Stackable washing machine and dryer units usually have the washer on the bottom and a dryer at the top. It necessitates users to physically move clothes from the washing machine to the dryer between the washing cycles. An all-in-one unit is a lot smaller, doing both laundering and drying out cycles within the same machine.

These combination appliances are great for areas where space is a premium. As both the washer and dryer are located within the single machine they require much less room than two machines sat side by side or stacked on top of each other.

Appliances come either as vented or ventless. With a vented machine the dryer exhaust outflow must be connected through the ceiling vent-hole already in-situ within the bathroom or laundry if that's where you intend to put your machine. A lot of kitchens also have vents to allow connection of your appliance.

Ventless condensing machines dry from within the drum itself and so the water that's pulled out from the clothes run out through the drum and out of the appliance via a pump into a collection tray which can be removed and emptied. The drying cycle takes a longer time than conventional drying machine with a vented appliance.

Items of clothing are normally loaded into the top of the appliance and is covered by a locking hinged lid. During the washing phase, the garments are drawn towards the centre of the drum and down into the machine. At the centre the clothes are further agitated with central paddles.

After the washing cycle has finished, the clothes can be removed, as normal and hung up to dry. If you prefer, you can set the machine to dry and it will usually go onto the drying cycle automatically after the wash has finished.

Dryers can cost anywhere from two hundred to fifteen hundred dollars depending on the size of the machine. Any clothing and additional garments do not need washing in one machine and then being transferred to another separate machine.

These appliances are very popular in commercial launderettes as the combo machine takes up the space of two machines which allows more machines to be installed in the business. It does take longer, anywhere from one to four hours to extract clean dry clothes. Using two separate machines does make the whole process quicker though.

It is worth remembering that an alternative to a combo appliance or a separate dryer is the good old conventional drying rack or clothes horse, which can be very effective and cost efficient. They can be quite easy to build also, and you can be quite imaginative in its design.

Drying out cabinets are a new addition to some laundry rooms. These allow clothes racks to be placed inside or clothes can be hung up inside. They are particularly good if you have clothes that cannot be placed inside a drying machine. The rack can be removed, folded and stored away for later use.