Category: Daily Living
As most of you know, I live in my own place above the house. This has given me a wonderful opportunity to be independent, but there are still a few things that I don't have, two of them being a washer and dryer. So rather than going out of my house, into the main one and all the way down to the basement and then having to wait for Mom to wash the clothes (she has a digital machine and does it for the whole family), I've decided to get my own washer and dryer for the sake of convenience
While my home is fairly large, I can't afford, and have no room for, a normal-sized machine. Of course, I could always get a wash board but that's pushing it, even for me. I found a page on how to wash clothing using an electric wringer washer here.
http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2009/05/14/wringer-washer/
It sounds a bit time-consuming but doable. They actually sell one here.
115V Home Queen Wringer Washer with Stainless Tub
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Washing___115V_Home_Queen_Wringer_Washer_with_Stainless_Tub___32901100?Args=
But the price is way to expensive for me to even consider and I highly doubt this thing is small. Fortunately, they also sell a hand washer at a ridiculously cheap price that even I can afford without flinching.
Breathing Hand Washer
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Washing___Breathing_Hand_Washer___1138390?Args=
This one is completely manual and doesn't have a wringer. So I would need to buy one separately. As with the first machine, I thought that I would also need to buy a wash tub. But according to a video that I saw on Youtube, , you can empty it and then repeat the process with clean water. So now I'm not sure. Several sites recommend a double rinse tub when you do use them, and I still don't know why. Would one not be enough? It really does seem like an extra step. In any case, the above site has several different kinds of tubs, from galvanised double and single rinse ones to ultra-light plastic ones, which seem easier to assemble. But all are insanely expensive. So I need either to find a place that sells them cheaper or to use something else as a substitute. Still, it would really benefit me to get one, since I could use it for basketry, chair caning and broom making. Reed, cane and broom corn need to be wet in order to keep them pliable.
At any rate, I have two other options when it comes to a washer. They're the Wonder Washer and the Wonder Wash. While they sound similar in name, these are not the same at all, except that they're both extremely portable. The first can be found here
http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/wonder_washer.html
and at several other places. It's an electric gadget which sounds very easy to use. It takes longer to use than the Breathing Hand Washer, about 15 minutes, but you just throw the clothing in and go. I would've chosen this one automatically, but it has no rinse cycle and while it's nowhere near as expensive as the wringer washer, it's also not a cheap thing that I can just buy without serious consideration, especially because I'll also need to buy some kind of dryer and a tub.
Now for the Wonder Wash. It can be found at several sites, but this one offers an FAQ, reviews, Pictures and a video.
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/washing.htm
This is a hand-crank machine that claims to be able to wash five lbs. of clothing in a few minutes. According to the reporter in the video, it really works, though it's a bit of a workout on the body. The price tag is fairly low and I could just empty the water through a hose and refill it for a rinse cycle. But I think that I would still need a wringer so that the clothes aren't dripping wet when I take them out.
Regardless of which washer I choose, I still need a way to dry the clothes. My town is one of the stupid ones where line drying is against the law, and right now, it's winter. So I wouldn't be putting out to dry in any case. I could leave the wet clothing on chairs, which I'm not about to do, I could hang it or I could use a spin dryer. I've never used one of those but they say that it doesn't dry things as does an ordinary one.
Mini Countertop Spin Dryer
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/drying.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grNx1LIMUvw
The second link is a video of the machine in action. One of the things that I noticed, judging by what was said, is that the water actually comes out of the machine. So I would need some kind of container for the hose in order to keep the floor and counter from getting wet. On the first site, they say that it has a 2.2 lb. capacity for dry laundry, but I'm not sure what they mean by that. Can I put in 2.2 lb. of clothing when wet or can I put more, since clothing usually weighs more when wet than when dry? Also, how does this compare to using a wringer or a regular dryer with cold air instead of hot? This is another one of those not-so-expensive but not dirt cheap items and I don't want to make a mistake if there's a cheaper alternative.
The other option is to hang my clothing inside. Of course, this would take longer but it could still work if I'm only doing a few things and am not in a rush. I found a nice dryer at the first site.
