# Do you use a tumble dryer after washing your clothes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 14, 2022, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804 "2022-01-14T19:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/61 "2022-01-16T19:32:21Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Love your trashcan! Funny you should mention that. šŸ˜‰ When I moved into this house nine years ago, I was getting some shelves and whatnot at The Container Store, and I saw that trashcan and just fell in love with it. It was a bit over $100, and I argued with myself about spending so much! I could get a perfectly good kitchen can for ~$25. And shouldnā€™t a trashcan be utilitarian and unobtrusiveā€“aluminum or white? Not look like a cartoon character? But I couldnā€™t stop loving it, so I got it anyway. I swear every time I look at it (which is many times per day), I just love it. Itā€™s like my little R-2-D-2. Thanks for noticing! I was going to find you a link at, but apparently TCS doesnā€™t carry it any more. Figures. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/62 "2022-01-16T20:18:49Z")
I think my middle name should be ā€œI notice all the teeny tiny details.ā€ šŸ˜€ Too bad itā€™s no longer availableā€¦itā€™d be a perfect item for my powder room. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/63 "2022-01-16T20:41:11Z")
Yes, an airing cupboard is a feature of older houses, but since most - or at least a lot - of us are still living in older houses, theyā€™re a common feature. (Thatā€™s a surprisingly difficult figure to look up, but basically itā€™s just not uncommon at all to live in a house built at least 50 years ago). Itā€™s literally a cupboard. It has no windows and isnā€™t large enough to walk into. I turned mine into a ā€œbutlerā€™s pantry,ā€ with a washing machine/tumble dryer combi, a mini fridge on top of it, a dryer rack on the door, and shelves above it all (itā€™s much smaller than that makes it sound). Iā€™m not entirely sure why clothes in there dry so well - assume itā€™s to do with the washing machine venting air - but they do. Otherwise I have a rack fitted to the hallway wall, above a radiator, plus racks on top of radiators, for times when drying outside isnā€™t possible. Combi washing machine/tumble dryers arenā€™t really supposed to be able to dry the same load they can wash - there just isnā€™t the space for air to circulate within the dryer, and it takes forever, and costs a lot to run. So I always take out jeans, jumpers/hoodies, blankets, towels, and bras, then tumble dry whatā€™s left. But 90% of the time actually I take it all out and hang it on those various drying places. The dryer is still handy to keep up with the laundry when it builds up. In the summer I donā€™t use the tumble dryer much at all. I think the UK and US are pretty different in their habits when it comes to laundry, though. I know apartments in the US are more likely to have their own washing machines these days, but in the UK thatā€™s a sign of extreme poverty - there will always be fittings for a washing machine in every apartment, so if someone doesnā€™t have one, itā€™s because they canā€™t afford the actual machine. OTOH, theyā€™re much smaller, theyā€™re front-loaders, and itā€™s less common to have a separate dryer, even in a house. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/64 "2022-01-16T22:59:32Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Too bad itā€™s no longer availableā€¦itā€™d be a perfect item for my powder room. The brand is Simplehuman. I just googled up a storm and [this is all I could find](http://www.mamas-spot.com/post/2012/11/07/One-Kings-Lane-Awesome-Deal-on-High-Quality-SimpleHuman-Trash-Cans-Kitchen-Essentials-And-More.aspx) (from nine years ago): ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/65 "2022-01-16T23:04:25Z")
Issue #1: I find that line-dried clothes seem stiff and scratchy. Issue #2: Line-dried clothes pick up smells from the environment when drying indoors (say during wintertime). Particularly the odors of cooking food. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/66 "2022-01-17T15:07:59Z")
My washer and dryer are in the basement. I use the dryer a lot in the winter (I live in Minnesota). I also have clotheslines strung up on the ceiling of the basement. I hang shrinkable and delicate items on them. Once it reaches 50 degrees, most of my laundry is hung outside. There is nothing like fresh laundry thatā€™s been hanging in the sun and breeze. Especially sheets. I even hang my bath towels outside. I love scratchy towels. They dry you off much better. The only thing that I dry in the dryer during the summer is kitchen towels/rags and socks/underwear. Itā€™s just too tedious to hang all of those small things out. If I had to use those little folding racks to dry my clothes, Iā€™d need 50 of them. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/67 "2022-01-17T16:53:38Z")
Also Minnesota, also have washer and dryer in the basement. I have a clothesrail down there that I do hang stuff on during the winter, but during the summer itā€™s too humid. I prefer to put my non-dryer clothes on hangers and hook them over the unused bedroom doorframe. Easier to then transfer to my closet. I used to have a clothesline out back, but squirrels and birds also really liked it, and I clotheslined myself more than once. Dryer is used for undergarments, socks, some gym wear, towels and sheets. Rugs and such go to the laundromat. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/68 "2022-01-17T17:40:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The brand is Simplehuman. Ha! Thatā€™s funny. My current trashcan is Simplehuman, and I thought long and hard before I bought it. Itā€™s not sexy, but little things like having a good kitchen trash can make a big difference in oneā€™s life. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/69 "2022-01-17T17:46:35Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Itā€™s not sexy, but little things like having a good kitchen trash can make a big difference in oneā€™s lifeā€¦ I absolutely believe that often-used, often-seen utilitarian items should be beautiful, if possible. Most of the Simplehuman trash cans available now areā€¦wellā€¦ boring. I wonder why they stopped making the cute one? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/70 "2022-01-17T17:52:54Z")
