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All-in-one washer/dryer
LG may have created the ultimate space saving laundry solution in the All-In-One Washer and Dryer. From LG’s site:
Perfect for people who want to do laundry at home but don’t have an external venting source which conventional dryers require. This unit runs on standard voltage electricity and is great for placement in closets; it’s also a good solution for apartments, businesses and vacation homes where there may be space constraints.
Since it doesn’t need to be vented and it washes and dries your clothes, it appears to be a great small-space appliance. I did a quick search of Amazon and there are a few similar options from other companies. Has anyone had the chance to do a load of laundry in one of these units? I’m interested in finding out how well it works. The load capacities seem ridiculously small, and I’m curious about its drying capabilities.
(via CNET’s Appliances & Kitchen Gadgets Blog)
Popularity: 8% [?]
Declaring laundry bankruptcy: How to use the laundromat to get your laundry routine under control
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a laundromat. I won’t divulge too many details, but the words “broken” and “dryer” and “angry” would aptly belong in a statement about why I’m in my present location.
Since I’m trying to look on the bright side of this situation, I’m reminding myself that all of my clothes will be washed, dried, and folded in less than two hours. If I were doing my laundry at home with just one washer and one dryer, it would take me close to two days to get my mountain of clothes under control. (This particular mountain being a direct result of the “broken dryer” mentioned above.) If I were to wait to do my laundry until after the new dryer is delivered, I then would have to walk up and down the stairs about 20 times and I would be tied to my house since I’m not too fond of letting the machines run when I’m not at home. So, instead of doing this mess in a couple days, I’ve declared a laundry bankruptcy and headed to the laundromat.
If you’re someone with a mountain of laundry who is having a problem getting your laundry situation under control, I think that the laundromat bankruptcy plan is a good plan to follow. Go once to the laundromat, get all of your clothes washed, and then get started on your new laundry routine at home with a clean slate. To complete the laundry bankruptcy plan you can do your laundry yourself, or you can use the Fluff-N-Fold service that most laundromats offer.
I have friends who don’t have washers and dryers and they exclusively use the Fluff-N-Fold services in their neighborhoods. One friend of mine who lives in New York’s West Village has found that it is only $4 more to have his laundry done for him than if he were to do it himself. His believes his time is more valuable to him than $4, so every Monday he makes a trip to the Fluff-N-Fold on his way to work and picks his clothes up that day on his way home. My local Fluff-N-Fold charges $1 per pound of laundry with a minimum $10 purchase.
There is something simple and wonderful about using the laundromat as your first step in getting on track with a home laundry routine. If you find yourself under a mountain of clothes, it is definitely worth considering. Also, if you don’t have a washer and dryer in your home and don’t already use it, you may want to consider using the services of your local Fluff-N-Fold. You may find that the expense of the service is less than the amount you value the time you could spend doing something else.
Popularity: 14% [?]
My New Year’s Resolution: Laundry
My husband and I often have “mature” conversations that sound something like this:
Me: I really need to do a load of laundry, but I don’t want to.
Him: I don’t want to do laundry, either.
Me: Okay, it’s settled, we won’t do laundry.
Him: I love being an adult.
Hands down, laundry is the chore we hate to do the most. We used to hate doing dishes, but we got a new dishwasher last year that actually works, so laundry has moved into the top position.
I’ve never been able to figure out if it’s the time commitment, the labor, or the recidivistic nature of the chore that makes me loathe it so much. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, and putting away don’t seem like such horrible tasks on their own … but put together, I find them to be awful. I know things are bad when I would rather clean toilets than do laundry.
I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions, but I’m going to give them a whirl in 2008 and put “Get laundry under control” on my list. In fact, it will probably be the only resolution on my list of resolutions this year. It causes me more stress than everything else in my life, so it’s going to get the prominence it deserves.
I’m going to spend the next couple weeks getting things ready for my year of laundry control. I’ll start by reviewing the posts I’ve already written on laundry (Ending laundry chaos and More than 15 ways to handle recurrent clutter) and re-establish all of the systems I’ve tried to put in place in the past. I know, too, that there will be at least one trip to Goodwill with clothing donations before the new year begins.
What area of your life is the most cluttered? Have you thought about getting it under control as a New Year’s Resolution? If so, what steps are you going to take to make your resolution a reality? Feel welcome to share your plans with us in the comments section.
Popularity: 27% [?]
The Dryerbox saves space in the laundry room
If you have very little space in your laundry room and every inch is precious, you may want to check out the Dryerbox. The Dryerbox “safely and efficiently collects the flex transition hose, allowing the dryer to be installed flush against the wall.”
It also helps to lower energy costs by eliminating the bends in the flex exhaust hose providing for better, less restrictive airflow. Minimizing the bends saves energy costs and reduces the fire hazard caused by lint buildup. Check out the before and after photos below. (The after shot obviously doesn’t show the dryer flush against the wall or you wouldn’t be able to see the Dryerbox set up.)
Before:
After:
Popularity: 26% [?]
