On
Tuesday UPS delivered my washing machine I ordered last week from Home
Depot. The driver was amazed the box really had a washing machine
inside. It took twenty minutes to get it
out of the box and set it up for the first time plus peruse the instruction
booklet. Then I just had to run a load of laundry. It works fantastically! Just like a full size washing machine.
On
Wednesday I went to Target and purchased a compact all metal drying rack for
$21.99. For a brief moment I thought it
might be too expensive until I remembered how much an actual dryer cost and
that put it right in proper perspective.
Not to mention operating expenses.
I have purchased at least four wooden drying racks in my lifetime and I
didn't want another one. After awhile
they wobble and splinter. Who needs
that?
What I
love about this drying rack is that it is the right size to set in our bathtub
to dry clothes this winter and it folds neatly and compactly for storage. I can hang it on a hook or set it in the tub
with our laundry basket. While the
weather is warm I have it set up on our concrete slab.
Just hook it up to the sink and position the drain. |
In order
to keep up on our laundry I'll need to wash a load at least every other
day. I also have to wash early in the
morning or late evening because you can't run the washer and the AC at the same
time or you risk blowing a fuse or tripping the breaker.
It is a
pulsator style of washer, so no center agitator and it runs really
quietly. I was further impressed that
during the spin cycle it doesn't even shake the trailer. I thought for sure it would.
Just put in the soap and start adding water. Then toss in your clothes. |
This basket holds the perfect amount for a load in this washer. |
I can
use my homemade laundry detergent (1/2 a coffee scoop), no problem and a little
liquid fabric softener is added to the rinse cycle. It takes about thirty five minutes to run a
load of clothes and about five minutes to hang them up to dry. Pretty fast process, if you ask me.
Not
only do we use less soap and water to wash a load of clothes but the energy
guide says the average annual operating cost, using water heated in a gas hot
water heater, is a mere $14 per year. I
wash our dark clothes in cold water, which is pretty much the majority of our
laundry. Plus we don’t use a dryer so
I'm pretty happy about this.
Now we
no longer consume gasoline to drive twelve miles to the nearest
Laundromat. We will no longer need to
use their giant commercial washers and dryers.
Occasionally I will use a friends eco-friendly front loader to wash
blankets but I'll probably bring them home to dry after they are washed. Just another way we are minimizing our impact
on this earth.
Gratuitous kitty cat shot. She loves to watch the washer run. |
Congrats on your new washer...that must be exciting for you all. I admire all you do for yourself and daughters. I was a single mom for 17 years....one tough job. I use to roll my eyes when the married ladies at church would complain how hard they had it. HA! My wicked side would as sweetly as possible tell them about my week. I know it was wicked, but I just could not help getting things in perspective for them.
ReplyDeleteI pray God continues to bless you on this new journey of yours.
blessings, jill
I think what you are doing is great. Bear that in mind when I ask, where do you keep the washer when you are not using it?
ReplyDelete