OT: washing machines

[CA renter]

[quote=FlyerInHi]CAr, you sound a good homemaker what makes sure everything is clean for her family.

but how do you wash large items like comforters in a top load? I find that front loads are better for large items.[/quote]

I am able to wash all of our blankets in the top-loader. Because of the space limitations of our washer, and because our family tends to run warm, we have thinner, less bulky blankets/comforters that are easier to wash.

For the odd things that can’t be washed in our washer (mostly sleeping bags and stuff like that), we take them to the laundromat. But this is very rare.

[ucodegen]

[quote=FlyerInHi]I have lots of whites. The hot whitest white cycle gets the job done.

In my vacation rentals, the towels are all white. Women use the towels to wipe off their makeup! The “whitest white” cycle with some bleach and some oxyclean does the job and makes the towels smell like hotel towels. 2-hour cycle in a whirlpool washer. I learned that from my cleaning lady.

I’ve seen appliances in Europe have only 1 water inlet. They have internal heating elements.[/quote]You generally don’t want to mix Oxiclean with Bleach. It reduces the effectiveness of both. Oxiclean is hydrogen-peroxide based, and reacts with sodium hypochlorite, which is in standard chlorine bleach – effectively nullifying both.

I alternate when doing my whites (between chlorine and peroxide based bleaches).. and force a long 1 hour soak cycle, followed by restarting the first cycle while still full w/ soapy water. The soak cycle is hard to do with some front loaders, but easy with a top loader (just leave the lid open, then turning the dial around back to the start point and closing the lid).

NOTE: Peroxide based bleaches are better at breaking down mildew and fungus spores and smells than chlorine. Peroxide is also slightly better at killing off bacteria. On the other hand, Peroxide is not as persistent in the water as chlorine and does not ‘whiten’ as well at low concentrations.

[FlyerInHi]

Thanks for the info about the chemicals… good to know.

I don’t know a lot about chemistry… but I did have to clean the pool when I was a teenager. Testing the pH of the pool, etc… that was such a pain.

[bearishgurl]

I just returned from an 18-day sojourn into “flyover country” where a relative (age 61) demonstrated to me and bragged about her new “Speed Queen” laundry duo. She adamantly told me that she wanted machines which performed like her past set which was more than 25 years old and decided on a Speed Queen washer and dryer which was the same as those installed in commercial laundromats except for the coin-operated mechanism. She was VERY happy with them.

I explained to her that my 1988 GE dryer went out almost 3 years ago and I got a very LARGE dryer (MUCH larger than my (circa) 2002 large-capacity top-loading washer) called Whirlpool Cabrio because it was on “clearance” and I wanted to be able to dry large items (blankets, etc) without going to a commercial laundry. (My pets routinely use blankets and comforters, etc, which need to be washed and dried 1-2 times per month.) The dryer has been a huge disappointment. First of all, it takes WELL OVER one hour for it to dry anything (so much for “energy saving”). I have had no less and four service calls on it (I had to get a costly extended warranty for it) all due to its failure to heat. All service calls were performed by the same local contractor. During the last service call, the technician practically took the entire machine apart in attempting to find out why a particular part repeatedly failed. The next service call will result in a settlement from Whirlpool, but not sure if my purchase price will be totally refunded at this late date (abt $760, IIRC).

If I move out of county/out of state in the coming year, I will sell both of my laundry machines on Craigslist either separate or together (with the dryer’s extended warranty) and buy a Speed Queen set at the new location. I want the old-school washer/dryer set (but as new) that my relative has. I won’t buy a “new” set on pedestals (w/o an agitator in the washer and doesn’t use enough water to be effective) in which I have to “bend over” to do laundry. Hello?

The vast majority of the newer laundry machines out there are sh!t and I would say they began to lose their effectiveness in about 2004/05.

[njtosd]

[quote=Hatfield][quote=Blogstar]What is the benefit of using hot water in the laundry?[/quote]

Hot water is a better solvent than cold water.[/quote]

Not for protein based stains (blood, etc) as it causes them to set.

[CA renter]

Thanks for your input, BG. Glad to hear that your relative is enjoying her Speed Queen washer and dryer. What she’s said is exactly what you’ll find on the “laundry” blogs. People absolutely rave about the SQ machines in a way that you just don’t hear with the other brands.

FWIW, I recycled my old Kenmore 80 Series (~1997 model) when I bought the new washer, and the technicians who installed the new machine were so happy to get it. They said that they seek out these old machines because they are so superior to the new ones. They can often refurbish them and sell them for about what they had originally cost when they were new. They will either do that or use them for parts. Either way, it’s a win for them.

Just remember, if you want to get new SQ machines, consider getting them before the end of this year (maybe store them in your garage or something?), because the new regulations are supposed to affect SQ, as well.

It stinks that the govt is forcing all of us to be less green in the name of “energy savings” and “environmentally friendly” machines that, in reality, are FAR less “green” than the old machines.

[Author]

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