Wednesday, December 02, 2009

lovin' the front loader

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When we moved out of our old home, we left behind 2 of the appliances - the 5 year old top loading clothes washer, and the 30+ year old dryer (that just refuses to die!) We abandoned them for the sake of a long held dream: a more efficient front loader!

I like the idea of using a machine that uses less water, and that can reduce electricity consumption when drying be getting more water out during the spin cycle.

Saves money, and helps the environment. I don't know how long it will take for this set to pay for it self, if ever. I don't know that I could realistically figure that out, either. But, I think over time it will prove to be worthwhile investment.



I'm loving my Electrolux matching set. They were not the cheapest (nor most expensive) machines in the store. Honestly, I don't care if I could have gotten something cheaper. I did my research, looked for certain combination of features, and Jude was sold on this set as soon as he saw the LEDs that light up the interior of the baskets.



I've had them for about a month. The washer does great on cleaning things (including mud covered clothing from work). Who would have thought that so little water could do so much?

So far, it's been doing well with the cloth diapers. I'll admit I had some trepidation about getting a front loader. So many people have trouble with bad smells left in the diapers when they use front load washing machines. From what I've read, the cloth diaper/front loader honeymoon ends after about a month of use. So, I'm curious what the future holds for me.

My wash routine is actually simpler with the front loader. I run fewer cycles, so that means less babysitting the machine. It still takes me about 2 hours to get everything rinsed clean, but I'm switching to a different detergent that should hopefully reduce the cycle time. Still better than the 4-5 hours it would take at the old house with the other machine!



I've been keeping a record of my experimenting with my wash routine. Hopefully if I start encountering stink issues, I'll have some indication of what I could do in my specific situation to help things.

Yay for front loaders!

2 comments:

Melanie said...

i must admit - i have appliance envy!

Unknown said...

Hey Carrie,

I actually discovered your blog tonight through your cloth diaper post on the simple dollar blog. Your cost-benefit analysis was really eye-opening.

My wife and I are expecting our first child soon (My wife is in her 37th week), and I am very interested in exploring the cloth option (or at least experimenting with it at first)

In our case, I believe the financial benefits can be especially great, as my wife and I do hope to have more children down the road. (plus, there is a lot to be said for the enironmental & health perks as well)

The problem is, that I can not think of a single relative or friend of ours who has gone the cloth route before. Can you please provide us with, or refer us to a how-to guide?

I have never changed a diaper of any sort (obviously, that is about to change BIG TIME), and therefore am absolutely clueless about all aspects of this timeless daddy chore, including supplies, techniques, etc.

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