On the Tenth Day

The Top Ten Reasons I love my new Washing Machine*

10. It is in the basement, not the kitchen.

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9. Only one small part of one old wall needed to come down, and then it went down with as little difficulty as a 400lb washer can while being moved through a very, very narrow house by men who have been moving a washer for two days and aren’t really excited anymore. Turns out that Joe’s optimism was not only well placed, but necessary.

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8. It holds about 3 times what Sir Washie did. Seriously. I can do every single towel in the whole house in one load. I feel like someone just gave me my life back. When the matching dryer arrives tomorrow I expect to weep openly out of sheer joy.

7. It holds so much that if you bug a kid to do their laundry, and you finally manage to convince them to go and do it, they can do all of their laundry in one load and that means that you’re only going to have to fight with them about laundry and how people really do care how they smell once every week, not twice. I will lay down my life for anything that makes for fewer fights with my kids.

6. It has a warranty. For five years, this washer can only make bad noises rather than expensive ones.

5. It has a spin only cycle, which means that even though it’s a front loader, I can still use it to take extra water out of fleece, yarn and handwashed woollies.

4. It makes virtually no noise. I loved Sir Washie, but the sound of him running through a cycle was something that you could hear from all over the house, and a slightly unbalanced load (and like many of us in our last months, Sir Washie was mostly unbalanced towards the end) could shake windows, scare small children and was generally louder than a 15 year old stripped of a cell phone on a Friday night just after she found out that the new boy who moved in next to her friend said that he thought her hair was ” sorta nice.”

3. It is a stupid crazy kind of water and energy efficient. Since we have an extremely old water supply to the house, our water pressure is sort of “limp”. (So limp that we don’t have a shower installed in the house and it takes 15 minutes to fill a bathtub.) This means that we can only have one water using thing on at a time… you can do laundry OR use the dishwasher, do laundry OR or have a bath, do laundry OR brush your teeth. Anything water efficient means more other water stuff works more of the time.

2. For weeks, we’ve been taking our laundry over to my mother-in-law’s. This means that you bundle up yourself and your laundry, walk over to her place in varying types of freezing precipitation and over a variety of forms of ice, wash it, and walk back freezing your arse all the way. This is a huge chunk out of ones workday, so we’ve been trying not to dirty clothes. Having a washer in the house means that the next time someone spills a coffee, I can mop it up with a towel, rather than scream “Drink it off the floor! Drink it off the floor! Are you Crazy! Don’t touch that towel!” like I did three days ago when the last clean towel in the house looked like it needed to be guarded with my life.

1. When Sir Washie finished a load (heaven bless him) he did nothing but lay there quietly trying to recover from the effort. When the new washer finishes – it PLAYS A SONG.** Joe thinks that the purpose of the song is to tell you that the load is finished, but I don’t think so. I think it plays a song because it’s just so thrilled to be serenely fulfilling its highest purpose and doing my laundry. I think it’s trying to tell me that there is nothing else in the world that would satisfy it more than churning away so we can have clean gitch. I think it’s delighted to be in my service and that it doesn’t resent the basement (like I do.)

I think it’s happy.

* my love for my new washing machine should in no way be taken as a lack of loyalty to the memory of Sir Washie. He was the best washer ever and can never really be replaced no matter how seriously slick his replacement is.

** The song is “Die Forelle” (The Trout) by Schubert. I am totally not kidding.

364 thoughts on “On the Tenth Day

  1. May you develop a long and loving relationship with the new washer. Let us know what you name it!

  2. Congrats on the newest member of your family. May he live a squeaky-clean long life!

  3. congrats on the new washie! what’s his name?
    also, beware of the spin-only cycle! it is NOT woolie friendly!
    even though it says spin-only, mine spits out a little water, and THEN spins. plus, with the spinning being a front loader, the tumbling actions causes major problems and possible felting.
    so the funny thing is, you have a machine that will take FOREVER to felt something you WANT felted, but if you’re spinning out hand dyed roving, you end up with some beautifully colored rope.

  4. Don’t feel guilty about Sir Washie. Think of it this way: he has retired and is probably on his way to the Bahamas for a vacation. Feel better?
    Jane S in Ohio

  5. I can’t believe I’m this high in the comments list!
    Congrats on the new Squire Washie (didn’t they have to be squires and prove themselves before they could be knights back in the day?). And on the touch of classical music culture now in your basement.
    I can hardly wait to read the post about the matching dryer. I hope you can contain yourself!

  6. Woot!
    I have the same washer! (or dang similar) and its great…the only thing is the frontloaders sometime get “smelly” in the rubber parts by the door…crack it open after a load to let it dry.
    My song goes like…TA DA! look what i did for you!
    Be a good washer now.

  7. It plays a SONG?!?
    I am envious of your washing machine. I might even do *laundry without whining* if my washing machine played music when it was done. Seriously.

  8. Who would have thought I’d be so happy for you and your new washer?! Can’t wait to hear you sing the praises of the matching drier. Are you going to give them names that are also a set? And thanks for the gratuitous gitch, sometimes a simple word is all it takes to remind me that even though I live in California and now have dual citizenship, a fellow Canadian will always know me by my gitch! (Not in a perverted way, of course. I’m very happy that not all Canadians know MY gitch!)

  9. Hurrah for the scratch on the side – without that you’d have sent it back and never known the bliss which is your new relationship. I hope you’ll be very happy together.

  10. Congratulations on the wonderful new addition to your family! A few years ago, we had to replace a washer of roughly Sir Washie’s vintage. It was a life-changing experience to upgrade to “large capacity.” I felt as if our family of six had been living through the dark ages of laundry up until that point.

  11. Little things mean a lot to us, really. We’re all so suburban at heart.
    My front loader doesn’t have the spin only cycle. I didn’t even think to check that when I was in the shop. (After all… every washer has this option, surely….) It makes washing hand knits an absolute pain in the proverbial.

  12. Yeah, I agree with some of your other posters–I think your new washer is female. She sings while doing laundry? I think that sounds like a June Cleaver-type person who does everything super-efficiently. I think her new name should be Mom. 😉

  13. This sounds very much like my new washer, which is my very first washer ever. It’s fantastic. It’s in my house and it doesn’t take quarters. If your washer has it, try out the handwash/wool cycle. It’s unreal. I’ve gotten reckless enough with that cycle to try a handknit Fleece Artist BFL sweater in it today. It seriously doesn’t seem to felt things. I’m a bit worried about what I’m going to do when I actually want to felt things, because this new washer is very, very gentle on clothes.
    My wonderful washer with the cute song replaces the washer my grandfather left in the house when he passed away, which was quite literally from the 60s. I do have to admit that I didn’t wait for it to completely break down (like the matching dryer had) since we had to move everything out of the laundry room anyway in order to replace the floor which had almost rotted through because of the efforts of said washer. We weren’t about to repeat the experience of moving the water heater. A good laundry experience should not involve brazing.
    (While I’m at it, I’ll also confess that we got rid of the stove/oven/microwave combination when we moved in. It had been passed down to my grandparents by my parents in 1974. The stove gave you an electric shock and I remain convinced that the “microwave” was actually an EZ-bake oven, as the only obvious effect of turning it on was a little light.)

  14. Seems like the song might be a little bit of a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation touch. Interesting.

  15. You might want to test that number 5 with something not-woolly first. Mine does spin only but it plays with it first, spin to the left, then the right, then the left. At that point it doesn’t spin fast enough to stick it to the drum so what happens is that the bag of fibre would fall with a lovely thump into the bottom of the drum, over and over. I don’t know whether I’m not putting enough in and it’s trying to balance the load but it’s a sure route to felting. I forgive it because it washes socks a treat.

  16. I’m in the process of denial on the fate of my old Kenmore washer (“Mr Fix-it” Dad officially declared it dead a week ago). This post has kicked my butt into wanting to head to the appliance store, even though I’m too flat broke to afford even a basic model right now. Hey, I’ve got a credit card!

  17. Good for you, you got a front loader – maybe a German one too from the sounds of it.
    You will also find that your clothes get cleaner, in addition to all the things you mention above. I certainly noticed that the 1st time I used a front loader.

  18. Congrats on Mr Washie Jr! You’ll love him 🙂 But be warned, even though it says spin only, a front loader spins differently than a top loader and will tangle your yarn or felt your fleece (ask me how I found out, go ahead, ask)
    I love mine for the max extract mode where it takes as much water out as possible. I line dry and it makes the drying go so much faster!

  19. Congratulations on getting the new washer into the basement with only a minor dismantling of walls! I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven if, when all the children were home, I could wash that many towels at one time. May the new washer serve you as well, and as long, as the noble Sir Washie.

  20. “The Trout”? That’s funny! But when it’s done with the cycle, doesn’t that mean there’s a fish out of water?
    Congratulations on the new addition to the family, meantime, and yes, spin-only cycles are WONDERFUL for fiber artists.

  21. It plays Shubert?!?!?!!
    I’m so jealous – I love my front-loader washer, but when it finishes, it blurts out a loud, nasal buzz. If you happen to be in the basement when it buzzes, your risk a concussion when you jump out of your skin and hit your noggin on one of the low beams. And it’s an old house, so those beams are made of large, very hard wood. OW.

