New Washer/Dryer

[The Folk Prophet]

This is my first post ever on these forums that isn't a gospel topic. I feel...like...unclean...or something... But as I work from home and so you all pretty much represent the extent of my social interaction/friendships, if I don't share here, who will I share with?

 

I just bought my wife* a new washer/dryer set.

 

Here's quick story. Our dryer broke. We have a washer that's only a few years old. But it was the cheapest thing we could find. It's fine though. So the conundrum: Get a cheap dyer to match. Get a nicer dryer and make do with the cheaper washer. Get a nicer matching washer and dryer. Get a really nice matching washer and dryer.

 

So, being an all or nothing kind of guy, I've been swinging back and forth from the cheapest thing possible to the super nice option -- back and forth, back and forth... We only need the cheapest, of course. But they are only supposed to last a few years or so. A bit nicer will last 10+, I hear. So I had motivation to not go the cheapest route. But then, of course, as soon as a step away from the one side of the pendulum... kerplang!...to the other side I go. If I'm going to spend this much I may as well spend a bit more...and if I'm going to spend that much I may as well spend a bit more...etc., etc.... Suddenly I'm from just under $400 to just under $2000. I flip out and swing back the other way. Kerplang! Then the process repeats. And so it went.

 

What finally won out is my desire to make my wife* happy. And therefore you might guess which side of the pendulum I landed on.

 

To be fair, there's a whole lot more expensive options to go for. And there was a Memorial Day sale going on. But I got what I wanted, and what I think she will be tickled to death with. And that makes me very happy. I don't even feel buyers remorse...yet. Of course the delivery doesn't come until next week, so maybe when it does it'll hit home and I'll feel guilty. But right now I'm just super excited...and super excited for my wife*.

 

* I will admit, in the case of laundry, I tend towards being a male pig and don't do my share very often. But I make up for that by doing a whole lot of other things that are super helpful around the house...and will definitely help out even with the laundry if the wife asks for it or is feeling stressed or the like. Hopefully buying her a nice washer/dryer also makes up for it somewhat. Maybe having a nice washer and dryer will get me helping with the laundry more often too!

 

Here's what I got:

 

Washer / Dryer

 

We considered the front loading thing...but stacking them, while allowing more space in a room (something we don't need to worry about much in our laundry space) makes for a pain in the behind in that the washer needs to go on the bottom, so you're moving wet clothes up. And it's just awkward. My wife's parents have that set up and we've found it to be annoying as we've had cause to borrow theirs through the years (this will be our 3rd dryer in this house...part of my motivation to get a nicer one). Otherwise, they're fairly nice if you get them with the pedestals (the way my parents have them), but then you're adding $500-$700 to your overall cost...for a couple of boxes to raise your machines up. I don't think so! So we went with the traditional top loading washer and a cool dryer that opens two ways to make easy loading from the washer, and easy unloading to a clothes basket. Should be super cool. Plus the washer is HUGE. 5.0 cubit ft.

 

I'm very excited!

 

Feel free to congratulate, scorn for overspending, or ignore. :)

[pam]

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, my laundry room is extremely small.  It's enough to get a standard size washer/dryer into it and that's it.  So I don't get a whole lot of options. Which is probably a good thing.

[Guest]

If we had the extra money, that would be a SUPER romantic present to me. But then, I hear my taste in practical gifts that make my life easier (instead of shiny things) is rare, so reader beware. 

[Backroads]

I dream of getting a fancy washer and dryer. We are currently using the set that was left in my brother's new house. Basic set, but works.

Here's a story for you: my grandma passed away about 15 years ago. Before her death, she had a Whirlpool washer for 10 years. My parents still use it and, by golly, it's awesome.

[Backroads]

And, Pam, my laundry room is huge. Haha!

[Vort]

Fwiw, we have a stackable washer/dryer. Have had them for years now. My considered opinion:

 

They.

 

Are.

 

AWESOME!

 

Full size, small footprint, and the whole thing about lifting from washer to dryer? Not a big deal. Heck, it's way more work lifting wet clothes out of a top-loading machine than to transfer them three feet from a washer to a dryer.

 

Anyway, you have what you have, and I hope you love it. But just as a point of information, the stackable things work just great for us, washing for seven (currently six) people.

[Vort]

And our "washroom" is a wash closet UPSTAIRS, in what we call our "TV room" (because, um, the TV is there). Sounds stupid, but it is not: 95%+ of the wash generated goes to the upper floors, which are bedrooms and bathrooms, so it's actually far less work on average than throwing stuff down into the basement laundry room. So it actually works out very well. Worst part is that clean laundry can stack up in the TV room, but that's just more incentive for anyone wanting to watch TV to fold it.

[pam]

And, Pam, my laundry room is huge. Haha!

 

Okay?

[The Folk Prophet]

Fwiw, we have a stackable washer/dryer. Have had them for years now. My considered opinion:

 

They.

 

Are.

 

AWESOME!

 

Full size, small footprint, and the whole thing about lifting from washer to dryer? Not a big deal. Heck, it's way more work lifting wet clothes out of a top-loading machine than to transfer them three feet from a washer to a dryer.

 

Anyway, you have what you have, and I hope you love it. But just as a point of information, the stackable things work just great for us, washing for seven (currently six) people.

 

To each their own.

[Just_A_Guy]

We don't have a matching washer/dryer. Got our dryer off KSL for $25 two years ago. Washer is a front loader that we've had for 7-8 years now. We didn't spring for pedestals, because Just_A_Girl saw an idea on Pinterest about setting your washer and dryer on a sturdy used coffee table instead. Took a lot of heaving and cussing to get it up there, but it works. We saved a few hundred bucks, the washer and dryer are at a more natural height, and we can store three laundry baskets next to each other underneath the washer and dryer.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Just_A_Guy

[Bini]

We have a decent sized washer/dryer room. I'm not a specialist on appliances but I've heard that the stackable ones don't perform as well. But if that's all the room you've got - you work with what you have. We got front loading and I prefer it because I'm so tiny, I can barely reach down into the barrel of top loading.

Eowyn, I have become way more practical in gifts in the last 6 years since being married, so I'm totally with you! My hand vacuum was my favourite Xmas gift last year...

[Backroads]

Seriously, our laundry room is one of the biggest rooms in the house. Might as well have parties in there. I think it's one of the results of all the changes done to the house over the years: somehow magically with d up with tiny rooms and a giant laundry room.

[Bini]

Seriously, our laundry room is one of the biggest rooms in the house. Might as well have parties in there. I think it's one of the results of all the changes done to the house over the years: somehow magically with d up with tiny rooms and a giant laundry room.

 

Our last house was like this. The laundry room was downstairs (basement actually) and was massive. Took up half the basement but was in its own room.

[Litzy]

Personally, I stick with the old classics that work. I keep hearing horror stories about the high-efficiency washers, so I think I'll wait a few  years before buying one.

[Vort]

Anyone heard of the Xeros washing machine that uses beads and a fraction of the water? I think it might well be the wave (so to speak) of the future.

 

http://www.xeroscleaning.com/the-xeros-machine