Getting Clean

Todd Duncan, a sales guru, suggests making a Not To Do List. As I should be prioritizing my time in such a way that I either delegate or outsource all activities that are neither pleasurable nor revenue generating. Greg got to this first, and delegated the laundry to me.

This resulted in me starting the laundry Tuesday evening and finishing it Thursday AM in time for the housekeeper to come in and fold it all that afternoon. When we moved in to our loft, we didn't have the resources to purchase a washer/dryer, so we decided to rent. Azuma is a terrible company and we rented a 30 year old washer/dryer from them. It sucked up electricity like a Private University cleaning out the parents of an student. And it damaged out clothes - as it only was able to try on high. After 7 months of frustration on my side, high electricity bills and ruined shirts, I decided to try a new solution. Associated Costs of original Solution: $75/month electricity, $40/month washer rental & $10/month aspirin = $125/month

Part of this solution is Laundry Locker. So far so good there. They are willing/able to separate out laundry and wash it in the temperatures dictated by our fussy ways. They use our preferred detergent & fabric softener. They fold, they delivery, they reduce the frustration in my life and all this in about 24 hours. The cost: $100/month.

The second part of this solution is more green. Since I didn't want to send my unmentionables to a stranger - not out of modesty, but rather, I prefer that they be air dried, we got a Wonder Washer and spin dryer. It cost me about $135 - shipping and tax included. I assembled the two devices on Sunday. I did have a pang of Green-Guilt as they were made & shipped from China to New England and then back to me in California; however I'm getting over that.

The Wonder Washer takes about half the time of a normal washer and it quite easy to operate - I fill it with soap & water, add the clothes and then turn the crank for about 1-2 minutes. I feel very Amish and positively earth loving all the while. There is a drain spout in the bottom and I drain, refill with clean rinse water and then crank again for another 30 seconds. Drain again, toss them in the spinner and they come out next to dry and quite clean. My only limitation is the space on my drying rack. It can do up to 4 lbs of laundry in one shot. Total Cost = $0/month.

So far I love it. I love the planet. I even enjoy a little "I'm more Green than my friend in Bristol" feeling. Her clothes washer runs on electricity.