Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Washing machine recommendations and concerns?

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On May 18, 2018, at 9:40 PM, Muriel Kranowski <murielk [at] vt.edu> wrote:
> 
> I'm not on the laundry-room team, but I recall reading recent minutes of
> one of their meetings on this topic. One person advocated buying used
> washing machines, figuring that even though they'd need to be replaced more
> frequently, because they would cost so little to buy, they would be cheaper
> for us in the long run. Has any community done something like that? (This
> person is a devotee of craigslist, so is biased in that direction.)

I don’t have statistics — just anecdotal information. I don’t use our laundry 
room equipment regularly. I read all the emails that come to the members list 
about the washing machines. About 11 households don’t have washers or dryers — 
the number changes. I think all but one of those is a smaller household, 1-2 
people. 

I can’t count how many machines we have had in 18 years. Literally. We have two 
and my guess is that each one of them has been replaced 3 times and been fixed 
regularly. Members have done much clearing of drains and cleaning the soap 
dispensers, but it seems like there have been many messages about waiting for 
repair people too. We have had repair people sell us machines they had that 
were barely used. I don’t remember that they were wonderful. That’s all from 
memory.

I would not get regular domestic machines. Hauling one out and moving another 
in is labor intensive and will mean 1-2 days of no machines. People get tired 
of that very fast — both the movers and the washers.

I think there is something to say for Eastern Village’s leasing program. 
Perhaps lease the washing machines. And have people pay for washing. Not as 
much as the laundromat but enough to pay for repairing and replacing the 
machines. 

Get coin slots. We don’t have them now and I wish we did. if people saw that 
the amounts required go up according to repair and replacement costs they might 
pay more attention when they dump in a cup of determent in a front loader or a 
purse with a chain handle or a bunch of small socks with no lingerie bag. Not 
complaining or telling stories out of school, but washers are much higher 
maintenance than I ever thought they would be.

The dryers seem to work fine. We replaced them a year or two ago. I can’t 
remember any history of fixing them. One wore out and since they are sold 2 in 
a stacked unit, we replaced both.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org