To Dry or Not To Dryer?

We are in the middle of a huge storm that has come across New Zealand.
We have had torrential rain for about the last 2 weeks on and off.

It is cold and very wet!

Ok we have had some spectacular lightening and thunder storms to go with it which have been amazing, house shaking amazing actually. Apparently we had 1500 bolts of lightening on one night, I am not actually sure if anyone in the Waikato was asleep at 3am that night, well with the exception of Alex!

Now I don't own a clothes dryer, never have!

In fact I was never bought up with one. Mum never had one, it wasn't the thing to have in England.

I have never had one the whole time I have lived in NZ either. Can't see the point, have a wonderful clothes line in the garden and a heater in the house that when clothes are placed on a rack and left over night they would be dry the next day.

When I rented accomodation when I first lived here, then yes there was a dryer, I did use it but only for sheets, towels and underware and this was only when I couldn't get them dry on the line.

In the last 2 weeks I have decided I am sick of wet washing.

I don't particularly need a dryer, but I can see the advantage of having a second hand one in the garage for those odd times. I know they are electricity eaters and that in these expensive times everyone is recommending that you get rid of your dryers, but like my mother, who has one in the garage but never uses it, it would be nice to know it is there in those desperate times.

I usually take the pile of wet towels and sheets to the local launderette to get them dry when the weather is really bad that I can't hang them outside. When we were in Auckland I could do this and it only cost $6.50 for the biggest load you have ever seen. Here in hamilton it is so expensive. One small washing basket load, which is probably 1/3 of the size I would have in Auckland, cost me $6 the other day and before that I got charged $10!

With Alex toilet training at the moment, which is going really well, then I am constantly having racks of wet washing in the garage which are not drying, the heater in the house is always drying the clothes in the evening and I am not enjoying it.

Add to this the fact that we are just about to install a heat pump in the house so the heater will dissappear and suddenly I am going to get over come with wet washing.

Now I don't want a brand new one, I am happy to go to Trade Me, auction website and purchase a second hand one, just something that will finish off the clothes if need be and also make it so my house no longer resembles a chinese laundry!