Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Advice needed: Common House Washing Machines

[Tiffany Lee Brown (magdalen23]

i look forward to hearing people's responses to this! 

one issue worth considering is that front loaders tend to create mold problems. 
yes, even the updated ones -- and the cleaning packets, called Affresh i 
think?, that they recommend using once a month to reduce mold, are definitely 
not environmentally friendly, packed with chlorine bleach and chemical 
fragrances known to cause cancer and infect waterways. front loader HE/High 
Efficiency energy efficient machines also hide their filtering mechanisms away, 
and draining/cleaning them can be an ambitious undertaking (water spills out, 
gotta catch it in the right bucket at the right height, etc). 

HE in general can cause problems in households with many users. here's why: 
most HE machines are finicky. the sensors can go awry if you use the wrong kind 
of detergent, including some detergents whose labels say they are 
HE-compatible. some of them can't handle Borax, certain enzymes, vinegar 
rinses—ways that a lot of environmentally conscious people wash, soak, freshen 
up clothes. environmentally ill/sensitive people and those with mold-related 
illness may *require* using these natural, pH-altering cleaning processes.

having converted to HE myself -- a large LG top-loader which has done pretty 
well -- i'm beginning to wonder whether HE is really saving energy, given that 
so many repairs and replacements are needed. an old-school, top-loading washer 
will hold up 25 years with maybe 1-2 small repairs. the consumer can easily 
clean many components, filters, etc. the HE units seem to poop out or require 
costly repairs after 7-8 years. whatever they're saving the planet in overall 
efficiency per load may be offset by their relatively short lifespans. 

- tiffany
cohousing wannabe
in Oregon




On Apr 8, 2016, at 4:36 AM, Catya Belfer wrote:

> 
> Hi all,
> 
> We have a very well used laundry room in our common house, and have been
> having trouble with a couple of the washing machines.  We're looking for
> advice on what machines communities have that work well under heavy use.
> 
> The two giving us trouble are front loaders, but I think we're open to
> either front or top loaders.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
>     - cat
> 
> Catya Belfer   -  www.catya.org
> Technical Director   -   www.cohousing.org
> Cohousing in MA - www.mosaic-commons.org
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
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> 
> 

Tiffany Lee Brown
editor, plazm magazine
tiffany [at] plazm.com / magdalen23 [at] gmail.com