  22. Hooray for New Washie! Sometimes it’s just plain too cool to have “the latest”.
    Just curious, but is this hole in the wall a new door for loading and unloading laundry appliances? Maybe you could get a freezer (though I do think the best place for a freezer is in the garage).
    I know a bit about adding new appliances to a very old house. My 100 year old house had the ice box which was a box for ice on a back porch. During remodeling, we found the hole for the water hose! We also found a hole in the wall for the chimney for the stove that was responsible for heating the house. All this in the space to be the kitchen. I don’t know how any serious cooking happened there, especially when bread was made daily. I have a flour bin. I didn’t remodel that or any of the cabinets.
    Happy 2009 and you know all these efforts for a clean world may just pay off beyond your front door!

  23. Any thought given to building a platform for the new washer to sit on just in case the basement floods. I doubt the 5 yr warranty covers flood damage. The new washer may play the Trout, but I bet it doesn’t swim like one.

  24. Many congratulations! I, too, mourned my faithful old washer, which saw me through many, MANY loads of dirty diapers, and began to be consoled only when I realized the new one’s drum was about a foot deeper. This means I now only have to wash diapers every three or four days, rather than every other day. It’s a beautiful thing!

  25. In other words the new washer is related to Martin from Hitchhiker’s Guide, but actually is happy doing what it was made for. (See #1)

  26. Yes, indeed–we do sing when we’re happy, and it takes a serene and sublime being indeed to be happy while doing the laundry.
    Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go put my pants in the laundry pile… I seemed to have wet them laughing during your post:-)

  27. My front loader only beeps. I am jealous. I suppose in a few years, they’ll be able to play a choice of songs or page your Blackberry!
    Beware that “spin” cycle. It may be more like tumble/spin and not exactly a full on spin.
    OTOH,, the gentle cycle is *so* gentle …
    For me, single, the beautimous thing about the front loader was being able to wash a down comforter instead of having it cleaned or trekking to a pay laundry.

  28. That machine must be magic if it does all your towels at once. No matter how many towels I do, another load appparates immediately. We’ll see what happens when daughter the eldest moves out–to another planet…I mean state (just keep breathing…).

  29. Congratulations – huzzah on no longer trekking for laundry. Long Live Sir Washie and welcome to the new sudsmaker. The song element is terrific. I also have a front loader, my sister does too and both the machines do need a little airing out – somehow they smell ‘watery’, if I don’t leave the door open to air out. My sister runs a load of water every now and then with just a little white vinegar (but then her nose is super-sensitive).

  30. I am so happy for you! Seriously. And jealous, too, since I am constantly searching for quarters with which to do my seemingly unending laundry in the trailer park laundry room.

  31. Will it felt as well? If so it may be a contender when Old Faithful gives up the ghost….

  32. Congratulations!! I have a similar new washer, and I adore it. I can now do 6 loads of laundry in one day, instead of 2. And they’re clean. And dry (after the dryer.) This is still new to me, and causes me to do a little happy dance when the washer plays its song.
    I was terribly worried about the front loader thing, because they can’t be opened in the middle of a cycle, and they’re so gentle on clothes, that I expected never to felt again. However, I just finished felting my 3rd pair of mittens for this winter, so it felts just fine (I run it through once, and finish felting by hand in the sink for accuracy.)
    Life is good, huh?

  33. Congratulations on the blissful union between you and the yet to be named washing machine. I’m happy that this saga (which I’ve been following with bated breath) has a happy ending.

  34. I too have a new washer. It does not sing a song, but it is Swedish and expensive, and I call it Bjorn. We are happy together.

  35. Oh, Stephanie — “Drink it off the floor” — this isn’t the first time, my dear, that I’ve blessed the mind of whoever invented Depends. (Well, the pads, I don’t need the whole panty thing, even for you. Yet.) Mazel Tov on Prince Wash-a-Lot, and you’re a girl after my own heart. There may be some out there who don’t fully appreciate the delight of a Shiny New Appliance, But *I* do. (Remember the felting problem, though — read the manual before trying anything rash !)

  36. Yay for washing machines securely installed! Yay that y’all can now wear clothes again (my guess is that you guys must have been running around half-naked most of the time as as to not dirty anything).
    I’m also guessing that you’re not fixing the wall until the new dryer finds its way down to the basement? Just in case?

  37. I’m so totally jealous. I had to leave the washer and dryer that I loved with the house we are still trying to sell in Alabama. I have something that claims it’s a replacement, but it’s not. Congrats on your new appliance. I hope the dryer is just as great.
    Melissa

  38. Not a replacement – never a replacement for one’s old faithful friend and servant. A *successor*. Give you joy of your new friend, and may you enjoy many happy years together. (I must say, though, the choice of “Die Forelle” is maybe a little creepy, considering its tragic cynical outcome. I hope that doesn’t affect your laundry.)

  39. Nice machine!! What brand?
    My rice cooker plays a little song at the beginning and at the end of its cycle….

  40. I’m so glad it’s in and all is well. The song thing sounds a bit weird. I guess when all your kids are past needing naps and help going to sleep you don’t worry as much about appliances making noise to tell you they’re done.

  41. My parents’ old washing machine required one to sit on top of it so it didn’t walk across the floor during an unbalanced load. They finally replaced it a couple years ago as a Christmas present to each other.
    Die Forelle is one of Schubert’s great songs, even if it is cynical (like commenter Lisa says). If you don’t get sick of hearing it, listen to the quintet sometime. It’s lovely.

  42. Hurrah for the new washie! May it add grace and beauty to the basement.
    One word of caution: When your children wash ALL their dirty clothes in one load- the clothes come out dingy. Nip separation anxiety in the bud.

  43. It actually drives me nuts that my washing machine plays “The Trout” when it’s finished. I find myself occasionally humming its tune at other times, and then I realize why that song is stuck in my head… I’m glad you’re enjoying it, though.

  44. Congratulations on the new washer and shortly arriving dryer.
    I just purchased a house and got a washer and dryer as a result – both LGs, which also sing when they’re done. I find it completely delightful!

  45. Just a word of advice: use the special detergent for front loading washers. I thought that was a load of crap and just used a tablespoon or two of the standard stuff… And now the little suds have crept through the tiny gaps in the machine and are rusting all sorts of important things… And now the machine that was to be my Mr Washie and last 15 years is making noises like humping elephants every time the thing spins and our repair guy is looking grave.

  46. Your waxing rhapsodic over your new frontloader is fully appreciated here. For the first week after we got ours, we would sit in the living room and say things like, “It’s so quiet!” and “You don’t even know it’s on!” That is, when we weren’t marveling over how little water it used; or admiring its adorable instrument panel with all the cute little lights.
    I’m jealous of the music, though; ours has a very pleasant ding, but it doesn’t have classical pretensions.

  47. Even marriage is only “till death do us part,” so there’s no need to feel bad that after a suitable mourning period, you have moved on to a new washer. I hope your house recovers.

  48. Why does your washer’s joy at fulfilling it’s higher tasks of cleaning your clothes remind me of the self-satisfied door in The Heart of Gold in Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? I suggest you give your new washer a name in honour of Mr. Adams’ work. While Zaphod is nice, I suggest Arthur Dent…or Scratch as the case may be 🙂

  49. My sexy front loader only buzzes when done…now i’m jealous! However, when I turn my car on the first thing that comes on the display is “Hello!” I am thankful for that on the days when the kids are driving me nuts that *someone* is glad to see me, even if it is only the car.

  50. When I got my new washing machine I hugged it the first time it went through a cycle, and for the first two weeks I would sit in front of it, mesmerized as it did a load of clothes. Washing machines that work well truly rock. And I guess are worth taking walls down for – to a point!

  51. Glad it all worked out without destroying too much of the house – here’s hoping that you and the as-yet-unnamed-one will have many years of washing pleasure together….

  52. Beware the spin only cycle. Two days ago I felted a sweater knit from Patons Classic Wool on the spin only cycle of my new front loader. The honeymoon is over!

  53. Ok out of all the cool and efficient things you washer does, the singing empresses me the most. Is that sad?

  54. I feel your joy! I have had the identical set for a year now and love them with an all consuming passion. I frequently forget the washer is running, it’s so quiet, and it holds an unprecedented amount of dirty laundry, indeed making the chore much less time consuming. Now folding an putting away all those clean clothes? That’s another story!

  55. I’ve been worrying about Mr Washie’s replacement, so am ecstatic it is operational. My front-loader only beeps at me, song sounds better! Good luck!

  56. I am *so* jealous! I love “Die Forelle!” I wish a major appliance in my house would play some Schubert instead of just buzzing or beeping!

  57. So what is the new washer’s name? (“Wash-a-Lot” comes to mind….or, I’ve got it— how about the ever-popular “Sir Loads-A-Lot”…)

  58. Good for you!
    You will also find your electricity bill drops big time as the dryer (also new and efficient) takes minimal time and energy to dry.
    I couldn’t believe the difference. Mine
    has a hand wash cycle that works perfectly
    Happy New Year to all.

  59. Yay! So relieved to hear the new washer made it safely (mostly*g*) into the basement. The whole ‘tbc’ of the posts was as bad as any season cliffhanger in your favorite tv series!