Favorite Eight Arm Wall Clothes Dryer
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Drying___Favorite_Eight_Arm_Wall_Clothes_Dryer___65FCD?Args=
The only problem here is that it mounts on the wall and I don't want to put holes in the wall, nor do I wish to get it wet by accident. So if I go this route, I'll need to get one of the metal fold-away dryers that stand on their own.
What do you guys think? Have any of you used any of these products/methods and if so, what would you recommend and what should I avoid? Thanks.
Have you ever considered getting a stackable washer and dryer? These are made for small houses and apartments. They work the same way as a regular washer/dryer. There's also washers and dryers that you can get that attach to the faucet on your kitchen sink. I know these are really small. They're made to fit on a countertop.
I live in an apartment complex with coin-op laundry. Oh man, what I wouldn't do for my own washer and dryer. If I don't have dryer money, I'll hang stuff inside. I have a couple portable dry racks. Both fold up. Some clothes like sweaters and tees can stretch when wet, so beware. Some stuff is best dried flat. Dress shirts, pants and things that don't stretch do well. Braws should always be air dried, or at least with no heat in the dryer. Heat causes the elastic in braws to weaken. Even though a bra might feel tight after you take it out of the dryer, eventually, it will stretch. Hth.
I think I've seen the stackable kind but they were a few hundred dollars or more. For that money, I'd rather go down and give stuff to Mom. I haven't seen the ones that hook up to the faucet, nor do I know their price range. So I'll definitely look into them. Thanks for the idea of the dry racks. I'm guessing these are the stand-alone ones that I was considering? Thanks for the tips on how to dry things. So twith the ones that dry flat, is it a bad idea to hang them? If so, where should they be dried? I don't have much clothing that can't be washed regularly, especially the things that I usually wear, but I'll ask Mom. The same goes for things that shouldn't be put in a dryer. I don't wear bras, except the sports ones. We've always put those in the dryer without incident. *smile*
Well you asked so I'll give it to you straight:
I don't know anything about a wringer, except people my mother's generation (in the 1950s) used them, and it's really easy to break fingers, sprain a wrist and all sorts of things with those.
Ok back to reality:
You have several components to a washer and a dryer you must consider:
for the washer you need power (that's you if it's the crank kind, and that's going to be a lot of work),
you've got water intake and water out - the drain.
This is a lot, and I do mean a lot, of water, even for a small machine. Have you ever seen it when one would flood? Well probably not, you're too young. Back when devices were supposedly made better, the 1970s, the regulators would go out and you could get a whole laundry room full of water, smelly, soapy, water. Nice clean-up work there.
All this to say, there is a lot of water in these machines.
For the dryer, you need an external vent - a way to vent all that hot moist air outside.
So, what's it take?
You need power. Most standard machines run at 220/240 V - that's your stove type plug, and if you wnata know the difference between it and you standard 110 wall outlet, you'll get thrown clear across the room by a single jolt of it.
It is not your same plug, not in the least.
Why so much power? Mainly it's for the dryer: The heating element is really thick. Look inside your oven at the metal that's shaped like a figure 8 either on the ceiling or floor of the oven.Of course, when it's off, guess you gotta say that in this PC universe we live in.
A unit that plugs into a standard wall outlet - like your countertop model you're describing, has a much thinner element. Less volts going through it = needs less wire to create the resistance.
Problem? Yes, in fact there is. Elements die when they burn out, a part of them will burn through. Not so common on the standard ones, but on an element for a single wall outlet, that's going to burn out really quick: Maybe a couple years use?
So if you are going to do this, you need to consider these factors. Where is the water going to go? And where's it coming from? You'll need access to both hot and cold water.
When we put in the hookups for both the washer and dryer, in a house we bought, we had to pay an electrician to get the wiring done properly and a plumber to go under the crawlspace and install the correct intake / out piping. That and get the ventilation for the dryer. That's a serious amount of moisture.
I would hold suspect any countertop type unit, you probably couldn't put any sort of towels in there.