I donā€™t know why they donā€™t make it anymore. It _is_ cute as heck. My trash can now is a dark bronze color that I never found in any other brand. Our kitchen is small, so it has to be out in the open. It has to be biggish, because I donā€™t feel like walking my garbage to the trash chute multiple times a day. The bronze color is good camouflage with our Craftsman style kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/71 "2022-01-17T19:54:46Z")
My house is a Craftsman, too! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/72 "2022-01-18T05:07:03Z")
Well, mine is kind of a cheat. We renovated our townhouse in the Craftsman style. Obviously, I love it, and I already knew you had good taste! ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/73 "2022-01-18T22:49:49Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I canā€™t think of any good reasons I would ever want to give that up in an urban, civilized society, just like I donā€™t want to return to cooking all meals on an open fire, hauling water by hand, using an outhouse, lighting my house with candles, or traveling to the store on horseback. Totally agree. To me, the time saved is well worth the money. As one of nine kids, I canā€™t tell you how many times my mom would hang out laundry then have to round up whichever kids she could find to bring stuff in when the wind started blowing clothes all over the landscape or it would start to rain. > [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > My motherā€™s American dryer puts more wear and tear on the clothes. Same with my sister-in-lawā€™s dryer. I really notice the difference when I wash clothes when I visit them versus my home machines. All I can say is you are doing something wrong. Every dryer I have ever had has multiple settings for how you want you clothes dried. The one I have now must have 15 different settings to choose from. I have concert tees that Iā€™ve worn regularly for 25 or 30 years that are in great shape. I have jeans and whatever you call those pants that have all the pockets that I have dried for over 10 years that I still wear. And I dry all these in the harshest mode, meant for towels, stained work clothes etc. Is the scratchy thing people are talking about related to how stiff air dried clothes are? Because the stiffness is a big drawback to me. Nothing like getting a towel for your shower and pulling out one thatā€™s stiff as a board rather than nice and soft. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/74 "2022-01-20T15:04:50Z")
Even some of the clothes that get hung up go in the dryer for 10-15 mins as that takes the wrinkles & excess moisture out of them before they get hung up (on hangers hanging from the various bedroom/bathroom doorways) until theyā€™re dried & later hung away or folded & put away as appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/75 "2022-01-20T22:11:41Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > And I would say the opposite. My European heat-pump dryer doesnā€™t waste heat. So much so, that I barely crack the window when itā€™s drying. My clothes are dry and wrinkle-free, but barely warm.And it doesnā€™t wear out the clothes so fast. > > American dryers cook the clothing. My motherā€™s American dryer puts more wear and tear on the clothes. Same with my sister-in-lawā€™s dryer. I really notice the difference when I wash clothes when I visit them versus my home machines. There are probably pros and cons to both. Iā€™ve no doubt European dryers are more energy efficient. But those big American ones are just so much better at actually drying clothes. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/76 "2022-01-20T22:16:51Z")
Our Japanese-Irish household is about 50-50 line-dry and tumble-dry. In winter we hang clothes on an airer indoors; we also have an outdoor clothes line for when the weather is suitable. And some items go straight in the dryer. Iā€™m not really familiar with this problem of clothes being stiff and scratchy after air drying - it might be true but itā€™s just not something Iā€™ve ever noticed particularly. Could it be something to do with climate? Or certain fabrics? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/77 "2022-01-20T23:19:31Z")
I believe the water is has a big influence: the harder the water, the stiffer the towels. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/78 "2022-01-20T23:21:19Z")
That could explain it - we donā€™t have hard water here in this granite area. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/79 "2022-01-21T09:13:27Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > So much so, that I barely crack the window when itā€™s drying. I meant to ask this earlier. I donā€™t quite understand this part. Does your dryer not vent to the outside? Iā€™ve never see a dryer that caused so much heat you needed to crack a window. In fact, in the northern US, itā€™s fairly common for laundry rooms to not even have a window. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804/80 "2022-01-21T11:53:28Z")
My motherā€™s dryer (in the US) doesnā€™t vent to the outside and if it was in the living space rather than the basement , you would absolutely to open the window in summer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-tumble-dryer-after-washing-your-clothes/957804.md?page=5)