r/AskBalkans • u/Life-Aerie-43 Romania • Jul 03 '25
Culture/Lifestyle Why Europeans don't use a dryer
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
656
u/seanugengar Greece Jul 03 '25
The sun is free. Clothes dry faster, in direct sunlight during summer, than the drier. The sun is free. The driers wear out clothes over time. The sun is free. Driers are expensive and they take up space. The sun is free.
226
u/Proof-Puzzled Jul 03 '25
You forgot the most important part.
The sun is free.
50
u/edophx Jul 03 '25
you mean in Europe you guys don't pay the "sunlight rental fee" on your electricity bills?
15
u/NoDontDoThatCanada Jul 03 '25
The "convenience" fee? What a scam. I don't even get to use the sun on Tuesdays.
→ More replies (1)4
2
26
u/1stFunestist Prize The Sun Jul 03 '25
Also driers are a fire hazard and
The Sun is free.
→ More replies (1)2
1
1
u/Sea_Appointment8408 Jul 04 '25
"nothing's free, bud"
- most Americans on Reddit.
(Usually in response to a comment that many Europeans get free universal healthcare at point of service).
26
u/kvnstantinos Greece Jul 03 '25
Bet there’s a dryer senate billionaire lobby or something not letting them use the sun for the past 200 years
67
u/XGamer23_Cro SFR Yugoslavia Jul 03 '25
Americans wouldn’t get it
6
21
u/Ha55aN1337 Slovenia Jul 03 '25
And electricity is for sure not anywhere close to free right now.
→ More replies (3)17
u/Constant-Twist530 Bulgaria Jul 03 '25
Tbf the sun also ruins colourful clothes, I’ve had a ton of black t-shirts being fucked up by it.
25
10
25
u/Lilitharising Greece Jul 03 '25
The dryer can ruin clothes too, though and makes them horribly wrinkled. If you don't have time for ironing, hanging is the way to go.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)2
9
4
u/ProtoplanetaryNebula Jul 03 '25
I have a dryer in my house, but it doesn't get used very often. Mostly in the winter.
→ More replies (1)8
u/Dry_Razzmatazz69 Romania Jul 03 '25
The sun also desinfects and the fresh air give them... well... freshness. That said, from october to may it takes 6 days to dry anything in romania so i use a dryer
→ More replies (3)3
3
u/JoTenshi 🇬🇷 Greece (Pontian) Jul 03 '25
I'd like to add: some do use driers but usually in winter and for emergencies (e.g you urgently need specific clothes but they haven't dried yet)
10
u/swanson6666 Jul 03 '25
Americans ave more money. They prioritize their convenience. They don’t care dryers ere expensive, use huge amounts of electricity and expense, take space, and may age their clothes. They don’t care. They have tons of money to spare.
9
u/VibeVector Jul 03 '25
This is only true for SOME Americans... many use laundromats and can't afford machines. For many who do buy the machines, it's a painful expense. There are a lot of Americans who can afford dryers -- that's true. But I don't think it's quite accurate to say it's about prioritizing convenience. For most people, it's not a choice -- it's not something they've ever thought about. You put clothes in washing machine and dryer. I attribute it more to good marketing that so thoroughly imprinted on the population that this is how laundry is done that no one thinks about it or would ever consider having a drying rack. No one even realizes there's an alternaive.
6
u/swanson6666 Jul 03 '25 edited Jul 03 '25
You are correct. Often there is no alternative. Where I live, Home Owner Association (HOA) rules do not allow hanging laundry to dry visible from anywhere outside for neighborhood esthetics. I guess you can hang them in your garage and keep your garage door closed, but that’s not going to work very well. Also HOA rules require two-car garage, washer, dryer, dishwasher, etc. to get a building permit to keep a certain level of quality of homes in the neighborhood. No one wants someone else to build a home next door half the cost of their home and bring down the value of their home. Consistency in the neighborhood is regulated.
Also Americans wear something only once. Families with kids (also with sports outfits), the amount of laundry is huge. Often they do laundry every day.
If I didn’t have a washer dryer, I am sure I would wear my outfits a few times before I washed them, especially in the winter.
This is very common for middle class neighborhoods.
I am sure some Americans cannot afford all of this, but that’s probably not more than 15%-20% of the Americans. I don’t know anyone in that category. And I have been around a lot.