The stackable kinds do work, their major downfall is in the washer. The agitator tends to die after a couple years. That's the spindly part in the middle which goes back and forth to scrub the clothes.
Anyway hope some of this is informative and helps you make a decision that doesn't result in either a small burnt-out motor / element, or a kitchen / utility room floor flooded with several inches of water.
Thanks for all of your help and wonderful information. I'll need to be careful if I get a wringer, though I've read something about the ones today having some kind of mechanism/way to prevent fingers from getting caught. No, I've never seen a washer flood, but it sounds horrible and I really hope it doesn't happen..
The dryers that I was viewing don't use hot air, have built-in vents and use a normal electrical outlet, as you've acknowledge. Keeping that in mind, would the elements stilll burn out after a few years? As you know, I'm the type who likes to buy things to last. But this is one of those extremely few times when a few years just might do the trick.
As for where the water from the washer would go, I was thinking I'd have it poured into the kitchen sink. But if I use a wash tub, I'd probably need to pour it into the bath tub or a bucket. I've never seen a wash tub so don't know how heavy they are and if it would be feasible to put one in a small bathroom or not. I never wash my clothing in hot water but I will definitely need access to cold. Fortunately, my kitchen sink has a hose that should get the job done.
I could afford to spend $40 or even $60 and have something break much more than something that costs hundreds of dollars. I would be beyond angry if something broke after only a few years for that kind of money. So even though I wasn't planning on getting the stackable kind, thanks for the warning.
The water drains several times during a wash cycle. Your unit will no doubt have a valve for a hose to connect to, which would need to point to the drain, whichever you use.
If your dryer doesn't use hot air, there's no element. A heating element uses electrical resistance to create the heat for the hot air. Still, in smaller units the motor is going to be smaller, so the load you give it will have to be smaller. That means a lot of smaller loads, and will mean more water usage in the long run.
Washtub? That sounds like something from a 3rd world country.
I'll second the washtub oppinion. Okay, about the dry racks, they're like the stand alone kind that you just drape stuff over. for stuff that'llstretch such as tees, thermal stuff and sweaters. It's best not to hang up sweaters on a hanger, as they may lose their shape, and get hanger bumps on the shoulders. hanging tees can cause them to stretch, especially the neckline, so beware. you can usually drape them over a rod on your dry rack, and other than a crease from the rack, you should be okay. Either iron the shirt, or the crease will wear out. I'm probably not giving you a good explanation, but I was out last night, and didn't get much sleep. Oh yeah, sweaters are best dried flat on a towel. Hth.
Thanks. You described it perfectly. As for wash tubs, they're being made and sold here in America, so apparently, there are people who still use them. I just need to find a cheaper one.
My only hangup about the stackable washer/dryer is, in my experience, unless you put fairly small loads in them, it sounds as if the space shuttle is going off in your apartment. If you wash fairly small loads of clothing or can deal with the noise, go for it. My former, to save money on electricity, got strictly a top loading washing machine, but hung his clothes to dry. Some items, delicate sweaters for instance, you might get a board to lay 'em flat on. Good luck!
i have an incredibly simple and cheap solution, I had to do it when I lived with my parents and they had a digital washer. Learn how to use it. They are deceptively simple little things. You hit a button, it goes beep, and turns on, its incredible. Now, granted, you may need help once in a while, but its nothing that can't be taken care of in a flash, instead of waiting for your mother to do it.
Now, I have used some of these machines and I can tell you a few things. One, if you want to keep your girlish figure, don't use them. They are hard, you are throwing several pounds, and by several I'm talking in the range of fifty pounds, in a circle. Its easy at first, but give it a minute or two and fifty pounds feels like five hundred. You'll have muscles the size of pop-eye when your done, you could join the olympics, and none of the clothes your washing will fit. Secondly, in a ringer, anything with buttons on it is at risk for loosing said buttons, so buy a lot of needles and thread for this one. Lastly, pouring that many gallons of water down a kitchen sink would lead to one thing, a wet floor, they just can't handle that kind of in flow. Pouring it down a tub would result in one thing, a slightly less wet bathroom floor. they are large, heavy, cumbersome and inconvenient. I understand you wanting to be old school, but there's a reason no one uses them anymore. When they were used, they were used on a back porch, and it was an all day thing, with more than one person.