  60. Congratulations! Nothing like a front loader. Does it have a name yet (or perhaps a contest in the offing to provide one)? Enjoy!

  61. I was going to comment on how you must now borrow a friend’s washer to felt anything, but I have read some of the posts prior to mine, so no worries there, I guess. My local hardware store carries a product for the smelly washer syndrome that front loading Madame Washie may develop. Here’s the link:
    http://smellywasher.com/blog/

  62. wow, a front loader. does this mean your felting will now be done elsewhere? it is a beautiful machine, very feminine lines. is the music played in a higher or lower range? that’s one way to guess appliance gender, i suppose. congratulations on a lovely choice!

  63. Happy laundering!
    Very glad your menfolk are so handy and able to assist.
    Sounds like the results will drive the 31 Dec stress right out the back door.
    best wishes for 2009!

  64. Yahoo for the new washer!!!
    BE SCARED BE VERY VERY SCARED….it will felt fleeces, roving, yarn and anything you love that is a natural fiber.
    Its great for cleaning clothes but keep the wool as far away as possible…

  65. Wow… new washer… that sings… mine just sort of stops, and it also stops between actions, ie: between washing and draining and spinning. We got confused for the first few times we used it. ^^;;

  66. This is one of those things that really show up the differences between the UK and North America. I can’t imagine where I’d buy a top-loading washing machine here in England. And I’ve never owned a machine that doesn’t do spin-only – most even let you control how fast they spin. And different detergents ? Classical music and beeps ? Nations separated by washing…
    I have a ‘hand wash’ programme on mine but the spin is very slow, more of a languid roll of the drum a few times. I’d be REALLY careful of using the spin-only to get water out of hand-knits – use the lowest spin setting first of all, and maybe try some item that you won’t be too devastated over if it felts or stretches.
    And ditto to the commenter who said that she watches her laundry sometimes – I do too (even after 3 years with the current model…)

  67. You have a basement? Does this mean that there is now extra kitchen space? Let’s see….I suggest a combo wine cooler/wool keeper. Conveniently placed near the chocolate, of course.
    Oh, wait, that’s my fantasy….

  68. Oh, I would disconnect that Trout in a blink. But otherwise, sounds great! Especially the lack of treks through the weather to do laundry, yuck!

  69. Well hot damn! And I think I’m really and truly an adult, for I am having serious appliance lust right now. I live in an apartment and the washer is not mine. It is at least 20 years old and now the water level knob is stuck on medium. I feel your pain about washing towels and I live alone! It also vibrates the entire apartment when it goes into the spin cycle. Part of that is likely due to the fact that the house is over 100 years old, but not all. Enjoy your new toy!

  70. OK. The “drink it off the floor thing”? Killed. And not just because it was something *I* would say, and it’s nice to know there are other loony mommies out there, either. Too funny.

  71. …my friend and her husband just bought that very same washer, and the matching dryer. I went over to use it recently, as I have an apartment with no washer/dryer hookups…and I have serious appliance envy! The chirpy happy little songs they make really are just charming beyond all reason.

  72. Congrats on the new washer. I have a Kenmore almost as old as Sir Washie and I wonder, when mine eventually and inevitably gulps its last, whether I shall also get a front loader. How does one purposefully felt knitting projects? Currently, I can check them as they go along. Tough to do with a front loader. Please advise!

  73. Congratulations on your new washer!
    I know you’ve had a tonne of helpful advice, but let a several-year-owner of a similar machine give you one good piece:
    This washer is like Sir Washie as a horse is like a modern Merdeces-Benz.
    Find a washer repair guy, and ask him how to best take care of your washer. (The owner’s manuals are often over-simplified . . . less intimidation for the owner, and more repairs for the company.) If you can’t find a repair man that will talk to you (calling a local place and opening with “Hi there! I’ve just bought a front-loader, and I’m giving you a chance to earn a customer” often works), find an online forum like http://www.ThatHomeSite.com that has a laundry forum with some really knowledgeable laundry gurus in it, who can give you some tips.
    I’d list off a few, but my kids are about to take the house down, as it’s nap time, and the tired ones are inciting the older ones to riot. :o)
    Enjoy the wonders of modern technology!
    P.S.) FWIW: My washer has a “Wool/Handwash” setting that works very nicely. And I spin my hand knits out after that cycle is done–I just have to be careful to set the spin on a moderate or slow speed. The fabric tightens up some, but I haven’t had any true felting yet.
    For true soaking, though, use a bucket. Front loaders’ soak cycle has intermittent tumbling, to keep everything evenly wet in the puddle of water at the bottom of the drum.

  74. i think i have washer envy! but do front loaders felt? i heard an urban legend once that cast aspersions on their ability to do so…

  75. Ohhhhh, envy! They tell me one of those will never fit down the stairs into my basement, but you’ve given me hope!
    I suggest the name The Prince of Clean. He needs a name.

  76. honestly, I think front loading washing machines are the best thing since sliced bread. You will also notice that those huge loads take almost no time to dry because they are spun so thoroughly. They also use a fraction of the soap that top loader do, AND they get clothes CLEANER. It’s almost too good to be true.

  77. My whole life I’ve used top-loaders but when I moved abroad I had to learn about front-loaders. Three years later I still don’t really understand how they work, and I never really trust the water temp it tells me since I can’t feel it. Also I don’t know how to felt with it since I can’t reach in and check the felting item… But I’m sure you have figured all that out already. Hope you have lots of happy days with your new washer.

  78. Since Joe likes to cut holes, one must for a laundry room in the basement is laundry chutes. Mention it, have Joe install one and you will LOVE it forever. 🙂

  79. You are gonna LOVE your front loader. And if you simply stop it, and wait a minute, you can open it mid load, for felting. At least, mine works that way!

  80. Me, too, with “Drink it off the floor!” LOL!
    My vote for a name: Perhaps Lady Forella? Ms. Trout should be avoided, as an “old trout” is defined as an annoying or bad-tempered old woman, which would be highly undesirable for a trusty machine. Though Ms. Washetta would be nice.

  81. The “drink it off the floor!” thing hit a little close to home for me today. Last night my husband was consuming one of those little chocolate bottles filled with liqueur (I think Jack Daniels in this case) and the bottle broke as he was opening the wrapper, spilling it onto the coffee table in the living room. He was upset, so I told him to lick it off the table…

  82. Oh baby! Just wait till you get that new dryer — you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Oh, and let me know when that “song” the new Ms. Washie plays starts to get on your last nerve. I’m so there!

  83. yes, but can you felt in it? Or do you now need a large bucket, a couple of tennis balls, and a clean plunger?

  84. I love that it plays *classical* music when it’s done. That’s so cool.
    I’d say I want a new washer, but I know we’d have to take the house apart to get it to the basement, too. Oy. And I do love the felting capabilities of the current one.
    Enjoy!

  85. My rice cooker plays “Twinkle, Twinkle” 😎
    I am SO glad to see that you got a different model than I did last year. I have the energy and water efficient washer from hell. It started out with such great hopes and then dashed them with evil quirks like not draining all the way and being unbalanced. The repairman said to take heavy loads to the laundromat. We told him that if we wanted to take loads to the laundromat we wouldn’t have bought the stupid washer in the first place. SNARL! The dryer, otoh, is a machine of sterling qualities.

  86. Wow…a song. That amazes me. It has been way too long since I got a new washer. Mine is almost identical to Sir Washie.
    I sure love your blog..just finished reading “Free Range Knitter” ..which I loved, of course…and was so glad to find you have a blog..I will be visiting often. I wish you were my neighbor!

  87. I am SOOOO happy for you. I’m actually on my seventh load of laundry today (haven’t done any for what must be weeks, it seems). I also have a front loader and was quite thrilled when I found out that I could felt in it. Seriously–it felted my Dumpling bags far better than my mother’s top loader. Go figure! Enjoy!

  88. A singing, energy/water efficient wash machine that’s quiet while washing?? Be still my heart, that’s awesome! Love your list.

  89. How about a washer-naming contest?!
    I join those above who wax on about love of the front-loader. Mine’s now about 4 years old and doing great. No song, though you’ve got me wondering if it’s programmable.
    Head’s up on the dryer — we had a glitch for a while when it started leaving the clothes damp no matter what cycle I used (other than pure time). Turned out the dryer sheets I was using had “gummed up” the sensor, which (on mine) is hidden below the door rim. Polished up the sensor, stopped using the dryer sheets, and “voila” – perfectly dry clothes every time!
    Congrats & Enjoy!

  90. Welcome, welcome, Mr. E.E.(Energy Efficient) Washer! I have his cousin at my house and love him passionately, although he is a dour New England sort who does not sing or play songs. He does hum a bit, though. Rest in Peace, Sir Washie. You were a good and faithful servant.

  91. I always enjoy reading your blog because I get a much needed chuckle every time. I’m so happy to see that you have your new washing machine. I can totally relate to the old machine’s spin cycle drama. Ours moves about 3 feet from its spot, which means an unbalanced load or so I’d like to think.
    Maybe you can hold a contest to find out who can come up with a cute or clever name for your new machine, unless you already have one in mind.
    Congratulations! May Sir Washie RIP.

