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

Our tumble dryer is used constantly in the winter months and throughout the summer for underwear. I wouldn’t like to see a plethora of knickers and boxer shorts either on my line or hanging around inside on view for all and sundry.

I have a tumble dryer bought 25 years ago. It sits in the garage, taking up space. I’ve used it a handful of times. Laundry generally goes out on washing line. In bad weather, I use radiators. Fancy one of those heated dryer racks though.
Bought a microwave for first time couple of years ago. Is basic but useful.

Barmyoldbat I agree, there is nothing to compare with the smell of clothes dried outside on a clothes line or whirligig.

My dishwasher costs nothing and never breaks down. It’s a Mr Barmey model and the only one I need.

I’ve got both and continue to use them. The tumble dryer is elderly but still works well to keep towels soft and do a finishing off for clothes dried on an wired in the winter. My microwave I use all the time. Todays its been used to make porridge, scrambled eggs, cook vegetables, reheat shepherds pie, heat soup. I really wouldn’t be without it.

I'm Canadian, in Canada. Before my mother had a dryer, she used to hang clothes outdoors of course. I remember her bringing in frozen solid items, - 30C in the winter in Winnipeg made outdoor drying a challenge. I'm 70 and have almost always had an access to a dryer.

Boyzone, I am baffled by why you wouldn't like to see underwear hanging round for all to see - most of us wear it in some form or another.

It reminds me of a friend's next door neighbour who asked her not to hang her underwear outside as it 'dusturbed' the neighbour's husband.

I have a very good combination air fryer microwave. Has reduced the cost of running my large oven, as I use it for all my cooking, and most baking, even bread. Have a washer dryer, which is very good, but use occasionally, yesterday, dried clothes outside and have also got an airer which is enough for me. Have been without both, but cost of using microwave compared to oven, have a smart meter, is worth having one.

Only had a tumble dryer this last few years and it is great in the winter but only used as a last resort, always try to dry outside if at all possible.

Microwave I gave recently to my mother as hers packed in and never replaced mine at all. Don't miss it one bit and have more room in the kitchen. Just have to be more organised to get things out of the freezer earlier.

What is wrong with underwear on a washing line or over a radiator. I mean it is clean underwear.

It reminds me of all those people who will never use a toilet outside their home, in case anyone hears anything. when they are in the toilet cubicle.

I dry outside whenever I can but humidity is a very great factor eg today would be reasonable for drying here, between approx 10 and 4 ie clothes will dry to a basic level, just needing to be aired inside afterwards or given a quick tumble. However there is only weak sun from 12 so eg flannel bedding won`t dry much but lightweight fabric will. Metoffice forcast gives humidity %age. Sunday appears to be a better day for drying but it isn`t, humidity is too high all day and the rest of next week is hopeless, so it is only today for outdoor drying or not at all. Reading humidity means that I plan my washing, often setting a finish time to get max usage out of the drying day

I deliberately bought a washing machine with a maximum spin speed of 16000, all the other machines were 14000 rpm. It is a large capacity machine but weighs the washing anyway, small loads in that machine cost much less in energy and water. I use the energy consumption chart, which is an eyeopener eg quick washing takes more energy than certain longer and more efficient washes

karmalady not being picky, but think you have added an extra O for your spinning speeds. 16OO rpm or 1400 rpm. . Cannot imagine what a 16000 revolution per minute speed would be like!!!!
When I was looking for a new washing machine, I wanted the 1600 rpm one - was astonished as to how few actually had this anymore. 1400 now seems to be the default speed. I did eventually get one, but do now wonder if it really makes that much difference to final drying times.

I didn't have a tumble dryer until I came back to the Uk. I like to dry my washing outside if possible.
I use my microwave often as I batch cook for the freezer and heat things up in it when I am feeling lazy and want an easy dinner.

Teacheranne

I’ve just looked up the energy used to run a tumble dryer for one cycle and the energy used to run a dehumidifier for ten hours - the time the web site said it took to thoroughly dry clothes. (assuming my maths is correct!)

Amazingly, it was almost the same!

Tumble dryer - 4.5 kWh

Dehumidifier - 0.46 kWh per hour ie 4.6 kWh for ten hours or overnight.

Obviously the costs are going to vary considerably based on different models as I think newer ones will be more energy efficient than older ones. I thought it was interesting to see how similar they are although I’m not sure if you need to run a humidifier for that long.

I’ve not worked out current costs based on kWh as I don’t think I really want to know! I physically cannot hang washing outside and do not have an ideal space to hang wet clothes indoors so will stick to my tumble dryer.

I’m not sure what type of humidifier you are comparing Teacheranne? There are two types - desiccant humidifiers and refrigerator coil technology humidifiers. The desiccant humidifiers use a lot more energy, and are lighter, I think they have a heater in them..
The refrigerator humidifiers are heavier but much more energy efficient. I have a low energy Meaco 12 litre refrigerator coil dehumidifier which is small and lightish and works well for me and haven’t noticed a rise in electricity bills.

We used to have a tumble dryer, came with a house we bought. I used it more in summer because Argyll is always humid so even when things had had a good blow outside they needed finishing off (15 minutes in the dryer) before they could be put away.

When the tumble dryer conked out we didn't replace it. Throughout the winter we dry stuff overnight on old-fashioned overhead airers. The residue heat in the house is all it takes.

Now we use them in summer too even though they are less efficient when there's no heating on. We manage.

When I had nappies to wash and dry every day I didn't have a tumble dryer, just one of those tower clothes horses. It lived beside a radiator. As a friend once said, she could tell when it was summer in Edinburgh because I put my clothes horse away. (Edinburgh's drier than Argyll and always windy).

We had a dryer when rhe children were young. 4 youngsters was ab awful lot of washing. Don't have anymore. Have GCH radiators. Also one of the heated indoor washing hangers from Laleland.

Microwave wise: haven't had one for years. Never bothered replacing the last one 6 years ago.

Don't use it. Didn't much when children at home. Other ways to cook and defrost etc. It just took up valuable space

My brother, the heating engineer, goes mad about me using radiators to dry clothes- causes lots of damp in older properties I don't know about newer properties.