Oh, and when it says five pounds of clothing, that probably sounds like a lot doesn't it, your probably thinking, oh, five pounds, that's half my closet right, I mean come on, its cloth, how heavy can cloth be. Well, the normal pair of jeans, about two pounds, the normal sweatshirt, about a pound, depending on the style. Anything made of heavy material, AKA anything you wear in winter, is going to weigh at least a pound, so your talking maybe three pairs of jeans a load. So you have to fill it up, pay for the water, clean the jeans, empty it, fill it, pay for the water, rinse the jeans, empty it, clean up the water, then do another three pairs of jeans.
They are slow, expensive, hard, bulky, inefficient, and time consuming. Can I be any clearer on this one?
No thanks. If I'm going to use a regular washer, it will be a normal one. In any case, Mom doesn't want anyone touching it. We had a regular one that Grandma actually broke by not listening to instructions and repeatedly changing the dial while it was running. Even if I did learn it, I'd still have to go down the 18 steps of my place, around the house, into the main part and down 12 steps to the basement in order to do it. One of the main reasons for getting my own machine is to avoid all that hassle. It's one thing during the summer, but when there's snow and ice around, it's downright dangerous.
So glad to finally have found someone who has used these! I'm not into femininity and actually need to build muscles. Okay, they don't need to be huge but it certainly couldn't hurt to get stronger. I'm not the exercise type at all, so this is the closest I'd get to a gym. That said, if this would make my breasts bigger, I'll pass. They're small and I like them that way. I'm also not sure if I could do it, though I don't mind physical work. Still, thanks for letting me know what I'd be getting into as it's always better to be prepared.
Good note on the wringer. I do have a few things with buttons but don't know a thing about sewing, so it might be better for me to wring those out by hand or something. I didn't know that about the kitchen sink. Well, that's out then. I didn't realise this had to be done outside. Yikes! I guess the people in apartments with the little washers don't use a tub. Perhaps, they just use a large bucket.
Thankfully, I don't pay for the water, so that makes things easier. It seems like the only way I could use these would be to wash small loads at a time, which means more frequent washing instead of having a hamper full of laundry and washing it at once. I didn't find them to be expensive, but if you say that they're slow and inefficient and have actually used them, I must take your word on it. I actually have tons of time on my hands, so the slowness doesn't bother me, but the inefficiency certainly does. Is it that they don't wash things properly? Which ones have you used? This is turning out to be more difficult than it needs to be. I thought only a wash board would give me this much trouble, which is why I didn't even consider it..
A wash board actually doesn't take that much time. Its a relatively fast system once you learn how to do it. When I had my own apartment, I used one for small things. I'm not saying I'd want to do all my laundry that way, but once you get the system down, its not so bad. Kills your back and knees, but what can you do.
I don't know the brand names, but my grandmother used to make me use them. I mean they are inefficient because they take a lot of time and energy to do a simple task when compared to the technology of today. That is why we have today's technology. Horses are now inefficient as a form of transportation because we have much longer distances to travel and less time to get there. A horse can only travel about twenty-five miles a day, a car can do that in less than an hour.
With laundry, today we have much more clothing than yesteryear. We own several pairs of pants, shirts, underwear, socks, plus towels, washclothes, dresses, suits, handkerchiefs and so on and so on. When they did laundry by hand, they only had maybe two changes of clothes, because it was so difficult to make clothing by hand. It just doesn't fit our modern lifestyles.
And, they stunk. Bad.
I am telling you, shoot no offince Tif, but you make me feel like you want to throw back, I mean way back!. Hell I am only 33 about to bee 34 march 9th but ya, to each of hs or her own.
Another washer I've seen is a two in one model, you'd have the rince wash portion on the left, and the spin portion next to it, and you'd use the timer dials for each one. Of course it's been years since I've seen one in action, and how I remember those ringer washers, and let me tell you, they caused allot of injury. Case in point I had a cousin who got their arm pulled in.
