Front-Loaders

One of the funniest changes I had to adapt to when I moved to Holland was the time it took to do laundry. High-efficiency washers are the norm in Europe. As America is just now discovering, there are more energy efficient and clean clothes much MUCH better. But they take a long time. As in 90 minutes long for one of the machines I used. (OH, and then there was the hanging of the clothes to dry since dryers are not standard appliances.) Impatient American I am, I loved coming back to the U.S. and washing clothes in a zippy 30 minutes or less.

Then I had a child.

Children get dirty.

And I ruined some of my favorite cute Rebecca outfits using top-loading machines.

The reverse culture shock continues in the most practical of ways. I grew so accustomed to how well front-loading washers washed, I stopped pre-treating a lot of stains. (Well, part of it, too, is that I didn't even think to check before throwing them into the dryer. Hanging clothes out to dry = not setting stains. Even so, I rarely had stains on clothes when I hung them to dry. Therefore, it was the washer that washed them better. Follow?) Suddenly the time to do a load of laundry wasn’t nearly as important. The extra time was worth the benefits of front-loaders: cleaner clothes, saving energy. Sign me up!

Since I couldn’t stand to ruin anymore cute Rebecca outfits, we now have a shiny new LG Tromm Front-Loading Washer and Dryer pair in our roomy new laundry room. Thanks, Europe, for enlightening me, and saving cute Rebecca outfits, too.

(Status: Bought: 1 shiny new washer and dryer pair with cute little lights and pleasant sounding beeps. Not bought: 1378 other things.)