Cost of laundry and dry-cleaning

The Laundry Maid one looks really cool!  Now that's something I could live with! 
I book marked that one for future reference.

~Liza

They have those 'laundry maid' things in a lot of Glasgow tenement flats... they just call them 'pulleys'.
My MIL has one, and because she has high ceilings and it's very warm up there, the clothes dry very quickly.  The problem with her one, though, is that it's in the kitchen... so the clothes always smell of cooked cabbage.  UGH!!!   Putting one in the bathroom is a better idea!

My my DH came over from England to live, he was a bit home sick.  We saw an "apartment" washer in the papers and I is basically a European front load washer that's been wired up to work on US power.  It's tiny compared to the extra large washers I'd used up till then.  We dry everything on racks, but that's to save electricity.  No dryer means we can turn the air conditioner down an extra degree (we're in Houston).  I feel for you ladies,  if I skip one day of laundry, it gets so out of control.   

They have those 'laundry maid' things in a lot of Glasgow tenement flats... they just call them 'pulleys'.
My MIL has one, and because she has high ceilings and it's very warm up there, the clothes dry very quickly.  The problem with her one, though, is that it's in the kitchen... so the clothes always smell of cooked cabbage.  UGH!!!   Putting one in the bathroom is a better idea!

Yes, the food smell is a common problem if you have them in the kitchen! Ours goes across the bath and sink; we haven't got particularly high ceilings, but anything like shirts on hangars goes over the bath. In the some parts of the north of England they call them 'maidens' - don't know why.

When we lived in an apartment, the washing was done in the kitchen (supplies kept under the sink).  It was a combo washer/dryer (which, may I say, are generally crap  ), which meant that there were usually clothes on all the radiators, over the balcony, and on drying racks in the guest bedroom  . 

OMG. How much do I hate combo washer/dryers? It dried the clothing the first 2 times we washed and then it's "self-cleaning " link function ceased to exist. Also not part of the warranty 

Now we have an old washer and an old dryer in our rented flat. It's basically the one thing I insist on in any of our new places. It comes even above a tub on the list!

OMG. How much do I hate combo washer/dryers? It dried the clothing the first 2 times we washed and then it's "self-cleaning " link function ceased to exist. Also not part of the warranty 

I kind of like mine!! Granted, I only use it in the winter, but it does a pretty good job. Besides which, there's no room in my house for two machines!! The first time I ever saw a combo washer/dryer was in the US ... some friends with a small cramped condo bought an imported Italian one that cost them a bloody fortune! They were so proud of it and, I have to say, I was a bit jealous!

I kind of like mine!! Granted, I only use it in the winter, but it does a pretty good job. Besides which, there's no room in my house for two machines!! The first time I ever saw a combo washer/dryer was in the US ... some friends with a small cramped condo bought an imported Italian one that cost them a bloody fortune! They were so proud of it and, I have to say, I was a bit jealous!

Maybe I'm being a combo dryer snob  I love the idea in theory! Maybe it's just the exact model we had that has put me off them? We didn't have central heating in our flat and had 2 little electric oil heaters. I think it wouldn't have been so bad if I had a garden to hang clothing out in and my hubby wasn't so hayfevery. I've grown up with clotheslines to suppliment the dryer and just got so tired of radiator crispy/musty smelling not  so dry clothing.  Must just be my experience with them!

It's not just you, Jennydee!  I grew up in a furniture/appliance store and was taught the evils of the washer/dryer combo from an early age.  Like you, a washer AND dryer or room to but them both is absolutley number 1 on my list when looking for somewhere to live.  A bath, I could do without.  A garage, I could without.  A front garden, I could do without.  But I've gotta have my washer and dryer!

It's not just you, Jennydee!  I grew up in a furniture/appliance store and was taught the evils of the washer/dryer combo from an early age. 

I didnt realise they had them in the US...

My brit bf does the laundry and the ironing He irons better than me! I don't mind doing the laundry and will probably end up taking over when I finally move in (soon!). He has a water heater closet that he keeps the clothes dryer in and a spare large bathroom (we use the ensuite) to dry the rest. It'll just be us for a while - so it works. I want that laundrymaid/pulley system though - how cool is that?

I never thought twice about the dryers in america til I met him. My mom put stuff on the line when I was younger when it was summer, but I hated it b/c I had to go and get it and the bees were horrible. That scared me away from that! Now, I don't mind it at all especially if it saves money - I'm all about it!

I didnt realise they had them in the US...

Yep -- they're pretty similar to the ones I've seen here.  They were never big sellers, though, at least not in my area, which was surprising as we had a really large population of young single males.

This thread is making me feel faint... 

I think I will love many things about living in the UK, but having crap hanging all over the place to dry will NOT be one of them. Clutter literally makes me queasy. Now, a nice, neat drying rack like that Lakeland thing would be OK, but how do you keep toddlers from pulling stuff down? Also, I gather Gloucester is a rainy place... so, even if we have a garden or balcony, how can you really expect to dry things in the damp?

Is it really that hard to get clothes air dried? Do they not sell those washer/dryer sets where the dryer is above the washer? Are they hideously expensive? Is the cost of electricity all that awful?

Do you suppose I could just insist upon having a real washer and dryer, even if it means not having a car or something?

Do you suppose I could just insist upon having a real washer and dryer, even if it means not having a car or something?

It's really up to you. Personally, I never had a washer or a dryer in the states, so for me having wet clothes hanging to dry and being able to wash clothes whenever I want is better than having to lug everything to the laundromat once a week.

Oh - just wait - they will let you know allllllll about it.  hehehe
I crabbed too when I first found this site and heard about the whole "laundry thing", but I've promised everyone I would stop crabbing, so I have.      

I guess it's not that bad actually, but when we move there (about 3 years) I will do everything in my will to have a proper American dryer if at all possible. 

Ok, being quiet now... 


~Liza

how do you keep toddlers from pulling stuff down?

Cant you just tell them 'NO!'