  92. I LOVE that it plays Die Forelle! You’re going to name it ‘Franz’, aren’t you? Or maybe Franzl? Come to think of it, there’s a whole world of possible great names to choose from in the titles of Schubert lieder!
    My super dooper, energy efficient, front loader Swedish washer is named Greta or Hilda or some such. I, too, stood and stared as it went through its first complete wash cycle. More entertaining than any television show (except maybe Battlestar Galactica).
    Congrats on the new family member, whatever its name turns out to be.

  93. Your washer sings Die Forelle? In German? It’s a barione? You’ll have to name it Dietrich, you know.

  94. Mazel tov on your new washer! Glad he got down to his place. We are now the proud parents of a new refrigerator/freezer which, in spite of being a few inches shallower than our last one, fits more stuff. And the freezer is larger than a shoe box. O joy!

  95. First congrats on a beauteous new addition to your household. I admit that I covet your front-loader.
    That smelly washer problem? I avoid it by leaving the door open when I’m not using it. The problem is mold and mildew. You close all that moisture inside and it can’t evaporate. Seriously, just leave the door open.
    And for those of you who don’t know the trout (Die Forelle) and even for those who do and like it, you must check out this version on YouTube. Voice like an angel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk-TXzUlJhs

  96. I think you are showing great fortitude in not running in terror at the fact that YOUR APPLIANCES SING AT YOU. I would be huddled under the table, weeping.

  97. When we moved into our present residence, we were left with an Eaton’s Viking. When the darned thing died (I would not have honoured this washer with a title), I tried to have it fixed. The repairman wouldn’t stop laughing. I love our new machine, especially since I have an eleven month old, who likes getting dirty (he is a boy after all).

  98. OK, I’ve now searched google for portable washing machine products. Harlot and the commenters have given me major washer envy. I’ve never had a washing machine in any of my two-family apts. in over 20 years. And I’ve found one for $249 with shipping. What ever have I been waiting for!! Thanks for the push!
    Peggy T

  99. Aren’t sexy front-loaders wonderful? Although mine, alas, doesn’t sing when it’s through; but it does everything else. I haven’t tried the hand-wash cycle yet, but will definitely be trying it — with something that won’t upset me to have felted just in case!
    Our old machines were extra-large capacity, so it’s not the size of the loads in the new one that amazes me, it’s the quietness that I love. Our laundry room is right next to our bedroom, and it’s now possible to run both the washer and dryer while someone sleeps right next door without bothering anybody. Such a thing of beauty!
    Welcome to the world of flashy new appliances!

  100. MY new washing machine only beeps at the end of the cycle. You must have gotten the next level up.
    Possibly the only drawback to the new washer is this: felting (or fulling if you prefer that term) will be a tad difficult with the front loader.
    Somehow I think that is an obstacle that can be overcome.
    Congrats on getting the beast in place!

  101. I am happily anticipating the day my small top loading washing machine dies so that I can replace it with a larger front loader. As I don’t felt (yet) I only want the spin only cycle so I can spin out my hand washing (I know sacrilege, but hey it cuts down on drying time) and I want the steam option so I can clean pillows and dooonas (duvets)without taking them to the drycleaners or laundromat!
    Sir Washie is dead! Long live Sir Washie!

  102. One question: What is a “gitch”?
    One comment: Be sure to leave the door open on your new washer so the gaskets get dry. You can develop some serious mold & mildew in those machines. It’s the major drawback to them as far as I can tell.

  103. Die Forelle! I’m jealous. Our washer, though I do like it a lot, honks really loudly and scares the cats when it’s done. I should check the user manual to see if we can change that…
    Congratulations on getting the new washer downstairs!

  104. You will be ever so much more happy with your new installation if you mount both your new washer and your new dryer on a platform that is at least 10″ high (25 cm), that is unless you are much less than 5′ tall. If you choose not to do so, the repetitive bending over to find the last sock in the washer will lead to back pain.
    I speak from both personal experience as I own a set of front loaders and from a professional perspective as I am a machine safety expert working in both the US and CA.
    I enjoy your blog and I look forward to your next entry.
    Mr Safety

  105. I forgot to mention — for the felters, check to see if your machine has an “add a garment” option on the Pause/Cancel menu. Ours does, which means (presumably; I haven’t tried it yet) that I could open it and check on felting progress.

  106. Dude, it plays a song…that’s hysterical!
    And yay for no more unnecessary trips into the snow! I hate going out in the foul white stuff too!

  107. I love that your new washing machine plays a song when it’s done! When I was living in Japan last summer, my apartment had a bathtub that filled itself and then played a song when it was ready. It also announced in a sweet woman’s voice, “The bathtub is full!” (in Japanese). It scared me half to death the first time it spoke, but after that it made me laugh every time I took a bath.

  108. 🙂 very happy for you! When my previously used but new-to-me washer finishes a load, I’m the one who sings!! am so happy to no longer have to frequent the laundry room, moving the washer dial just a tad, nudging my former machine along every few moments of its cycle – it had lost its automatic-ness many months ago. p.s. is gitch the plural of gotch?

  109. Wow. I had no idea there were washers that played music. I wonder what the $4000 ones do?
    I think she looks female. And it sounds like she’s a happy machine. That’s definitely a good thing.

  110. “Louder than a 15-year-old stripped of her cell phone…”
    That sounds like the voice of experience.
    Congrats on your new washer, and may you have many happy years together. Mine only goes, “Beep!”, it doesn’t play a song.

  111. “Die Forelle”?? Sakes alive. That alone might make me think about buying a washing machine. I live in the country, with a well (think about wells drying during a summer drought), and limp water pressure, though not as limp as yours seems to be. Plus, the machine would have to be next to the kitchen, in the computer room.
    So I bundle the laundry, detergent, and quarters into the car and go into town (7 miles), along with a book or knitting. All the machines are new front-loaders and I’ve been pleased with better cleaning.
    But a machine that sings “Die Forelle”? I might have to revisit this idea. We’ll all want to know if you get wonderful, trouble-free, water-saving results.

  112. CONGRATS!!!! we love our front loader (we also have water pressure issues…) and, even though mine is also super-efficient, it will felt… and it only took one cycle… with a sneaker and a pair of jeans thrown in…

  113. My sister’s dishwasher also sings when it’s completed a load. I find it terribly charming, and giggle every time I’m there and it sings out happily to let you know it’s all done. Hysterical!

  114. I was born a drycleaner’s daughter. My standard is an industrial-sized 100lb. load dry-to-dry system. (That means the washer and dryer are the same machine. No changeover.)
    After that, all laundry seems like scrubbing the clothes on the rocks by the river.
    And Rams? if it played Handel, then it would probably also have Jean Baptiste-Greuze’s “The Little Laundress” decorating the front. And that would just be overkill.

  115. I just recently got a new washer and dryer, too; over Thanksgiving. And mine are the crazy water/electric saving kind, too. I love how mine “sing” to me when they’re done; and that they have different songs is just a hoot! A word of advice, tho: wash everything the first time with NO detergent or fabric softener! You’ll be amazed at how much stuff was left in your clothes from the old machine.

  116. May you wear it in good health… and enjoy a long and satisfying relationship together. May his new mate the dryer have a less eventful journey inside.

  117. A washer that plays Schubert! Awesome! And decreases family friction, and allows for more baths/coffeemaking/timely teethbrushing/flushing etc.
    I have to carry a pager at work and I programmed mine to play the theme from Swan Lake. Seemed appropriately gloomy yet not jarring. Unforunately, they changed to text pagers that only have rude sounds as options.

  118. Welcome to the world of front loaders. I LOVE mine, but will share some advice I wish I would have been told: (1) only use he (high efficiency) detergent (2) don’t use fabric softener (I now use vinegar only) (3) always leave the door open between washes and (4) don’t leave wet wash in overnight. Follow all these and you will not be subject to mildew build up. Trust me, it’s gross and not easily fixed.

  119. Congratulations on your new washer. My husband and I marvelled when our new one did the final spin cycle for the first time. Top speed is 2000 rpm! We sat there and watched it like it was a round TV screen. The clothes are 25% dryer coming out of the washer as a result. The only down side is it takes about 3 times longer to felt stuff as there is very little agitation.
    Enjoy!

  120. Okay, I just need to say this one thing as the mother of three boys (four including DH) — OH YES it holds so much more washing and the drier is beyond fabulous — but DAMN they still haven’t made a machine that folds the clothes!!! UGH! I still try to be happier that I’m more energy efficient and doing more w/ less, but damn folding those clothes is still a pain in the arse.
    p.s. let’s not talk about putting the clothes away…although I realize that’s what the children are for!

  121. Hi Steph,
    Please be careful in spinning your yarn and fiber. I have a front load washer and it goes by the weight, so sometimes it does not spin fast enough and felts stuff. So be careful.
    Melanie

  122. Holy Cow that thing has a lot of buttons! My family’s old machine has wandered from its level resting spot recently and now does the Hokey-Pokey all over the basement when anything gets washed.
    Plus, a washer that sings? Wow. Before the buzzer on the dryer died, it used to be so loud it would make the dog tremble and hide out off fear– the first time I saw a dryer with a signal you could shut off, I thought it was designed by angels.

