Tumble dryer

[MummyKP]

Sorry for the random thread, but I would love some answers. Have you got a tumble dryer? I'm a little concerned as we don't have one, and don't really have the room for it atm, but I'm worried that with all the baby washing I will be doing I would be better off getting one & finding somewhere to put it. If you don't have one, how did you find it with a baby & constantly having clothes out to dry? It's not an issue for us atm, but it might be a little different when there's a little one getting through a few outfits a day on a bad day! Are they a necessity in your eyes?

 

[Kirsty3051]

We have a tumble dryer but rarely use it for anything other than bedding. Drying his clothes throughout the summer was easy enough. I've ordered a couple more airers for indoors because it's getting cold out.

 

[love.peace]

For me it's a necessity. I'm far too busy to worry about laundry and putting it on clothes lines and bringing it all in etc. We use cloth nappies so they go on the airer but every thing else goes in the dryer. We are having our 4th baby though so have lots of laundry.

 

[2have4kids]

We have a dryer but often just plunk the wet stuff over the shower bar and bannister to dry. It takes 6 hours and then you collect it all up and put it away. No biggie. With a new born they're meant to only have a few wet diapers in a day so you'll have time to see how it goes before being thrown into the deep end.
If you find you absolutely must have one there are lower voltage dryers out there that can connect anywhere, they work just fine. We got one for our rental property as there was just no where to put it inside the suite so it stays in the veranda and warms it up when a load is on in the winter.

 

[broodymrs]

We don't have a tumble dryer but did have one on hol. Found it a waste of time tbh as there's so many things that can't be tumble dried. At home I dry outdoors on the line whenever possible and if it's cold or wet just use the airer indoors

 

[wildflower79]

I managed without a dryer until we had our lo, but really struggled in winter. I still hang washing out to dry in summer, but use my dryer a lot once winter sets in. I wouldn't want to be without it.

 

[bitethebullet]

I have a tumble dryer and find it a necessity- I'm not home long enough to hang out washing and make sure it comes in in bad weather. I'm in the north of England Too so the weather isn't reliable enough to line dry quite a lot of the time. I used to dry things on radiators when I was a student and didn't have a dryer but felt the whole flat got damp. My little girl is very messy and gets through a lot of clothes and my husband has a dirty job so there's always a lot of laundry. Our tumble dryer and washer just recently broke within a month of each other and I've invested in large load machines.

 

[littlesteph]

we got one about 6 months ago, we started fallen behind on the washing as it was taken 2 days for it to dry without one (in the winter) we live in a pretty cold flat when its winter so as soon as we managed to get the money for one we did. now the only time we fall behind with the washing is when i'm pretty ill.

 

[2have4kids]

Yes, it prob really depends on where you live. I'm near the Rockies in Canada and it's BONE dry here. In the winter we have a main humidifier as well as mini-room humidifiers just to prevent chronic nose bleeds and super dry skin. It's always warm enough to dry inside as we have forced air heating but if it were damp and cold where you live that might be a problem.

 

[LittleLala]

I have really relied on my tumble dryer since Albie has been born. It's not just his outfits, it's the sheets, blankets, everything that ends up with spit and vomit on it.
But I'm sure if I didn't have it, I would make do and do more frequent washing in smaller loads. When there's a will there's a way.

 

[LittleLala]

With a new born they're meant to only have a few wet diapers in a day so you'll have time to see how it goes before being thrown into the deep end.

We were told at the hospital it would be 1 dirty happy day 1, 2 day 2, 3 day 3 and 4 day 4. So for the hospital, I only packed 15 nappies because I thought that would be plenty.
Well, the 15 nappies only lasted a day and a half, and DH had to make a mad rush to the store to buy a packet. Just a heads up! Haha

 

[m nonie]

I've got one in the shed, that I've been trying to get wired in for 18 months. When DS was born I could not have done without it, we lived on a Scottish island with no central heating (or heating bar a electric fire). I've manage to keep on top of washing buy now with two wee ones in the north east of England I'm gonna make sure it gets back .

 

[CertainTurton]

We have one which I use in the winter. I don't tend to dey it completely but just take the edge off so it dries quicker inside. I don't use it if its nice weather. My friend really recommends a heated airer too so may look into that. If you can afford it I would get one! Ps not sure about the small amount of wet nappies in newborns. ..I certainly didn't find that!

 

[MindUtopia]

Personally, I would say they aren't a necessity, though if you have the money and space (it sounds like you don't though), they are nice to have, but definitely not necessary. We don't have a tumble dryer, and have done fine for 2.5 years just drying things outside (in the summer) or inside on drying racks next to the radiator (in the winter). It does take a bit more advance planning, but usually most things dry within 12-24 hours, so it's fine. You just have to think ahead. More than likely, you won't be short on most things and most of us tend to buy more in the way of clothes than we really need, plus you'll be given some. I've never run into a day when I've not had what I needed because things didn't dry in time. The only thing I would say is that if you are considering doing cloth nappies, you might want to invest in the tumble dryer. It's the only thing that put me off using cloth, because I didn't realistically think I could wash and dry nappies plus clothes/towels/bedding/etc. in the space that we had, using only the drying racks. Otherwise, it's been totally fine and I haven't missed not having one (I also did have a tumble dryer my whole life up until 4 years ago just before we had our daughter, but even then, don't feel like I miss it).

 

[Eleanor ace]

We don't have one and its never been a problem. I have a 4 load airer though and space to dry a couple more loads if needed (but in my utility room which stays pretty cold so would take about 4 days for clothes to dry, as opposed to 2 days upstairs).
Oh and with the nappy thing, I've always found that they need more nappy changes when they're little- we are generally advised to plan for 10 changes a day at the start.

 

[Twag]

We got one when we had our son and I wouldn't be without it now with us both working full time we do not have time to do the washing during the week so it is all done at the weekends if it is nice weather then great it can go out on the line but in the UK that is few & far between so tumble is a godsend!

Newborn you are looking at 10 nappies a day easily as they get older it gets less my son is now about 4/5 a day (depending on how many #2's he does )

 

[Babybump87]

We have a tumble dryer its currently in our spare room as our kitchen is tiny!. Ive never used it for baby clothes . Although now its getting colder they seem to take a lifetime to dry on the maiden ! .

 

[Ava10]

I LOVE my dryer! Clothes and towels are soft and done in about an hour. And in the winter, we add a redirect filter which directs the warm air back into the house- saves a bit on the heat.

 

[2have4kids]

With a new born they're meant to only have a few wet diapers in a day so you'll have time to see how it goes before being thrown into the deep end.

We were told at the hospital it would be 1 dirty happy day 1, 2 day 2, 3 day 3 and 4 day 4. So for the hospital, I only packed 15 nappies because I thought that would be plenty.
Well, the 15 nappies only lasted a day and a half, and DH had to make a mad rush to the store to buy a packet. Just a heads up! Haha

OK just bought some organic compostables ready for everything!

 

[MummyKP]

It seems some people can't live without them and some can! I think I'm going to see how it goes. This is our first, I'm sure if it was our second we would no doubt have one due to so many more clothes needing washing & drying, but with just the one for now I'm going to see how it goes. Our house can get very warm, & when I put my clothes on the drying rack they seem to dry by the night if I wash them in the morning. The biggest pain is towels, but they don't normally take any longer than 2 days and that's without the radiators on, so with the radiators on in the winter it'll be fine. I've got 3 drying racks too so should see us through. Thanks everyone