When life hands you lemons, there is often an opportunity to make lemonade. Last week, one of my daughters cleaned her room by overloading our wash machine with all the clothes that had been festering on her floor. This overload of laundry caused my 10+ year old wash machine to up and die.
The repair man confirmed the death of my washer and then launched into an informative lecture about why we want to invest in a front loading machine this time around. While a front loader can cost more money than a top loader, front-loading washing machines use:
40 to 60% less water
30 to 50% less energy
50 to 70% less detergent
than top-loaders! These machines spin your clothes super fast, they end up spending less time in the dryer. My repair guy said depending on the cost of water and electricity, you could recover the extra cost of a front loading wash machine in less than a year.
Considering I live in a town with the most expensive water in the entire country (no kidding), I was sold. As an added bonus, we found out that making the switch qualified for a ”Cash for clunkers” rebate along with a NY Great Appliance Swap Out. These two rebates brought the price down to close to a top loader. Not bad.
Next on my wish list to go along with my nifty new wash machine: a high tech outdoor clothes dryer! This is at the top of my birthday wish list. I’ve been a big fan of Project Laundry List for quite some time now. I can’t wait to post a photo of my laundry line on their map. If we’re every going to cut back on greenhouse gases and prepare for a life with less fossil fuels, these are the types of changes we’re all going to have to embrace.