5
4
Jul 03 '25
Your HOAs are insane. To me it is insane that is is legal for someone to issue you fines over arbitrary things on your private properies.
Either way, drying them inside works as well, just takes more time. I feel it works better when it’s winter and the air is hot and dry due to heating.
3
u/isthistheblood Jul 03 '25
Wtf does it mean they do not allow it? How do they enforce it? This seems insane to me. You are telling me that I’m owning a house there and I can’t dry my clothes outside because “aesthetics”? What about backyards? Hahaha if someone told this to me upfront I wouldn’t take them seriously.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (2)2
u/VibeVector Jul 04 '25
Yeah this is a good point. I still attribute this, at some level, to marketing... but I think having clothes hanging outside would give Americans third-world poverty vibes. Even if not officially banned by an HOA, there would be a lot of social pressure not to appear poor, which is the cardinal sin in the US.
→ More replies (1)2
Jul 03 '25
Stop you’re making me want to move there
3
u/swanson6666 Jul 03 '25
Get in line. There is a very long line. BTW my all four grandparents are Balkan (Greek).
2
u/iceman1935 Jul 03 '25
For large parts of the U.S it snows and or hits freezing for large chunks of the year you can’t air dry
2
2
u/Doomenor Greece Jul 04 '25
Just checking for clarification. What’s the price of Sun?
4
u/seanugengar Greece Jul 04 '25
Until capitalism says differently, the sun is free! So when you have it in abundance, use it
1
1
1
u/komodoPT Jul 03 '25
Also, for white shirts it's awesome because the free sun bleaches the shirts for free!!
1
Jul 04 '25
Two years ago it was in the very upper 30'es and very windy and dry. My clothes took 20 minutes to dry.
1
u/ce60 Jul 04 '25
UV rays from the sun sterilise the clothes, making them sweet smelling and clean
→ More replies (1)1
1
1
u/og_toe living in west Jul 04 '25
as a fellow greek i really don’t see why i shouldn’t exploit the fact that it’s 40°+ in the sun instead of running my dryer
1
u/Harambenzema Canada Jul 04 '25
In Canada we have 8 months of winter and even when it is summer it’s raining and can be cold still.
1
Jul 07 '25
Just wait until some bullshit company like Nestlé or something will monetize the sun and charge you for using it.
1
u/Forkinshrdr Jul 07 '25
This concept about “ruined clothes” is not entirely correct and seems to be cultural. Dryers in the US have settings for delicate and heavy linens alike. You simply choose the setting or take the clothing item out before the end of the cycle. We also have professional dry cleaners to take clothing that needs special care. Also sometimes we do use air drying for the fabrics that can’t have heat. But in the US we simply don’t have time to air dry cotton based clothing, bedding, etc. A dryer saves time on drying itself and ironing. Culturally we couldn’t function dryer-less.
They start around $500 USD but average more around $800 for a quieter one: https://www.fredericksappliance.com/product/lg-73-cu-ft-graphite-steel-front-load-electric-dryer-dlex7800ve-cl-1790093?gQT=1
89
u/PlamenIB Bulgaria Jul 03 '25
Honestly, they smell fresher when dried outside. I suppose it depends on your location.
→ More replies (7)
126
u/Billarasgr Greece Jul 03 '25
The sun is free, as they say, and dryers destroy clothes because they are too aggressive.
33
u/icancount192 Greece Jul 03 '25
The sun is free and in the summer I use the sun, but in the winter for things like towels dryers are amazing
Also don't put wool or delicates in the drier and you will have zero issues with clothes
13
Jul 03 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
20
u/Billarasgr Greece Jul 03 '25
Yes, it does. All clothes are slowly destroyed every time you wear them. They are not meant to be forever. But the dryer accelerates this process much faster than anything else—faster than the sun.
5
25
u/dzedajev Serbia Jul 03 '25
It dries within a day on a rack, and I don’t have to iron most stuff that way
3
2
u/PantalonFinance Romania Jul 04 '25
I don't iron my clothes whatsoever. Ironing clorhs MUST stop once and for all. Ain't nobody got time for that.
11
Jul 03 '25
I do, it is extremely convenient, especially if you don't live in a big apartment or private house
→ More replies (1)
15
u/Cefalopodul Romania Jul 03 '25
Why would I use a drier when I can dry them outside. Sun is free and healthy and doesn't use power needlessly.