  123. By the time I made it to the last ** of the post I was in a giggling fit. That last ** made me weep in laughter. Boy howdy, someone might think you wrote funny books or something! (thanks for the giggles, love it)

  124. When I got my front-end loader I had to get on the scale with a laundry basket to believe how much crap I could stuff into it. And, of course, I had to explain the experiment to DH who caught me in the act…
    My washer doesn’t sing, though. I’m jealous. Be Happy!

  125. Oh, I can relate! We got a new front loading washer a couple years ago, and the sudden ability to get a week’s laundry done in only eight or ten loads instead of fourteen or twenty felt like HEAVEN!
    Mine merely beeps when it comes to the end of the cycle, though. It is perhaps a slightly less spiritual machine than your new one. 🙂

  126. Every family deserves an enormous and WORKING washing machine. Congratulations on finding a suitable replacement for the trusted Mr Washie. 🙂

  127. Congrats on the new washer. My sister says that her high efficiency washer sometimes leaves towels smelling musty. She washes them with a cup of vinegar…
    Just FYI.
    I’m hoping to get mine sometime this month… I figured out today that, if I get it on this sale at Sears, I can get a washer AND a new dryer.
    I can give the old, perfectly good, dryer to my daughter, who has been trying to dry her stuff by hanging it in the damp basement.

  128. Hip, hip, hooray! And when its mate arrives, I hope all of you will have a wonderful, long life together! By the way, my husband just loved your last post.

  129. Can you tell me the cubic feet capacity of your washer? I keep having people tell me how much they can stuff in it, and right now I have a super-capacity top loader and it does a pretty decent load. Even without taking out the honking big agitator, it still seems bigger than what I see when I peer in a front loader. I have one coming to my new house after we move in and I am nervous it’s going to be so much smaller.
    Congratulations, by the way. A new washer is like a new toy for a Mom.

  130. Don’t kill the messenger — but — any plastic on the fancy-pants front load washer that we bought 2 years ago is cracking and falling off at a rapid pace. The Warranty (if you can call it that) says that’s “cosmetic” and not covered.
    Watch it on the plastic parts, and may you live long and launder and prosper.

  131. it seems you have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. i hope you and the meistersinger will have a long and happy relationship.

  132. Congrads Stephanie… I have been seriously in love with my Bosch front loader for 2yrs now (which I bought during the winter sale at Lowe’s). I too had a hardworking probably 25-30yr old Kenmore, but alas… I LOVE MY FRONT LOADER. Love how much laundry (or how little laundry) I can put in it and it is efficient every time.

  133. A couple of notes (AKA Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!):
    1. My washie-repair-guy warned me not to slam the doors shut. The plastic parts on them are the first things to go on many machines.
    2. Is it imperative that Washie-The-New be to the right of the dryer? You didn’t care with a top-loader, but you will definitley want to switch positions with the new puppies.

  134. Rams, you’re so funny! I wonder if the dryer plays “Gretchen am Spinnrade” (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel)… must be a German or Austrian company that makes the machines.
    We also keep the door to our washer open to let things dry out. Another source of possible mold is the detergent dispenser — ours comes out and we clean it regularly. I agree with the commenters who recommend using only HE detergent. I don’t even use a full amount of that — none of our jobs require manual labor, and our clothes are not that soiled most of the time. I’ve not tried vinegar instead of softener, but it’s a thought. I don’t use a full measure of softener either.
    I usually take 3-4 cycles to felt items with our front loader. Given I can stop the cycles easily, it’s no trouble.
    I wish ours sang — particularly the lovely Schubert lieder!

  135. I have never laughed so hard! I also passed this sage all the way to Holland and Australia. What is the new washer’s name?

  136. So what brand did you get? Because MY new washer that I got last summer does the same thing and I TOTALLY love it! I am in fact totally infatuated and would consider marriage were I not already committed elsewhere! Does yours sing when you turn it on? And does it have a different tone altogether if the load becomes unbalanced? I love happy washing machines!

  137. Have you found yourself brushing your hair, contemplating putting on a bra before going to the basement?

  138. Oh, I’ve been wanting one of those front-loaders! When I was a little kid (sometime back in the fifties) my best friend’s mom had one. It was lots of fun watching the clothes wash through the window. (I guess it didn’t take much to entertain us kids.) So those machines are kind of retro. The Schubert is lovely–I’ve been learning that piece on my cello. Your musically gifted washer definitely needs an appropriate name, like Maestro.

  139. Thank you. I think only you could make me laugh out loud two days in a row, over a washing machine.
    Glad you got one that sings. You deserve it.

  140. OMIGOSH! I can totally identify. I got a new front loader day before yesterday….IT IS AWESOME!!!! though mine does not play a tune at the end of the cycle…just beeps a few times.
    However, you win in the installation trials. We don’t have a basement (wish I did but they don’t exist in Texas.) just a utility room, and it was a quick easy set up (after I cleaned all the sludge that accumulated under the washer and dryer.)
    I wondered about the felting in a front loader since there is no agitation. I will have to felt my stuff at my daughter’s apt…the new home of my old washer and dryer…

  141. Music?? This is just wonderful. Loved Rams comment.
    Glad you were able to install the machine without demolishing the entire house. And that you have more time and less laudry doing time.
    A thought: Write down somewhere what you had to do to install the washer. It’s one of those crazy things you will only do soooo incredibly rarely that the memory will be gone when next you – or the next buyer of the house(See, I’m being really positive about New Washie’s longevity…) would need to know.
    Someday I will tell you my story about someone going for a ride in an industrial dryer…..

  142. I just read the post to my family. We just went through something similar this last year. My husband was so upset that your machine plays Die Forelle, that he wants to re-plumb the attic which we are remodeling to be our master bedroom just so he can buy a similar machine. I will give him time to come to his senses. He afterall had the veto power over which washing machine we bought in the first place because he has stricter laundry standards than I do. I had veto power when we bought the new fridge because he does not cook. Congratulations on acquiring a fitting replacement for Sir Washie.

  143. Another cautionary note: my front loader (which I loved dearly and got at 60% off ::sob:: ) recently bit the dust. The repair man said the drum was off balance and it was caused by over-stuffing. Now, I thought the PURPOSE of front loaders was to be able to do larger loads, but apparently not.
    My front loader was only 4 or 5 years old. I’m quite devastated and had to buy used top loader again because we couldn’t afford another outlay of cash-o-la.
    So be careful on the amounts of laundry you stuff in there. I would hate for yours to make the horrid, thunk-a-thunk noises mine did.
    Congrats on the new washer!

  144. Oh, I totally understand your new washing machine love. I just bought a second hand front loading high energy efficient washer and have bored every friend praising it’s virtues and my good luck in having found it for such a great price.

  145. I say a hardy AMEN!!!! to your washer/dryer story.
    Last month, my 20 plus year old washing machine bit the dust.
    I too got a new one that holds a miraculous amount of dirty clothes. I was thrilled and at the same time a tad bit bitter at the wasted hours I have spent over the last 20 plus years washing 3 towels at a time. I’m sure I was and am much more excited than bitter and even MORE excited that the washer/dryer is now in my basement instead of the kitchen also.
    It is hard to express the joy!!!! 🙂
    Jami

  146. All’s well that ends well and it looks great!! what is the brand and model as I am soon to follow in your footsteps..narrow stairs:(

  147. Can you change his song? Like downloading a ring tome to your phone? (Hold on a moment while I go patent that idea). Think of what it COULD play…Hallelujah, Ode to Joy, ‘Tis a gift to be simple…why am I only naming hymns? I don’t know. Maybe it would play “Popular” from Wicked. Oh, I am going to go crazy tonight thinking silly toughts about washing machine songs. My family will not thank you for this.

  148. Your new washer sounds wonderful – pun intended! I tend to get over-excited when I get something like that, too.
    I live on a hill and have no water pressure to speak of – totally understand how you can brush your teeth OR flush the toilet, etc. I solved the problem by having a pump installed in my basement that, lo and behold, gives me “normal” pressure where I can have a load of clothes going in the washer and a load of dishes in the dishwasher at the same time. I can even get a glass of water from the tap at the same time!!

  149. I love that your washing machine plays a song. It reminds me of the dryer we had in the late 1950s that announced the job was done by playing the little ditty “How dry I am!”

  150. WE HAVE THE SAME WASHING MACHINE!!!
    I agree, it’s pretty great. And, much more fun than our last one. No one dreads doing the laundry anymore…

  151. Our washer and dryer were replaced this September. Both my husband and I went to the appliance store in our work clothes, he’s a full time farmer and I was working at the farmer’s market. After speaking with the salesperson for a few minutes I realized how desperate we must have looked wearing our dirty grubby work clothes to the store. We got a good price and they delivered it really quickly.
    Beware, our washer and dryer are in the same position. The doors meet in the middle, a pain in the **@#$# but worth every dropped towel!
    When we have time plumbing and wiring changes will fix that.
    Don’t you just love to sit and watch it spin and flip back and forth!

  152. Hurrah! for appliances. I love them. Kitchen gadgets are good too : )
    And thank goodness you’re not trucking across ice with a laundry basket/bag any more!

