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

[Karen Sheldon (karen.sheldon]

I can only speak to the first paragraph: We leave our 4 front loaders 
open after using and have had no mold problems, ever, that I know of. 
They're so well-used, anyway, that there's not a lot of time sitting 
unused. It's a good idea to have people clean out the gunk/missing socks 
from the gasket.

Karen
Bellingham Cohousing

On 04/08/2016 04:22 PM, Tiffany Lee Brown wrote:
> 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:
> > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> Tiffany Lee Brown
> editor, plazm magazine
> tiffany [at] plazm.com / magdalen23 [at] gmail.com
>
>
>
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