A Tribute to My Beloved Whirlpool Washer and Dryer
The average person would probably read this and inquire as to why in the world a simple Whirlpool washer and dryer would be someone’s pride and joy. In fact most people, I would suspect, are just the opposite and likely even might go so far as to say they hate their poor washing and drying appliances, for they are associated with the arduous chore of laundering the clothes. But these people who so judge the fine art of staying home doing laundry as a negative experience most likely have not spent the last seven years of their lives eating away their precious weekend spare time hauling heavy loads of plastic bins overflowing with dirty, smelly clothes back and forth, up and down awkward hills (and possibly stairs), from the overpriced city apartment to the closest Laundromat which is usually full of people and a broken quarter machine.
Visiting a Laundromat to wash regularly, especially when you live in the outskirts of the city of Boston where the Laundromats are swarming with college students fighting for open machines at any given time, is really quite frustrating and more difficult than one might expect. First you have to collect up all the quarters that you haven’t already spent on subway tokens. Then there’s the whole pre-laundering process of sorting colors, which really, in itself isn’t so tough but still. It’s just one more task.
The worst thing about using the industrial washers and dryers at a Laundromat though, is the amount of time and anxiety the whole process takes. Because you cant just put the money in and leave, you have to sit there and wait for every thing to get washed and dried. And sure, you could bring a book or work to do while waiting but, at least speaking for the Laundromats I’ve experienced in the Boston area, none of the appliances indicate the length of time for a cycle, so instead of relaxing into your book, you are anxiously looking up and down at the appropriate machines to see when your laundry is complete, and most importantly, allow yourself to pull it out of the washer or dryer before some impatient other person takes the liberty to do so for you. Quite stressful. It really can cause great anxiety.
But I do not have to worry about that anymore, as I now have the wonderful Whirlpool laundering pair. I acquired the two several months ago, about four months into moving to a new apartment in Everett, Massachusetts. Most people who live in this town have family homes, equipped with their own washer and dryer so the closest Laundromat is miles away in the next town, and quite a pain to get to, especially when you don’t’ have a car and can only go when your roommate is available to drive you.
So in desperation for relief, I searched the internet and found a deal on Craigslist Boston in the used classifieds for both washer and dryer for a total of $300. They would be used but the ad claimed not very often and just like new. So the gentleman who owned them brought them over to us (free and painless delivery!) and helped maneuver them downstairs to the basement. He even went so far as to set them up and wait until a test load was complete to make sure everything was in good operating condition.
It was a very successful transaction. And even though I was a little skeptical about a used washer and dryer, they were extremely clean and the only odor they emitted was that of a very sweet and pleasant detergent smell, a smell that I cannot reproduce with my own laundry detergent no matter how hard I try. But I’m lucky, for that superior brand of detergent, whichever it was that he used (come to think of it I should dig out his number and ask him) continues to linger, even as we enter our fourth month of ownership. And I smell it every time I do the wash. Delightful!!