  153. Methinks the lady doth protest too much. Admit it; Sir Washie has already lost his allure you fickle woman.

  154. You know, on your last post regarding the recently departed (spiritually and literally) Sir Washie, I suggested the song “Days of Wine and Roses”. Maybe a new song for your your new, hip, bad %$& washer could be James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” Oooooh, that’s even kinda crafty, titlewise. 🙂

  155. When I got my new front loading set I literally got down and hugged it. My at the time one year old would sit down in front of it and watch the wash slosh around and around in its efficient glory. Its been 4 years and I still proclaim my love for it.

  156. It plays a song?? Now that’s seriously cool. Does it allow custom songs to be added? Bet Joe would enjoy that….. 🙂

  157. Fine qualities in the new machine, however I must remind you-30 YEARS. Write again in 25 years and let us know how it’s going.

  158. You would not BELIEVE the drop in our water bill since we got our front loader. This, despite the fact that we added a family member shortly thereafter … a family member whose size belies the tremendous amount of laundry she generates.

  159. Yay! Owner of a front loader who will miss the escapades of Mr Washie. Felting less manageable, but small price to pay. They look great. Congratulations. (I agree with comments that recommend platform, which I don’t have. I spend a lot of time on the floor loading and transferring and unloading.)

  160. I was so sorry for your loss when it was announced that Sir Washie had passed. However I was rather selfishly glad to hear that he was thirty at his passing as the Kenmore washer and dryer that I inherited in 2002 are about 20 years old now. (Inherited as in their original owners literally moved to the other side of the world.) It sounds like his replacement is really sweet and in some ways I am envious.

  161. OK… I’m not sure what it is about a new washer and dryer that gives such great pleasure to a woman… but they do! We got a wonderful front loader a few years ago and I love it! I wipe out the rubber around the inside of the washer when I’m done and leave the door open to prevent the mildew thing. But… the best thing of all…. our washer and dryer is in a small laundry room and the two fit side by side within the wall space. So my husband built a wonderful counter top over the two so I have a fabulous folding area! LOVE IT! It is so wonderful to be able to fold everything right there! And as for the bending over… hey, I’m short and I can always use the exercise!

  162. OMG – Die Forelle? That rocks in every geeky way! (As long as it’s the opening happy-fish-swimming-along-minding-his-own-business verse.)

  163. Condolences on the final passing of Sir Washie, and his memory will long remain.
    Congratulations on the Singing Washer. May you and your new appliance have a wonderful and equally long-lived relationship!
    Hugs and smiles.

  164. I love my front loader too. I also live in an old house and had to prioritize what and who needed the water the most. Now I can do a load of laundry and have a shower !!! Isn’t technology wonderful.

  165. Schubert’s Trout? Really? That’s my favourite piece of music ever. You have one great washing machine.

  166. R.I.P. Sir Washie. Alas, you were the exact twin of my own hand-me-down washer (with matching dryer) from the parents: vintage Sears Kenmore brand hardware from the 70s. This makes me fearful that the washing days of my own machine are numbered…
    Happily, my house is 1940s construction, and that means a wider basement stairway – no installation woes there. The only downside (for me) to the machine you just got is that listening to one and only one song (however lovely it is) for the next 20-30 years would drive me nuts. So I think I’ll wait until they come with a slot where you can attach an iPod so I can have a wider variety of music.

  167. My front-loading washer, which replaced my ancient top loader, not only held more and used less detergent, it cut my electric bill by – not joking here – 40%. That was the only change we made; one new washer. I told my realtor. She said “No way.” Then she bought one. About a month and a half later she called me. 40% drop in her elecric bill. Bear in mind we’re rural and some of that is a well pump.

  168. That last reason just send me over the edge with laughters. Thanks for that!
    The washing machine in our rented apartment has not been working since day 1. I feel and envy you joy.

  169. I have this same washer (only in bright red) and I’ve had it for almost 9 months and I am totally in love with it. I don’t think it is at all unusual to have a romantic relationship with one’s appliances. And wait until you get the dryer! – no song but still the charming chime when it is done and the combo together are fabulous. Laundry is spun so well that it takes only a little while to dry.
    Only downside that I can see is felting – I love my new washer too much to feed it wool chunks. I do have a large bowl and just saw on Knitty Gritty today where someone used a (new) toilet plunger to agitate. I may try that for my next felting project.
    Anyway – congratulations – I think you and your new W/D will be very happy.

  170. hahahahaha!! I so seriously hear you!! With over 200 comments (whew) you obviously hit “it” with all of us! I LOVE my new washer and I have been in the “limp” water position AND I have a fourteen year old with a cell phone (when he’s good)…It’s so exciting to get a new appliance and so disheartening when it doesn’t fit through the door/basement stairs/whatever! Happy New Year and wishing you happy laundry and mothering days all year!

  171. Thank you for introducing me to the term “clean gitch.” And for the great image of you yelling, “Drink it off the floor!” I often wish I wrote down all the bizarre things I say in a day, but you’re so good at doing this (also in your latest book) that I feel I no longer have to. Happy New Year to you and the Washie-heir!

  172. I wonder if you could get the new washer to programmed to play Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from the 9th Symphony.

  173. La Belle Forelle – I’m quite certain it’s a she… you just have to know how to check. 😐
    I was feeling bad for you, even while laughing hysterically at your last post, so I’m glad you’re loving the new machine!

  174. I think my washer/dryer have some bizzare escape plan. The washer gets unbalanced, and in its attempt to get out of the basement, shoves the dryer out of the way. I would not be sad if either had an “accident” during the attempted escape.

  175. I have that washer!! I love mine – the kindness to fabrics is unmatched. The “hand-wash” is great for doing a little sudsing of hand-washables, then put it on hyperspin – it only takes a few hours to dry an nice fair isle sweater after spinning out. I admire your loyalty to Sir Washie – they say that widows & widowers who marry very soon are paying tribute to their late spouse – it looks like you might be in love again – a tribute to Sir Washie!

  176. Smart, sleek, efficient, sings a song with her work: Practically Perfect in Every Way. I think Miss Poppins has come to live at your house. Spit spot!

  177. HAHA! That’s fantastic! I recently acquired a new washer as well, and it ALSO plays a jaunty tune when it’s finished. It’s amazing, and it makes my day every time I hear it. Well done, and congratulations on your awesome new washing machine.

  178. my husband would like to know if you’ve given the new washer a name? i explained that i thought it would take some time to get to know the feller before he was so named, and knighthood, if appropriate would come even later, but we thought we’d ask! 🙂

  179. Congrats on the new washer. My sympathies on Sir Washie.
    My friend has a microwave that plays, “It’s a small world” when it’s done…pure evil I tell you.

  180. Great, now I’m jealous of your new washing machine. I’ll get one when they make the song programmable. You know, so it can play something like Cinderella or wait, I know, ready for this one? How bout the Irish Washerwoman? Great, now I want to jig too.

  181. If a bread machine can play Beethoven’s 9th, a washing machine certainly ought to signal the end of it’s cycle with “Ode To Joy”!

  182. Wow, I think that you’ve got quite the little crush on for your new washing machine 🙂
    I think that his name really *has* to be “Schubert”. Whadda ya think?

  183. Your lovely, beautiful, new washer looks (and sounds) just exactly like ours, but ours just only beeps. I mean, it’s a nice beep and all (I turned it off anyway) but no Schubert, no Trout.
    I think you must just have a happy appliance.
    Please let us know if it takes off into Vivaldi, or Handel…

  184. He is elegant. He plays Schubert. Hey, maybe he IS Schubert in a new and more service oriented incarnation.

  185. Your posts bring such pleasure! May your honeymoon with the nameless, but clearly cultured and suave singing appliance go on forever.
    By the way, YOU are hysterical (in a good way.) But your COMMENTERS…ROCK! I’ve been laughing out loud as I read them. I think I may have hurt myself.

  186. Congratulations! Considering what you went through to get your new washer, and to get it into your basement, you deserve to enjoy it! I was hoping that the loss of Sir Washie could be eased by the right kind of new appliance. Don’t worry, we know that your love of your faithful old washing machine has not waned. I’m sure he always knew that he was well loved. Besides, those front loading washing machines are so cool, efficient, and environmentally friendly, that I bet even Sir Washie would approve. Enjoy your clean clothes.

  187. It is AWESOME ! Totally worth it ! And it does that amount of laudry ??? I would be singing too !
    Congrats !
    Kim O

  188. I think you should knit it (have you had it sexed yet to determine if it’s a male or female?) a cover to keep it warm in the basement. After all, it DOES play a song for you. It’s the least you can do.

  189. Oh, congratulations – she’s beautiful! I know your family is blessed with it’s newest addition. And another one on the way?! Twins… you must be so proud.
    I do have one suggestion/question: might the new temporary wall opening become a stash spot? I mean, seriously, if you use some clear under-the-bed boxes, couldn’t you just keep them in with bungee cords? That way you could see your pretty stash on the way down to visit the twins! It could be inspirational.

