Tumble dryer or hang out washing?

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
I have had a tumble dryer for decades - I wouldn't dream of hanging out washing. How do you cope in winter? I do use mine very economically, finishing off damp smalls and towels on radiators.

Yet I have friends who have washing lines and wouldn't ever consider a tumble dryer.

What do you prefer?
 

Sydney's climate is excellent for hanging washing on the line so never had a tumble dryer..

I have a very sturdy rotary clothesline, 57 years old, that is excellent in dry, hot and windy weather. When it looks like rain, I use a retractable set of lines under cover of the awning that we use for outdoor entertaining.
 
RadishRose said:
Can no longer hang laundry outside to dry, as per my condo community rules. So I either use the dryer or hang items on an aluminum drying rack.
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Same here. I have a wooden rack to hang delicates or a dowel rack for hanging clothes straight from the dryer.

Even if permitted, I wouldn’t hang my clothes out. It’s a trek from the basement to the back of the house. I appreciate that we have this rule. One owner had to be reminded of the rule when they were using a highly visible patio to hang very large ladies underwear out.
 
Old Salt said:
My wife used both. Our clothes and linen always went on a line on sunny days! You can't beat the smell of sun dried clothing, sheets and pillow cases when they come in from a day in the sun! I wish I could bottle that smell. I know some companies try to imitate, but it's not the same!
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I do agree it's the healthiest. I remember that lovely fresh smell of laundry outside when my mother used to hang everything out.
I remember the stiff shirts in winter! It was so funny, frozen clothes.
 
It depends... Scotland has rain more often than not. However, we've items that aren't for tumble dryers, they've to be hung outside. However, last batch was stuck online for 4 solid days as the morning we were going to bring it in, it rained and rained and well you get the idea lol!

Yesterday, finally got everything in. So, call those the flukes days 💦💦💦. We try as much as possible to hang outside. Hubby and I had gone out on 27 April last year and we'd bought a new 12 feet retractable line. He died suddenly in the 30th, the day he wanted to install it.

Got neighbours to help with the drilling, phew! So, as much as we like the dryer, it's expensive to run, so I'd say, we hung out the washing more often than not.

PS memories of frozen solid bed sheets hanging in the line on a sunny winter's day. By the time we rushed to get it inside a snowstorm had happened. Trying to fold it to put it in basket from last floor of flat building and the crunching of ice resounding in my ears... oh dear!!!
 
I use my dryer 99% of the time... I have a large garden, so I have a telescopic rope that I pull out diagonally across the garden between to tree trunks..
I always use the washing line to dry anything too big for the dryer..like Rugs.. or pillows and duvets... and often I'll hang out my trainers... but not always because they dry well in the dryer too
 
I have an apartment sized electric dryer in my kitchen. It holds a good bit, despite the label "apartment sized". We have two clothes lines in our complex but I wouldn't hang my clothes on them. One reason is that when I had a car and parked it in the lot, sometimes I'd notice a lot of dust on it, even after recently being washed. I figured if that dust was on my car, it could probably blow over into one of the clothes line areas, which is very close to the lot.

Another reason I prefer using the dryer is because most of what I put in the dryer doesn't need ironing when hung up immediately, which is what I do. The clothes are also softer. I hate hard clothes. I remember having to bring in the clothes my mother had hung out when I was young. The clothes were hard, stiff and very wrinkled. No thanks.
 
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Always a dryer. No equipment here to hang out laundry also, it's cleaner, safer and less strenuous.
My mom was a big proponent of outdoor drying, but birds would poop on it, then she'd have to wash some things over again.
 
I don't hang clothes outside because I don't want pollen all over them. I dry sheets and towels in my dryer. Some very delicate things and sweaters never go in the dryer. Leggings, jeans, and less delicate things are spun very briefly in the dryer to get the wrinkles out and then hung on hangers or the drying rack. I set the rack up on my landing; that's where the ceiling fan is, so they dry quickly.
 
Rose65 said:
I have had a tumble dryer for decades - I wouldn't dream of hanging out washing. How do you cope in winter? I do use mine very economically, finishing off damp smalls and towels on radiators.

Yet I have friends who have washing lines and wouldn't ever consider a tumble dryer.

What do you prefer?
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Living in a hot country and able to get clothes dry within a few hours I think there is nothing better than washing flapping in the breeze. It always smells fresh. I did have a clothes dryer many years ago but seldom used it, only when the rain continued for a few days.
 
Due to my severe allergies and asthma I never hang anything outside although now in a condo I couldn’t if I wanted to. I have a drying rack for my clothes that can’t go in the dryer.
 
I will use my dryer for most things.
But, I'll use my rack for my jeans, t-shirts and other things that I don't want to shrink.
 

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