# Why no washer/dryer in one?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 5, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371 "2004-04-05T15:34:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/1 "2004-04-05T15:34:46Z")
I’m sure the eggheads at GE have had to have tried to make one box that washes and dries your clothes. So where is this thing?
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### Author:  [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/2 "2004-04-05T15:40:04Z")
There were such things… and I believe there still is someone who makes them. The problem was they weren’t very good at either washing or drying, so keeping the two tasks separate produced better cleaning and drying.
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### Author:  [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/3 "2004-04-05T15:42:40Z")
There are loads available, have I missunderstood your question?
LG:
[http://us.lge.com/Product/prodlist.do?action=home&categoryId=030203](http://us.lge.com/Product/prodlist.do?action=home&categoryId=030203)
Other manafacturers have them too.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/4 "2004-04-05T15:45:51Z")
Other reasons why they aren’t always a good thing:
-Because they need extra parts inside to do the extra functions, load capacity is often reduced.
-When they go wrong, you are without a washer AND dryer.
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### Author:  [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/5 "2004-04-05T16:09:18Z")
Caixinth, I don’t recall where you’re frum but at least in most places in N. America, homes are large enough so there’s really not much incentive for a low-performing all-in-one device. And even as a Manhattanite I wouldn’t be very interested in one. If I want to do my laundry myself, there’s a downstairs laundry room with good, cheap, full-sized washers and dryers, and two laundromats nearby. And If I want my laundry done, the laudromats will fluff-n-fold for me for about $0.50/lb.
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### Author:  [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/6 "2004-04-05T16:16:27Z")
A [recent related thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=243666) .
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### Author:  [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/7 "2004-04-05T16:28:45Z")
[Washer/Dryers](http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Large_Appliances-All-Washing_Machines-Washer_Dryer)
This site lists several Washer/Dryer combo units, and has reviews for them.
It seems that the combo units cost at least as much as a standard washer/dryer pair (so no cost savings)
Drum volume tends to be smaller, so most loads would be needed to do the same amount to laundry.
Since it is all 1 unit, you have to wait through an entire wash AND dry cycle before you can start a second load, as opposed to moving a load from the washer to the dryer and then starting the next batch.
There are lots of comments about unreliability.
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### Author:  [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2004, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/8 "2004-04-06T05:08:55Z")
As posted above they are available - my parents recently bought one for their Condo. This is about the only place you would want one since space is limited.
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### Author:  [@Patr100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patr100)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/9 "2004-04-06T11:35:28Z")
You can get them everywhere quite easily in here in the UK, where sometimes space is more limited, but as mentioned they are an expeensive compromise and don’t wash or dry as well as the separates.
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### Author:  [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/10 "2004-04-06T15:40:52Z")
> [@Patr100](#):
>
> You can get them everywhere quite easily in here in the UK, where sometimes space is more limited, but as mentioned they are an expeensive compromise and don’t wash or dry as well as the separates.
Well mine seems to work just fine thanks! A straw poll of the office reveals the same - at least for those that have them.
In fact, my WAG is that most people don’t bother too much with dryers over here so if they do consider them then it’s an added benefit rather than a compromise.
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### Author:  [@YoudNeverGuess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoudNeverGuess)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/11 "2004-04-06T15:55:02Z")
Yeah - washer-dryers are common over here. Mainly people who live in apartments have them due to the space issue. I’d say most people have a dryer, and if given the choice they’d go for seperates, but mostly people hang their clothes out on a clothes line to dry - it’s very windy so as long as it doesn’t rain they dry quickly and the wind blows the creases out so you don’t need to iron them - woohoo! In my experience people only really use dryers when the weather is too bad to hang one’s clothes out - also more environmentally friendly.
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### Author:  [@Tokyo\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tokyo_Mann)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-washer-dryer-in-one/238371/12 "2004-04-06T15:55:57Z")
Here in Japan, space is very limited, and most people don’t have driers to begin with. The combo unit has done very well.