  190. I think your washer is my washer’s sibling! I love it! Aren’t they amazingly quiet!

  191. I think your washer is my washer’s sibling! I love it! Aren’t they amazingly quiet! yarnorgy

  192. Aha! i remember this moment from my own life- We had a Sears Kenmore for 18 years that faithfully washed everything, albeit with about 30 gallons of water each time. We are on a dry well for the washing machine, since at that time, our septic system was very old and we were trying to eke out as much life from it before we had to plunk down $2000+ dollars for a new tank and leach field. The washer finally died and we bought a front loader Maytag. OMG!!! It used NO water (or very little comes out, anyway, more like 5 gallons) and I can stuff things in there and they come out so clean! With the old washer I could hardly do a medium sized load. With this one, the more you put in it, the better.Plus our dry well, which ceases to absorb much water in the frozen winter, can still take in what this front loader sends it. My only complaint, upon hearing that you get to hear Schubert (how cool, as I am a music teacher) is that we get a very loud BUZZ at the end of the cycle. But what a difference. The Kenmore was faithful, but the Maytag is sexy.
    Mary E

  193. Once again, thanks for taking a seemingly ordinary event and turning it into hilarity…..
    It is what makes life wonderful.

  194. Glad to see it installed and working. Re the water pressure thing if the city gets around to redoing the water pipes out front of your house take advantage of the offer to install new pipe up to your house. You’ll pay for the pipe on your property but you’ll get a better rate as they’re in the neighborhood so to speak. Getting rid of the 1/2″ lead (Oi!!) and replacing it with 3/4″ copper now means we can forget and flush and not roast the person having a shower. Enjoy the load Queen.

  195. It sounds like the new washer is a good fit. I am reveling in the days when we finally have a washer and dryer of our own, because the basement coin op laundry is just not fun. Though it is admittedly a lot more fun than having to bundle up and take our laundry halfway across town to still do coin op laundry.

  196. So glad there’s a happy ending to this saga. I was getting worried there. I’m jealuos about the singing feature !!

  197. Your new washing machine is sorta sexy looking. It plays a song? Really? Did it come that way or did Joe program it to sing?

  198. The new washing machine looks and sounds wonderful! Although I will miss the Mr Washie stories.
    Plus I am so glad to hear I am not the only one who has to dismantle part of their house to move a new item in. When we got a new mattress set 2 years ago we had to remove our stairs to the second floor and the ceiling above said stairs in order to hoist the mattress and box spring up through the opening. We had to settle for a full size set as well since anything larger would have required removing the roof!

  199. I’m so glad one of your earliest comments said to beware of the spin only cycle – mine has to settle things evenly before it will spin which means tossing them around a bit – fine with a large collection of socks, but it never quite gets things settled with a single large object and I have a beautifully felted, unwearable sweater to prove it.

  200. What are you going to name this one? It would be fun to have a contest for a Really Good name for the new machine in your life.
    I have to say, I’m rather surprised that you haven’t named your coffee maker!! The harbinger of the Elixer of Life….

  201. My little European-style washing machine (reaaaaallly cute, apartment-sized, agitatorless top loading model by LG) does a little “bloop bleep bloop bleep bloop bleep” halfway through the cycle (to tell you it’s about ready to start rinsing) and a little “bleep bloop bleep bloop bleep bloop” when it’s done.
    Laundry is no longer called “laundry”. Now, we find ourselves asking each other : Did you take care of the bleep bloop? I tell you, it’s been a revolution.

  202. congrats!!
    My family has a ranch in the Panhandle of Texas with an old Sears and Roebuck house in the town of Clarendon. The water pressure used to be soooo bad you would die if you were in the shower and someone flushed the commode. Many complaints and several years later and finally the city replaced the water line. It’s like magic!! We have good water pressure now!!

  203. oh, I want one too! We aren’t allowed to have washers in our apartment. Well, we are, but we have to pay $3000 for the right to do so, plus the cost of the washer and construction needed to find a place for one.
    So does your new one have a name yet? Shubert?

  204. OMG!! Your post made me laugh … so much so milk came out of my nose. I especially loved your #2 reason. Thanks for the laugh!!

  205. When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday – after we had just replaced our 30 year old washer and dryer – I told him that the new stuff was my present. He said, “Seriously? I can’t give you appliances.” I replied, “You have given me the gift of time. The old set took me hours to do the laundry. Now I can get all four bed linens washed and back on the beds in less than two hours. Time is precious.” Best. Present. Ever. Oh, and cutting our water bill by 75% didn’t stink either.

  206. I have to say this sounds more like a Miss Washer, what with the added efficiency plus the nice little ditty at the end of her was cycle.
    Congratulations on the new addition to your family!

  207. I just arrived in Vienna about four hours ago to study music. Nothing would thrill me more than an appliance that plays lieder. NOTHING!

  208. May I suggest the Dalai Washie? It seems to me that this magnificent radiant beneficence could only be honored with such a title.

  209. Advise, make sure both doors of wash and dry installments are not back to back, but face to face or at least turning the same way, try this out by make-belief actions what would suityou best the next 30years. knit two Icords to hang over the inside of your washingmachines door so it will never fully close when not in use and if you put your pinky upon your wash your thumb may touch the roof of the drum with fingers closely together, put in a towel when washing very lightweight for balance and have you thought about switchting with your MIL? I think she has a toploader too: offer to do a week af washing for her and letting you felt at hers (or remember what you did wrong before some unintended felting). BTW there is out of safetyorders an emergencystop on all wm’s, kitty’s like to climb into them. Take time to name your machine, you and “it” have to live with it for 30 odd years and die Forelle? Well, every time it sings you can let it swim away, no? Many happy years with your new machines and ooh,they will be saving your saving money for wool!Margriet A.

  210. I wonder what song the dryer will play. Did Shubert write anything about hot, dry weather?

  211. Must . . . know . . . name . . . of . . . new . . . washer . . .
    I’m torn. I thought the washer looked like one of the female persuasion, but the notion of naming it after a famous German baritone might prove irresistable were it mine. I’m waiting on pins and needles to find out what you decide. (Well, maybe just pins. I just finished a boyfriend scarf, and will be busy weaving in ends with the needles later today.)
    Happy New Year!

  212. P.S. Mirasol Sulka in “Black Pepper.” It knitted up faster than anything I’ve ever worked with before, and the wool/alpaca/silk blend is soft and yummy. I used a simple fishermans’ rib, and the results are spectacularly gratifying.

  213. Wow – I might head to Toronto and steat it – what, no, I would never do that. Seriously.
    I’ll bet it felts like a dream. Our temp machine in looks exactly like it and does a GREAT felting job.
    Spin-only is a great thing.
    Congratulations, I know you will have a long, productive life together.
    Just finished Yarn Harlot – The Secret Life of a Knitter. I realize I might be the last Knitter to do so, and loved every minute of it.

  214. I love that it plays a song! What a nice way to be reminded that the clothes need to go in the dryer.
    I wonder if the dryer will play a song, too.
    And when I think of what people had to do to get their clothes clean before washers were invented, like smacking them on rocks in a stream, stirring them in a big pot of water that had to be filled and emptied by pail, etc., it makes me appreciate those hard-working machines even more.

  215. Do let us know how it felts. And I echo the comments above about springing for the HE detergent. I killed my first front loader after only 6 years with regular detergent. Better yet, try soapnuts (fruit of the Chinese soapberry tree). Works great, less sudsing.

  216. Woohoo! New Warsher! (this is how I would say it- I’m from Southeast Missouri)In celebration, I too shall go do a load of laundry.
    I got your calendar for my office this year. Knitting everyday of the year!
    Happy New Year! (Please pardon my extensive use of exclamation points…)

  217. A washing machine that plays Schubert! That is spectacular. Though perhaps it might be funnier if it played “Oops I did it again” 😉

  218. Congratulations. There is nothing like shiny new appliances. My mum just got a new fridge and when I visited, I was conducted with great ceremony to an official fridge-admiring. On front-loader washers, they’re all I’ve ever had and I’ve felted little bowls successfully in one. Just threw them in a laundry bag, in the washer, pair of jeans to help balance and agitation and stuck it on a normal wash. Took two goes. The spin-only on mine works whatever you put in, and I’ve successfully spun a Rowan Big Wool wrap which normally felts if you LOOK at it sideways. Also spun a pure wool sweater yesterday no bother. Experiment 🙂 Oh, mine also has a delicate and a handwash cycle which is Teh Business. Works a treat, and you can adjust the spin speed too. I loves my washer…and it cost less than £200.

  219. I’ve been a reader for nearly a year now, and had yet to comment…I think I just get shy?! But seriously, today made me laugh out loud and realize just how much I do take my own “Sir Washie” for granted. I swear sometimes I pull stuff out and I think I hear him laughing at me….
    I’m a fan of keeping objects until they literally fall apart, and so this ongoing relationship with your washer has been wonderful to read about. I hope you enjoy this new one just as much 🙂
    And I loooove my HE detergent as well, so I 100th that suggestion!
    Happy Washing 🙂

  220. Would Joe kill you if you asked him to help the washer and dryer switch places? Because it looks like the doors open away from each other instead toward each other, as they should, French-door-style. Looks like you have to extract wet laundry to the right of the washer door and bring it around both doors to the left side of the dryer. I.e., machines backwards. The doors will now clank into each other, damage that warranty will not cover.
    Signed, Someone With Her Own Backwards Washer-Dryer Pair.

