Radiator or tumble dryer?

OneSpike

We have vast quantities of washing (does anyone remember Dame Washalot from The Faraway Tree?) as we're a family of five and I don't like using disposable things so we have cloth napkins, cut up muslins instead of tissues, and other things that escape me just now! Anyway, as there is only so much space, I tumble tea towels/bed linen etc, but like pp will use the banister space for duvet covers or sheets. I also don't mind crispy towels but seem to be alone in the family on that one! Anything requiring ironing gets ironed straight out of the washing machine (ie wet) then hung up on the curtain rail over the radiator in the cloakroom (blooming vast room, waste of so much space so I do the ironing in there too!). Things I can hang but don't need ironing (eg fleeces, kids' school shirts, muddy waterproofs) get hung on hangers on a hang-away thingy, we have two, one from Freecycle and one we bought ages ago. Nathaniels' underwear and mine get put on the radiator in our room so it can come straight off and get put away (we have a rack on there too to maximise space), kids' underwear goes on a folding rack in that same bathroom as does any other clothes not already put elsewhere. We have a rack over the hall radiator too and I put thick things like jeans on that.

My god, I never knew I had so much to say about bloody laundry LOL!

bizzylizzy

We don't have a tumble drier and I don't really want one because I'm sure I would give in to the temptation and use it too much!

It's radiators for us but I have followed some advise from OS board and now hang tops/shirts etc on hangers in doorways (upstairs, so they're not in the way!). They are dry by the next day.

I hang sheets/duvet covers/towels over doors too. I also use one of those round peggy things for socks & underwear.

There are 4 of us, 3 adults & 1 teenager so lots of jeans, which take the longest to dry.

cathybird

I never use the tumble dryer if I can help it. If the radiators are on I might use them occasionally. Mostly I just hang my stuff up on a wooden clotheshorse to dry. I bought it from Habitat originally, I think - ages ago. Or over the banister. It usually dries by the end of the day.

iceicebaby

Radiators for me! use the heat to the maximum while they are on. I have got those over radiator airer thigies

I do use the tumble dryer in emergencies tho.

bride2be2006

OneSpike wrote:

We have vast quantities of washing (does anyone remember Dame Washalot from The Faraway Tree?) as we're a family of five and I don't like using disposable things so we have cloth napkins, cut up muslins instead of tissues, and other things that escape me just now! Anyway, as there is only so much space, I tumble tea towels/bed linen etc, but like pp will use the banister space for duvet covers or sheets. I also don't mind crispy towels but seem to be alone in the family on that one! Anything requiring ironing gets ironed straight out of the washing machine (ie wet) then hung up on the curtain rail over the radiator in the cloakroom (blooming vast room, waste of so much space so I do the ironing in there too!). Things I can hang but don't need ironing (eg fleeces, kids' school shirts, muddy waterproofs) get hung on hangers on a hang-away thingy, we have two, one from Freecycle and one we bought ages ago. Nathaniels' underwear and mine get put on the radiator in our room so it can come straight off and get put away (we have a rack on there too to maximise space), kids' underwear goes on a folding rack in that same bathroom as does any other clothes not already put elsewhere. We have a rack over the hall radiator too and I put thick things like jeans on that.

My god, I never knew I had so much to say about bloody laundry LOL!

Ooh I loved the faraway tree - moonface and silky and the slippery slip!!!

I tumble dry all our underwear (even though oh claims it shrinks his boxers!) and anything that wont shrink ie: cotton things or polyester but use an airer or the radiators for everything else, condensation is a big problem though and the chinese laundry effect does my head in!!

mickyme

We also hang sheets, duvets etc over doors. Most of the time everything is dried on the airer infront of a radiator(or as close to as possable).
But like most we dont like card board towels either, and jeans tend to dry the same.
So once the laundry is dry it all goes into the tumble dryer for 20minutes and then most of the things can just be put onto hangers and put away so it saves on the ironing load!!

lil_me

Yep doors are a good one but I only use the upstairs ones as we can't close the doors with them on, which lets the heat out. I dry in the bathroom mainly so I can open the window as always aware of the condensation, we have a little vent at the top of the bathroom window which helps with that, also going to invest in a new crystal damp catcher thing aswell, mine got broken during the summer.

Tumble driers can save on the ironing costs, especially my new one which has the crease release thing on it, but I also find hanging flat on hangers on the over door things like I posted before help with that also.

pusscat

Don't have a tumble dryer, I work from home so during the day in the winter I keep the heating off in the house (it's a new house so it's well insulated anyway) and just have a fan heater in my office that comes on once in a while to keep the temperature up.

I keep all the washing on foldup airers in my office and it is usually dry in 24 hours or so. Sheets go over the office bathroom door and shower door (or the bannisters when there are too many) and in the summmer I dry everything outside on the line or on the airers on the patio.

Never had a cardboard towel issue, don't put them on the radiators though...

Thank goodness most of my work is audio teleconferences, not video - otherwise I would have to keep my washing elsewhere

I did have a tumble dryer once - I thought it was useless, semed to cook, shrink or never dry properly, maybe I just could not use it properly?

heppy23

We've got two fold out drying rails.

With the baby there is always something to be washed and always something drying so they rarely get put away.

The way I look at it is that you are heating the house anyway and having clothes around drying is a bonus.

Haven't got room for a tumble dryer and wouldn't want one if I did.

My parents have got one and you are basically heating air which then gets blown outside.

LookingAhead

I don't use the tumble dryer unless it is a dire emergency and you don't get many of those really do you.

"Hello...hello..? Is that the laundry police? Come quickly I have a wet shirt and a damp dressing gown having a right set two in the kitchen!"

So 99% of my stuff goes out on the line and then finishes off on radiators this time of year. Even if the stuff has to stay out for a day, so be it.

Quite topical really, I have just put the duvert cover & pillow cases on....