No one likes dealing with the hassle of traditional laundry days, the back and forth trips to the washer, having to carry armfuls of wet clothes from the washer to the dryer and then from the dryer back to the house. Washer dryers, also known as combination washers, are a godsend for anyone who dislikes these tasks.

Washer dryers, as the name suggests, are both a washer and a dryer combined into one appliance. They are larger than traditional washing machines and sit on the floor. Some washer dryers can both wash and dry in the same drum but the majority of them incorporate a separate wash and dry cycle.

The advantage of a washer dryer over the traditional washing and drying is that it saves time and effort. You don't have to dash back and forth between the laundry room and the house lugging heavy bundles of wet cloths. There's no need to transport laundry from the washer to the dryer and from the dryer back to the house - the appliance does all the hard work for you.

Washer dryers can also save energy. Since the machine does both the washing and the drying, your clothes are dried quicker than with a traditional dryer. This saves energy and money.

In addition to the energy savings, washer dryers can be more economical to maintain and service too. In the long run, you save money because there are fewer parts to maintain, less wear and tear and fewer repairs.

There are disadvantages, though, to owning a washer dryer. They tend to be more expensive than traditional washing machines, although prices are slowly coming down. You also have to be more careful with the load size - overwashing can damage the fabrics and produce excessive lint, which can be hard to keep clean.

Overall, however, washer dryers have a lot going for them. They're great for those who are short on time, who hate the time-consuming and tedious process of traditional laundry, or who care strongly about the environment. Washer dryers are an excellent alternative to the traditional washing-drying method and give homeowners one less chore to worry about.