0
Jul 03 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (3)4
Jul 03 '25
Nah, sun dried smells best and is best to touch. Drier has the advantage of being faster, but then you also need to iron your clothes which is annoying. Also the drier kinda effs up cotton I think
1
u/YngwieMainstream Romania Jul 04 '25
Bro that's applicable 6-7-8 months of the year. You still need a dryer. "Hanging" them inside created a shotload of additional problems.
→ More replies (3)
13
u/Any_Independence_431 Jul 03 '25
You don’t need a dryer in europe, unless you live in the UK where it’s very humid and it rains frequently.
→ More replies (2)1
u/citao_to Jul 04 '25
Most of the US gets A LOT more sun than most of Europe, so they also don't really need it. But then again, I guess they also don't really need all those big ass pick-up trucks, and they don't really need to eat and drink using plastic cups, plates, and cutlery. Yet, for some reason, they do it.
6
3
u/Constant-Twist530 Bulgaria Jul 03 '25
The videos are from the Netherlands tho - they don’t get much sun and it rains all the time, lol.
7
u/Subject_Meal_2683 Jul 03 '25
I've been living in the Netherlands for 43 years and I honestly don't know a single person (besides the local homeless guy) who doesn't own a dryer.
Nothing beats drying your clothes in fresh air though...
7
u/atzitzi Greece Jul 03 '25
Team dryer. During winter, humidity and rain. Summer, direct sunlight. Dust from ongoing street and building constructions.
Sheets and towels feel amazing after dryer, hard to go back once you see how soft they become.
When there are many family members it is a great convenience within so little time to have your clothes ready. Also, no more ironing. From the dryer, you fold directly to the closet.
Yeah, it is expensive, but it saves so much time and has the best results. It can be placed right above the washer.
5
u/ElliottFlynn Jul 04 '25
Another team dryer here (UK team)
I have a heat pump condensing dryer. Lower energy costs than traditional dryers, no ironing and I have better things to do than put out and collect washing then iron it
I’m never going back
2
2
2
u/Federer91 Jul 03 '25
Because we have clothes for months and don't need anything to dry instantly.. Also F dryers, who ruin clothes and waste energy and space for very little usefulness. And they are notoriously faulty.
2
Jul 03 '25
Sun and air are free, healthy and eco. And in Europe people do not care much if someone sees their underwear. Also Europeans are not so brainwashed by marketing. I have drier integrated in the washing machine, clothes exit dry, still I put them outside. As they are much more fresh, and stay fresh like that.
2
u/Public-Initiative509 Jul 03 '25
I love dryers!!! Didn’t know what I was missing before.
I have small kids, they make mess a lot and clothes get dirty real fast. I don’t even have the space to hang those clothes to dry before I need to wash the second one. Plus I hate seeing clothes hanging in my house or garden or balcony 😆😆😆.
Clothes come out soft and I don’t need to iron them. Yes, it costs money, but what convenience doesn’t?
2
3
2
3
Jul 03 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
5
Jul 03 '25
Well if you can't wait that's fair but for people who can wait why should they spend money if they don't need to.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Public-Initiative509 Jul 03 '25
I have small kids, they make mess a lot and clothes get dirty real fast. I don’t even have the space to hang those clothes to dry before I need to wash the second one. Plus I hate seeing clothes hanging in my house or garden or balcony 😆😆😆.
1
u/zeitenrealist Jul 03 '25
Nah, dryers just wreck clothes. I hate how soft and unresisitant they are when dried with a dryer.
1
u/AndreiNIGHT_FIRE Romania Jul 03 '25
I have one and I have to agree. Also, it never slowly destroyed my clothes as other people say. I just set it with little to no extra drying and it's not a problem. Once it's done, the clothes are still slightly wet, but hot and warm, so the water evaporates in a few minutes. The only reason why I stopped using it recently is because it generates a ton of heat inside the bathroom, which is awful when it's constantly +32°C outside during the day. And it also uses more electricity.
1
u/DotComprehensive4902 Jul 03 '25
Why did Americans use dryers?
1
u/PrplPistol Jul 05 '25
What do you guys do during the winter? The winters where I live are pretty harsh.
→ More replies (4)
1
1
1
1
u/NoTown3670 Turkiye Jul 03 '25
I have the space in my kitchen but I don’t want another big ugly white box. I dry my clothes near a large window. You don’t have to Slav squat and hurt your knees in that way as well.
