Got the replacement delivered today - not a fancy, large-capacity front-loader or an agitator-less, high efficiency toploader. Nope. Instead, the most basic, knobs and buttons, old-style, use-a-barrel-of-water washing machine. Bessie's grand-daughter if you will.
I may be 'old school', but I just feel like successfully washing clothes requires water... and more, means better cleaning. Having clothes swish around in a thimbleful of H2O just can't (at least in my engineering mind) fully flush the taint from a set of work overalls. Although in my older age, I must admit that there are fewer pairs of those in my hamper.
So here she is --- another Whirlpool. I honestly don't expect to get as many years out of this machine as the last. I don't know all the details of construction, but I do believe that "they don't make them like they used to". Probably little plastic linkages hanging out in the transmission versus the old direct-drive, solid gearing of Bessie.
If we can get through a few years with her, then perhaps the washer technology will improve to the point where we will feel comfortable moving out of the laundry Ice Age. I am really thinking that being able to load your clothes and have them wash AND dry in a single machine is the way to go... moving laundry from one machine to the next is for the birds!
1 comment:
I hear you about the more water cleaning clothes. And, although there are, believe it or not, single unit, combination washer dryers on the market already, they are for people living in 400 square foot NYC maid's quarters; I don't think they're refined to the point of being something suburban families can consider yet (especially since we have another load of wash going while the last load dries).
I have had a front load, water sipping unit for about 5 years now, and, although I would never get a front load again for at least a half dozen practical reasons (I'd only get the top load, water sippers from here forward), I do like that it saves water (aka liquid gold; at least my local water authority seems to think so based on our bills--lol).
Do my clothes stink when they come out? Well, let's just say the entire family stinks equally, so, like a skunk, we become accustomed to our own stench.
The drying, must confess, takes about half as long with the water sipping washer. I can get back to not worrying about emptying the dryer and get on with watching the Miley Cyrus video marathon with my iPad on the throne much more quickly -- all thanks to the water sipping washer to start the process.
Nothing beats the old washtub and rippled aluminum board, though. Now if I could just find a slave to run it.
Party on!
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