To SilverLightning: Hmm, maybe I will consider a wash board after all. I just thought it would be even more time consuming and make more of a mess. But if it works, then I'll definitely consider it. Even if I get a purely electric model, it still won't be as efficient when compared with Mom's large washer. But that's not an issue with me. I just want to make sure it works and doesn't leave my clothes dirty etc. That said, naturally, you're right about people having more clothing today. But if I keep my loads small, it should work.
To starfly: All of this stuff is still being made today, some in America and some elsewhere. And the electric models haven't been around as long as the manual ones. So they're relatively modern, just small.
To renegade rocker: That one sounds really neat! Do you remember if it was fairly large or small and did it hook up to the faucet or did you pour water into it? I wonder if i can find one like that? At any rate, it's another option to consider. Yeah... Definitely staying away from electric wringer machines! Reminds me too much of The Mangler by Stephen King... Actually, if I were to get a wringer it would be the mechanical kind so that I coud control it I'd also probably look for the more modern ones with the safety mechanisms in place. Again, thanks for the warning!
Renegade Rocker that's what they have in Japan, and Eleni, if you use that, you'll be doing laundry all morning just to do one very small load: one pair of pants at a time, stuff like that.
The reason for modernization is so people don't have to live a hand-to-mouth existance spending all of their conceivable time on nothing but the manual effort of doing the work of survival.
Japan had those washers for space saving reasons: places are really small over there.
Those two in one machines are the type you put water in, and the extractor portion had issues where if you didn't ballence the washload right, you'd get terrible shaking, and they spun at an extremely fast rpm, so you'd have to be extremely careful.
Okay. Those are off the list. Sounds like they'd burn out or spill all over the place and if they could only handle one pair of pants at a time, they're not worth the electricity. *smile*
There are frontloading automatic machines out there, and they're small enough that you can fit them in an apartment, but they have their own querks.
I don't want anything that needs a plumber to come and hook things up. I'm trying to keep things as cheap and portable as possible.
Trust me, its easy to hook up a washer and dryer, no plumber required. Its three pipe hook ups and an electrical socket for the washer, its one pipe hook up and an electrical outlet for the dryer. Its very simple to do.
It's good to know that. But I really have no room for such things right now in my place and they're also quite expensive.
If you want a cheap one, you can always look online for a used one. Craigslist has dozens of them I'm sure, and so do a lot of used furniture stores. Do a little shopping around and you can find some cheap washer and dryers.
I'd agree with the previous poster. Craig's list would be a great option. washers and dryers are pretty portable. Especially the small ones. Plus, sounds like the older models are harder on your clothes. Since you have no light perception, I'd go with a machine that you know will get your clothes really clean. It's really easy to hook up a washer and dryer like another poster said. Some older equipment is actually more expensive than newer stuff cause it's so hard to find. I bet you could find a stackable washer and dryer for a couple hundred bucks or less. It doesn't have to be the front loading kind either.
I'd like to keep things under $150, including the washer and the dryer.
i very much think you won't find that, and try to keep it reasonable at the same time
Well, $200 is the maximum amount that I'm willing to pay and all of the items that I found, even if I combined the most expensive ones, would be under that.
I just did a search for wash tubs on Ebay and I stand corrected! Far from the $200 and over prices I was expecting, some were selling for under $10 and in good condition! But you guys said that they're heavy so now I really need to decide what to do. I really should get one for basketry etc. too! Maybe, a child's one will be big enough and lighter? The only other way I see of getting rid of such water for my crafts or for washing is to use the water vac that Mom has. It'll suck it up like there's no tomorrow and it has wheels and can easily be lifted so that the water can be thrown off the balcony or just dumped into the bath tub. Hmm.
So after reading several reviews from various sources and then the manufacturer's site, I've decided to go with the Breathing Washer.
http://www.breathingwasher.com
It only costs $19, including shipping, and they say that it can handle even large items like a comforter and a sleeping bag! So I'm sure a few pairs of sweats and/or jeans, a few shirts and some smaller items will work out fine. They also stated that you could use a five galon bucket, so I don't even need to bother with a wash tub, though I did find a small cheap one that I might get.
