiator. I wouldn’t be without it.

Well, am coming on in defence of both machines. When I lived in a house, did have a tumble dryer in utility room but used rarely - in summer the whirlygig in the garden, and in winter an airer in utility room. Now I live in a flat, use the my heatpump tumble dryer with every wash. Wonderful machine, reasonably economic to run. Means that a load of washing is done, dried and put away within a few hours. Nothing hanging around anywhere in the flat.

Microwaves I have had for so very many years. My current one replaces a big oven as it is a combi-microwave. More economic for me to run that a normal large oven. Do everything in it, from cooking my porridge in the morning, through baking cakes, making my bread, and cooking my fresh salmon, or chicken, etc for my evening meal.

Thank goodness we have moved on from a large pot held over an open fire, or even a coal fired range being on all the time. I love modern kitchen items.

Although there is just me.....I still have a narrow dishwasher, and use this just for when I have company for a meal - or to give my glassware a wash through every so often - it comes up so sparkling.

Also love my toaster, and (or me) my electric egg boiler and my hot water gadget -although when I get my kitchen refitted, I will change that out for one of those boiling water taps.

I've had a tumble dryer for all my adult life but, when I moved house 3 years ago, I had to make a choice between that or a dishwasher. I chose the dishwasher. Best decision ever. Washing is now either dried out in the garden or on an airer in the rear porch; never on radiators. Dishwasher is very economical on both water and energy usage and used twice a week.

We have a tumble dryer but only because it was given to us by my brother in law when he was clearing his parents house out.
I use it as little as possible as I much prefer hanging washing outside to dry.
Before I had the dryer, I used an airer to dry clothes on and we also have a covered area where we can dry things. How my mum managed to get clothes dry for 2 adults and four children always amazed me - but then I don't think that we wore things just the once and chucked them in the laundry basket like we do now!
Wouldn't be without my microwave - from heating soup etc to cooking veg, jacket potatoes and ready meals, it's in use just about every day.

I've owned both for years, but remember a time when everyone had a microwave and we didn't, A tiler doing some work in the house handed me some vile looking Gingsters shite pie thing with a " 'ere bung that in the microwave for me luv" to which I replied, "I'm afraid I don't have one" choking on his brew and then recovering his composure, he said something along the lines of "what no microwave!!! 'ow d'ya manage?" "Surprisingly well" was my reply. Since having one, I've never found it vitally important anyway., if I had to, could easily do without it.

To be honest MaizieD, I have never wanted a tumble dryer or a dish washer, not for the eco friendly reasons, but because when I've had them, I haven't used them/disliked them.

Now I'm pleased I don't need them because they're unnecessary energy gobblers. But that is a bi product of my real reasoning.

I don't have a microwave either, because the last one broke. I DO miss that, but not enough to replace it.

I've had the same one for years now but is not used very often, only for taking out creases as washing has always been hung outside.

Even the microwave doesn't get used to capacity, but it's there !

Maizie dishwashers are more ecologically sound that washing up by hand.