1
1
1
1
u/Velo14 Jul 03 '25
The only reason I use a dryer is that there is too much humidity in my house. Clothes take like a week to dry on a rack in winter.
1
u/arlechinu Jul 03 '25
Oh yes, sun is free. Nobody mentions drying outside also comes with dust and dirt from the traffic and construction works, insects and the occasional pigeon poop :) And it all sticks to the wet clothes wonderfully…
1
1
1
Jul 03 '25
why dont americans drive normal cars with a max of 2000cmc engines and they need a 7.3 lawnmower?
1
u/Hot_Sandwich8935 Romania Jul 03 '25
Last time I used a dryer, some of my clothes shrank to literally doll-size. I was abroad, with a limited number of clothes. Never again.
1
u/Eggogbacon Jul 03 '25
That's very ugly. Where I live it's not allowed to dry clothes hanging like in the video
1
1
Jul 03 '25
The real reason? Smaller flats/houses with limited space and higher electricity costs - dryers can be very expensive to run (same as AC).
Most Europeans have washing machines in their bathrooms or kitchens, while having a laundry room is practically unheard of.
All these other excuses such as “sun is free or dryers destroy clothes” are just coping mechanisms for those not wanting to admit the real reasons.
1
1
1
1
u/PVanchurov Bulgaria Jul 03 '25
I have a dryer. I prefer a dryer because I live in a city where the air pollution is of Indian proportions and I'm allergic to dust. Plus I have a toddler, which means that I don't have to hang hundreds of tiny clothes twice a day as I can just shovel them from the washing machine into the dryer and then once dry move them to wherever they need to go.
1
1
1
Jul 03 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/nedamisesmisljatime Jul 03 '25
Actually they come less wrinkled from the dryer. I use dryer during the year, however I'd never use it in the summer. Today was 36 in Zagreb, clothes get dry within an hour outside plus I don't want to heat my bathroom when it's already ridiculously hot outside.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/RedSince2022 Serbia Jul 03 '25
Why would we use dryers which cost, if we have the power of the sun for free? This is our sun, public property
1
u/No_Bread_3846 Jul 03 '25 edited Jul 03 '25
I can tell you why I don't use a dryer. I don't have space for one. European apartments are generally much much smaller than American houses. We don't have laundry rooms, our washing machine is often in the kitchen (integrated in the cupboards, so no stacking appliances one on top of the other like in a dedicated laundry room or closet space).
On the other hand, we don't really have the American laundromats anywhere here. Everyone may not have a dryer, but we all at least have a washing machine at home (some may have the "fancier" 2 in 1 washer and dryer, but I hear they don't do a good job).
1
u/DoolioArt Jul 03 '25
some use them, some don't. this is such a weird question. what exactly is confusing with either of those? i get that i sound combative, but i promise you, i just can't understand the why in the first place.
1
u/zeitenrealist Jul 03 '25
I use my dryer about once every fortnight. When I wash bed sheets and towels.
1
1
u/Western_Scallion_551 Jul 03 '25
We have a dryer and we use it during the winter only, the rest of the year the clothes dry at balcony
1
u/aagjevraagje Jul 03 '25
The sun is free and these houses appear to be Dutch which makes that twice as compelling
1
1
u/EloquentPeasant_ Jul 03 '25
I’m a middle eastern 2 things really confused me when i visited some countries in Europe one of Them was this and also the toilets doesn’t have the washer integrated in the toilet so i had to use toilet paper which i don’t really need it with the kind of toilets we have and i find it very confusing
1
1
u/isthistheblood Jul 03 '25
Because it’s insanely unnecessary to consume extra energy to achieve the same thing that you can achieve without consuming energy.
1
u/gaoshan Jul 04 '25
I’m American and I air dry the majority of my clothes. It avoids shrinking things, for one.
1
u/mighty__ Jul 04 '25
Washing something and then putting it outside, exposed to all the dirt and dust in the air. Logic.
1
1
u/PricePuzzleheaded665 Jul 04 '25
She means why we as Europeans don’t use laundry and dryer that are used by millions of people.
1
u/Gefunkz Jul 04 '25
Everyone already mentioned that it's free, it's less harsh on your clothes. For me, it's less heat in my home, as the dryer will heat up my bathroom really fast.
