Our BetterMost Community > BetterMost People
Money-saving tips!
Wishes:
I can't fix ANYTHING. I know people who can male and female but not me.
Fran:
With regard to front-load washing machines, this is how I understand it:
Front-load washing machines use less water, which makes them more energy efficient. Laundry detergent specifically made for front-load washers produces less suds, and that's why it's recommended by the manufacturer. In other words, since less water is used to clean the clothes, all of the suds may not get rinsed out if you're using regular laundry detergent (the kind used with top-load washers). But you probably can use less of the regular detergent (as Kerry pointed out) and get around buying the front-load detergent.
We purchased an LG front-load washer a couple of months ago, and I think it's great. It uses very little water to clean the clothes. I use Tide "he" (high efficiency) laundry detergent and the bottle lasts a very long time (even when using the recommended amount of detergent).
The only drawback I've found with my front-load is that I can't open the door to add anything to the load once it's started, so that spare sock that typically turns up has to wait till the next load. :)
Kerry:
--- Quote from: Fran on September 04, 2007, 10:52:44 pm ---The only drawback I've found with my front-load is that I can't open the door to add anything to the load once it's started, so that spare sock that typically turns up has to wait till the next load. :)
--- End quote ---
Fran, you can slip that renegade sock into the wash by completely turning off the washer. Once the electricity has been disconnected, you will be able to open the door. Then start the wash anew, from the beginning of the cycle. It's advisable that you only do this, however, at the beginning of the wash, before the washer fills with water, for obvious reasons! ::)
Here in Oz, we have a star rating system, whereby all appliances are given stars for fuel efficiency, etc. The more stars on the label, the more fuel efficient the appliance is.
When my old top loader died recently, I bought a new front loader for $520. Because it had a high star rating (principally gauged on water consumption with washers, I believe), Sydney Water (the entity that provides water to the Sydney area) offered a $150 rebate off all purchases. How that works is that I paid $520 to the store and they gave me a rebate form to fill out, which I posted to Sydney Water. A couple of weeks later, I got a $150 cheque in the post, meaning I only paid $370 for my beautiful new washer! No strings attached. Cool! It is a straight forward incentive from Sydney Water, to encourage people to do the right thing, environmentally! :D
Wishes:
Kerry, That is a great deal on a front loader. They are not that reasonable in the U.S. They do save a ton of water and that is one reason I feel guilty not getting one. I do try to run full loads though.
Fran:
--- Quote from: Kerry on September 05, 2007, 08:05:22 am ---Fran, you can slip that renegade sock into the wash by completely turning off the washer. Once the electricity has been disconnected, you will be able to open the door. Then start the wash anew, from the beginning of the cycle. It's advisable that you only do this, however, at the beginning of the wash, before the washer fills with water, for obvious reasons! ::)
--- End quote ---
Kerry, I'll keep this in mind, but I'm not sure I'll ever be brave enough to try it. :)
Congrats on your energy-savings rebate. Here in the States, all I got was what amounted to free delivery from Home Depot. But still, it was better than nothing.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version