My only problem now is a wringer and/or dryer. I found the countertop one but it's over $60, and for the small amount of clothing that it dries at once, it may not be worth that kind of money. So that brings me back to a drying rack and/or a wringer, but now I'm really scared of wringers because of what I heard. I found several on ebay at good prices, but for one of the few times in my life, I don't want the old kind! I want the new kind because they're supposed to be safer. One exists but it's over $100!
It looks like I've solved my wash tub problem.
http://www.bucket-outlet.com/
I've never seen anything like it! They have buckets and pales of all kind plus a huge array of round, square and oval wash tubs, from 1 to 16 gallons! Lucky for me, the 5 gallon ones are really cheap and light. I know that they'll work with the Breathing Washer because that's what they recommended on the site. Now I just need to check and see if that measurement will work for basketry. If not, then I might get a 7 gallon one.
There are too many mechanical wringers on Ebay! Most are over $60 and are large and heavy. I want a light, small and relatively cheap one. They have sample/toy sizes but I'm not sure if they would really work. But I found a book which definitely seems able to help me decide on what to get, so long as I could find it!
http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924003596370/cu31924003596370_djvu.txt
Oh how I love free and accessible materials!
I decided to start searching again for my clothes washing equipment and found a few more interesting things. The first one which surprised me is how many wringers are still being made today! I found a few at
http://dynajet.com/
with better pricing here
http://www.wisementrading.com/washing/wringer.htm
and then a whole article on how to find them here.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6312184_laundry-hand-wringer.html
But all of the new ones were over $100 plus shipping. This would be fine if they were combination washers and wringers but they're not. So then I went back to Ebay to look for a vintage one and got a headache. As before, there were tons of options, even when I set the maximum price at $70. The thing which really frustrates me is that some are in good condition and very reasonably priced (below $50, some even in the 20's and one currently at $9) but they don't give decent descriptions. I need to know, first of all, how long are the rollers and second of all, can the wringer be mounted on a variety of tub and/or bucket types (galvanised, round, square, double or single, stationary or portable) or are they only for one type? And finally, if the rolers are hard, can they be replaced with new ones from one of the manufacturers who currently make these products?
Anyway, today, I went back there and typed in washer under antiques and set the price to $50. I actually found a few really cool things, one of which was a wonderful combination wringer and wooden barrel washer, but it was only available for local pickup and wasn't in New York or New Jersey. I even found the original washers that were the predecessors of the Breathing Hand Washer that I want to get, but I've heard that the modern one is better. Then, I ran into another problem. Some people call their items wringer washers when in fact they're only wringers, and some don't describe them at all! I would e-mail my questions to these various sellers but Ebay has a visual capcha with no audio. I also still need to get a drying rack. I learned a lot at this site, including the fact that there are two types of racks, one that's flat and one on which you hang things and that there are indoor clothes lines.
http://simpleliving.tribe.net/thread/fa45780b-1a69-4c48-bdf0-6e0f04247e72
Apparently, I'm not the only one who's trying to do this. I might join there and ask a few questions about the Anchor, Lovell and Horse Shoe wringers as well as the different types of washers.
Yesterday, I decided to start looking for a drying rack. Mom said that she knew of one that cost $20, I forget where, but I wanted to shop and compare. In the meantime, I went to drugstore.com, to look for something completely different, and found two drying racks.
Whitney Design 5127, Drying Rack Extendable
http://www.drugstore.com/whitney-design-5127-drying-rack-extendable/qxp207747?fromsrch=rack
Whitney Design 5005, Clothes Dryer Wood
http://www.drugstore.com/whitney-design-5005-clothes-dryer-wood/qxp207748?fromsrch=Whitney+Design
The first seems to be what I want, since you could either hang clothing on it or use it to lay the clothing flat. I have no idea what the second one looks like, but the review said that they were charging way too much for it, and then eliminated the price which the person actually paid.