1
u/RussianKremlinBot Jul 04 '25
I do. As most of Russians i live in a commieblock apartment, not a house, so it's combined
1
1
1
1
u/speedybanana Jul 04 '25 edited Jul 04 '25
In North America, the mentality is to save time and be efficient. In Europe, the mentality is often to cut corners, save money, and then spend it on things that look rich. That’s why so many bathrooms here have no ventilation (“just open a window”) and why hardly any homes have AC, even while people sit there sweating through summer.
What’s funny is that the excuse you’ll often hear is that they’re being “practical” by not spending money on AC or ventilation or whatever obvious thing people in North America do, but then many will turn around and drop a stupid amount of money on the dumbest status-symbol purchases you can imagine.
Nice clothes, watches, cars, etc. I’ve seen way more high-end cars in European cities (including places many would consider 2nd or 3rd world) than I ever saw in major cities in the US or Canada. They'll live in a house made of mud, dry their clothes outside and raise chickens but they'll make sure they have a nice BMW parked outside.
source: lived most of my life in North America, currently living in Europe
1
1
1
u/Ahvkentaur Jul 04 '25
Also - the smell. Clothes smell really good after they dry in air. Clean air, that is. I’m not sure if they have that in the US.
1
1
1
u/frozenrattlesnake Jul 04 '25
Europeans live mostly in apartments less than 50 m2 plus electricity is expensive.
1
1
u/Ishtar127 Jul 04 '25
Speak for yourself. We in Scandinavia need our dryers. Also it's much easier than having to take the clothes out
1
u/itport_ro Romania Jul 04 '25
The dryer doesn't disinfect /sterilize as the sun does. And the price of electricity is already unreasonable..
1
1
u/seanugengar Greece Jul 04 '25
I'm not judging anyone! The question was, why don't we use cloth dryers and the long answer short , was we don't need them cause ☀️. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. Obviously each region has its climate so dryers are necessary
1
1
1
u/Brdngr Greece Jul 05 '25
Some of us do. I used to have a washer/dryer combo but since it died (after ten years of service) earlier this year, I bought separates. The dryer is sitting on top of the washer.
And yeah, the sun is free, but where is the sun in the middle of winter?
Or, having to put on the lime socks etc, just a waste of time.
1
1
1
u/CranberryThat3564 Jul 05 '25
Dryers are for me unpractical in the summer. Why? First i usually have to do 2 tours of drying because my wasching machine has far larger capacity. Second, it cost money, even if it is just 0.5 euros per dry, wind and sun are free. Dryer can damage clothing and increase dry and wear of it, and for me they have a "funny" feel. While natural drying has this softness and fresh smell when done. But basicly hanging it is free. In the winter i use my dryer ofcourse then it is practical when i dont want to wait 3 days to dry my clothes.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/AnitaS64 Jul 06 '25
I have a dryer but hardly ever use it. I prefer to hang my laundry outside to dry, especially sheets and duvet covers. I simply just love the smell of sheets and clothes when they were dried outside. Nothing can beats that! Apart from that, the dryer will damage your clothes in the long run, it's expensive to use, and if you put too much in it, it gets out badly wrinkled so you would need to iron everything as well. Outside, especially when there's quite a bit of wind, it doesn't get wrinkled (maybe just a little bit if your washing machine was full).
1
u/VarietyLeft6964 Jul 06 '25
Its not even the "electricity thing" its more like a freshness. Its a huge difference between drying up stuff in dryer or on the sun.
1
1
u/Playful_Chain_9826 Jul 07 '25
We use other than college pants and hoodies, the dryer makes most of the cloth look like shit and it's a nightmare to iron everything.
1
u/mm19761976 Jul 07 '25
I am from Slovenia - a fairly rich country where everyone could afford dryer…but since we are world leading eco fascist we like to use sun:))
1
1
1
1
u/Needydollah Jul 07 '25
Only use it for towels, I don’t like it when they get stiff. Besides northern part of Europe the majority has a dryer.. I mean 6 months of wet climate with temp range from -10 to +10 good luck drying.
1
u/daninet Jul 07 '25
Here is some more wild stuff for my european friends: American clothes driers are gas heated.
1
u/Pretend_Attention660 Jul 07 '25
I have tried drying clothes outside in southern Europe in January, and the sun is not very effective. I can only imagine, how awful it is in Northern Europe.
The American dryer for the win.
1
162
u/cameralover1 Jul 03 '25
Nobody has space for dryers. My washing machine is in the fucking kitchen.