We don't need no stinkin' dryer!

When we moved into our new house, we had to make some appliance decisions. It didn't come with a washer and/or dryer, so we got to do our own research and make purchases that were good for our lifestyle and the environment.

After reading lots of Consumer Report articles and online reviews, we chose to buy a Frigidaire Gallery series FTFB2940F washer. It was one of the best washers in our price range (under $700) and was highly water and energy efficient. The first few times we ran it, we went to go check on it multiple times to make sure it was still running because it was so quiet.

When we purchased the washer, we decided to have a short trial of life without a dryer. I, for one, felt confident that I didn't want or need a dryer in my life. I have studied abroad in Europe multiple times and, each time, witnessed how my roommates in Italy or my host family in France do not use and never need a dryer. I mean, millions of people the world over live just fine without dryers. Yet, when we told Ben's mom we weren't going to get a dryer, she was highly concerned. To so many suburban Americans, especially baby boomers, the thought of living without a household machine (even one that had become a staple just one generation ago) was nearly unfathomable.

Exacerbating many baby boomers' reservations about living sans dryer is their experience with washing machines. The majority of baby boomers still use top loading machines that produce clothing that is soaking wet at the end of the cycle. Today's front loaders, on the other hand, have excellent spin features at the end of the wash that leave your laundry all but dry. Just hanging your underwear for a couple of hours leaves it dry enough to wear. Thicker items like jeans only require over-night airing. Not a tragedy by a long shot.

Yes, your clothes do feel a little stiffer. But after one load, you won't notice it. At first, Ben was unhappy with the way his shirts were wrinkling after being washed. We experimented and quickly found that putting his wet shirts on hanger to dry, instead of using a drying rack, resulted in no–iron-needed clothing once again. To be honest, it is a little bit of a trick to figure out where you can air-dry a full load of sheets, but one drying rack and the shower rod perform just fine for us.

As you may have guessed, our short dryer-less trial quickly turned into a whole-hearted decision not to own a dryer. And I don't think we ever will.