Needless to say, I wasn't satisfied, so decided to do a search for the best clothes drying rack, keeping in mind that i wanted one with the hanging and flat options which would be appropriate for use in a small space and/or for one person and which is easy to assemble and dissemble. Well, I actually found something called The Best Clothes Drying Rack! lol
http://www.bestdryingrack.com/
It's constructed of wood, with no plastic parts and is made in the USA, which is a real relief. They say that the design dates to the early 1900's and that it's supposed to last for decades! In fact, some of the antique ones, made by other manufacturers at that time, are still in use today. Now that's what I like! But I have no idea what it looks like or how well I'd be able to store it when not in use, given the fact that I don't think my closetor kitchen cabinets would work to store it. Then again, once I clean out my bedroom closet, I might find that I have room for it. But i've still got to store the washer (small so not a problem), the wash tub/s and the wringer. .
I then found this article.
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2011/01/small-measures-with-ashley-indoor-drying-racks.html
While it didn't give a bunch of options, it did provide several important tips for choosing a rack to meet your needs, whether you live alone or with a family, in a large house or in a small apartment. It also provided an excellent link to a huge list on amazon.com of various types of dryers.
http://www.amazon.com/Clares-Shares-Eco-Friendly-Drying-Solutions/lm/R109DYKQ0WCUZ7/ref=cm_lmt_srch_f_2_rsrsrs0
I haven't shopped there in years, and now I can't sign up for a new account or change the e-mail address used for my old one due to an inaccessible capcha. Still, I checked out the link and the number of products in that list was overwhelming! I intend on trying to sort through them and read their product descriptions, but has anyone here ever used any of these? At any rate, I decided to look for a washer and wringer on there, more out of curiosity than anything else, and they had the new wringers, several wash boards and some wash tubs as well as the Breathing Mobile Washer and the Rapid Washer. I always knew that Amazon had a lot of things but I was honestly surprised to find all of that there. I went back today to compare the Rapid Washer with the Mobile one and found only the former, which was described exactly like the new one, including the fact that it uses plastic, which the older one does not. So now I'm confused. How could they sell it under a different name when it's exactly the same thing? I'm also noticing how inaccessible and annoying amaozon has become, which reminds me why I don't buy from them. Every time I read about an item and then go back to the list of search results, it won't let me hit v for visited links, so I have to manually find my place again, and they clutter the page with tons of suggestions for other items before getting to the actual description of the one about which I'm reading.
In other news, I'm slowly piecing together information on the Lovel and Anchor wringers, in order to determine which ones I want and which are simply too large and/or heavy for my use. I only hope that, when I finally am able to narrow down the list, that I can find the ones that I want in order to make my final decision!
I've done laundry in a tub a few times when i was in a pinch. It is a lot of work! And as far as drying, yes, a drying rack or clothes horse would be the way to go. I used one for a long time when I lived overseas and they work fine, you just have to be patient for some larger items. Even if you did get a washer drier combo unit or stackable ones at a really cheap price second hand for example, you've got to consider the cost of electricity and water every month. And, if something goes bad with the washer, especially if it's a front loader, then you'd have water damage to deal with, which could be extensive, especially since you live on the second floor. Right now, my apartment building has a small laundry room and you have to pay three dollars to do one load. (As well as doing all the leg work to and from the basement carrying the stuff, and providing your own detergent and fabric softener etc.) Most of the time, you put your money in and the machine starts up. Sometimes, it does not. Then it's bye bye money. I'd kill to have access to free laundry! Frankly, doing laundry is a pain in the ass and a waste of time. (But, I love clean clothes and sheets etc so alas, it must be done.) I am not a fan of digital machines, but, if it's there, then take advantage of it if you can, because trust me, you'll miss it later on. Yes, independence is great and all that malarky. However, doing this every day stuff, you'll quickly find that the novelty wears off. So, learn how to do it well, but, if someone offers to take care of it for you, then what the hell. Why not. You're still living at home anyways. Enjoy it while you can. I moved out a little before my eighteenth birthday and there are a lot of things I miss, as well as many I do not. The problem is, you rarely appreciate those things until after they are gone.