  221. I am so excited you have the new washer in. Five years ago we sold our house with all the basement appliances in it (washer, dryer and chest freezer) because there was no way they were going to come up those stairs. The new owners reported, when they met us out and about several years later, that they had to dismantle the railing, take off a door to the outside and settle for compact replacements. I truly felt your pain. Glad you are enjoying the song now. I think the model I have now is nagging me to switch loads or hang up dry clothes in an ironic saccharine way.

  222. We just had to replace an ancient dishwasher, and the new one plays a short but sweet ditty at the end of the load. My husband says it is nice to have a cheerful dishwasher.

  223. I see by hovering over the photo of the washie that is was in on 010109. Thinking back on your belief of how the start of the year determines the way the rest of the year will proceed, I am THRILLED to see that you should have a clean, quiet, peaceful, efficient and musical year ahead of you.
    Woo Hoo! Washie version 2.0

  224. I am so envious — it plays Schubert??
    Two things I have found to be not great about my otherwise super duper (a whole comforter!) front loader. The spin cycle is so maniacal, even on “low”, that it sets in wrinkles that don’t always tumble dry out. My ironing load has increased. And not just watery, but mildew smell evolves if it stays closed. Ugh.

  225. Please tell me that for that first load, you took your knitting and a beer (or wine) and sat in front of it, watching it work? Please tell me I am not the only one.
    Kuddos to lady who said to knit an icord so the door doesn’t close completely. What a seriously great idea, and I am going to go do it right now.

  226. The new washer will have to earn its name, though since it sings after finishing work it may end up being one of the seven dwarfs.

  227. The Trout? You won’t believe this but I’ve been playing that CD over and over lately. It’s one of my favorite pieces of classical music.
    I bet your new Sir Washie II plays it because to him, washing clothes is like a trout leaping and dancing in the water!

  228. Just a warning. My front load washer (Bosch; the only thing that would fit in the laundry room of our brand-new house after the contractor screwed it up!) SPRAYS water during the spin cycle. Seriously bad for all forms of wool. I can, however, turn the water off….

  229. Sir Washie is indeed somewhere magnificent where all good washers go when they retire, probably being plied with high octane soap and beautiful towels that he does not need to wash. In your euphoria of new love you might not have noticed that the apprentice washer does not use as much soap to accomplish the same job so not only does she save water but money on soap. – happy washing – martha

  230. Hope this is not going to spoil your fun with the new washer, but I had a new one last year, and I strongly recommend testing the spin only cycle first on something superwash. Modern machines are programmed to do all sort of things that are not good for wool, but very good for felt. And there is no way to influence the programms once they’re on.

  231. My new dishwasher also plays a song when you turn it on and when it’s done with a load. My son loves to push the button over and over and over to hear it.

  232. We had to get a new washing machine earlier this year. It’s great! It takes up to 8kg, has special programmes for bedding/towels and duvets, has a Woolmark endorsed platinum care wool wash which hasn’t felted anything yet (including Koigu socks) – although I plan to knit a swatch of the yarn I used to knit Rogue before I put that in. It’s also rated A+ for energy efficiency (The EU has had these ratings for years, do you have anything like that in Canada?), I always try and buy the most energy efficient appliance I can afford because it will save me money in the long run.
    The best thing of all – it has a child lock! In theory, you shouldn’t need that but my 3 year old loves to play with the buttons so it’s been invaluable.

  233. I know the guys never understand the rhapsody of a new front loader, but rest assured, we do!
    I’m so glad it all worked out!

  234. Maybe the whole in the wall could become a pocket door… Or some other thing of a more “temporary” nature in order to allow for any future issues.

  235. hey, you have already gotten a gazillion comments and may never get to reading mine. I just wanted to let you know that I have a front loader too and I am still able to felt in it. I use the custom program and just set the wash temp for hot and no spin. then I can stop it before it is done and let it drain to check the progress. it is not as convenient but it beats going to a friends house to felt.
    Glad that you have a new washie, I love mine, with 3 kids and hubby I need a dependable washer. We went through a similar experience with our 7 year old kenmore and repair people breaking out in laughter. ugh..

  236. hey, you have already gotten a gazillion comments and may never get to reading mine. I just wanted to let you know that I have a front loader too and I am still able to felt in it. I use the custom program and just set the wash temp for hot and no spin. then I can stop it before it is done and let it drain to check the progress. it is not as convenient but it beats going to a friends house to felt.
    Glad that you have a new washie, I love mine, with 3 kids and hubby I need a dependable washer. We went through a similar experience with our 7 year old kenmore and repair people breaking out in laughter. ugh..

  237. I was already horribly jealous of you with your new washing machine even *before* I got all the way down to Reason #1, so you can imagine how I feel *now*. A musical washer? Duuude. That is so coool. I agree with the people who have suggested giving it a Hitchhiker’s Guide-inspired name.

  238. In einem Baechlein helle,
    Da schoss in froher Eil
    Die launische Forelle
    Vorueber wie ein Pfeil. etc.
    Enjoy your new addition.

  239. I knew I was an adult when I broke down and cried with joy when my husband surprised me with a dishwasher. (We had three small children at the time, like that wasn’t enough to make me feel like a grown-up.) Now I covet a new washing machine and Sir Washie’s replacement has me worked up. My kids (now teens) just don’t understand. They will some day.

  240. Hmmm. Seems that the commenters are pretty evenly divided between “you can’t felt anything in a front loader” and “be careful… it will felt everything”.
    Here’s to hoping you don’t find out which one is true the hard way!
    Congrats on the new washer!

  241. Do tell what kind of washie you have now… I was just commenting to my husband yesterday, as I was tossing stuff to be rewashed back into the washer, that it is about time we get a new one. Considering that ours is about 35 years old (we got it used from my inlaws when our now 22 year old was just a baby) – I guess it really is about time.

  242. Stephanie,
    I lurk here often and love every minute of it. I just love how you take things like getting a new washer and make them sound soooooo doggone interesting. You rule girl and I am so happy for you to have a new washer. Someone who brings so many so much joy, deserves a new washer. And of course a dryer too!!

  243. Your new machine is hands down wonderful. Mine is just a bit less wonderful because it doesn’t play music–only a very annoying and loud buzzzzz.

  244. I know how you feel. I just replaced a dryer this past week. It was used but we thought in good condition. It needed a belt after further inspection. Hubby being the fix it man he is fixed the dryer. Its so much bigger than my old one, more quite and takes less time to dry things!! The old one can be either fixed, or taken to the scrap yard. I think it might just have to take that trip.
    Enjoy your new washer and dryer. I agree having those two items in the house is huge!! Haveing to travel to another building in order to get clean clothing sucks big time.

  245. So glad that the new washer has been worth all the effort of getting it into the basement. Here’s hoping the dryer goes down smooth and easy. Sort of like Bailey’s in coffee on Christmas morning.

  246. I haven’t read through all 300 comments, but I got the name Sir Wash-a-lot – since he holds all the towels in the house. I know how your feel. When we got a new washer some years ago, I searched for the biggest load capacity I could find. It’s a top loader, but the basket was so deep, I have to lean over and stand on one toe to reach the bottom. I can load 20 towels in it with room left over. I thought I’d been blessed with the best thing in the world. No more washing a load of towels every week!
    May all your laundry days be one load!

  247. I am SOOOOOOOO jealous! I yearn for a front-loader, but can’t justify replacing my runs-just-fine toploader yet. Darn it. Although the critter is pretty big, and does a decent job…it’s just not the same as a frontie. Sigh. Enjoy the new BFF!

  248. Congrats on getting your new washer in the basement.
    Word of advisement: After you are done running your loads of wash, leave the door open as your new “washie” will get stinky if it does not have a chance to air out. Good luck – – I absolutely love mine.

  249. Before you repair the doors and walls, consider how that space could be turned into stash storage. Faux doors concealing yarn or roving. Hooks for skeins. The ultimate needle storage depot or a place to hang lenis’ schedule.

  250. This made me LOL, especially the part about the new washer ~playing a song~ at the end of its cycle!
    My mother had a washing machine that moaned and groaned and sometimes came lumbering across the kitchen in agonized lurches and spasms until my mother would hear it and go rearrange the load. If she was out of earshot one of us kids would run to her and say Mom, the washer’s trying to escape again!
    LOL

  251. “Drink it off the floor! Drink it off the floor! ”
    I just lost it there! sprayed my tea all over the computer!!!
    “When the new washer finishes – it PLAYS A SONG” that finished me!

  252. Is it against blog rules to tell us what kind of lovely washer it is? It is seriously cool and I think the fact that it plays music is magical.

  253. I vote for Schubert as his name.
    I have one of those efficient washers, too, and once your dryer gets there? THAT load will be done faster than the next load of laundry!!
    My washer however does not have a Spin Only cycle and I sorely sorely miss that.

  254. I know you’re a great writer because you wrote about your washing machine and I was enthralled. You are amazingly gifted!

  255. When my last washer died, my co-workers thought I was blooming crazy when I sent my hubby to buy a new one. My response was “look, he has to install the *%&^^$$@#$@(* thing and therefore, he gets to pick it out.” All I cared about was that it had a hot water and cold water cycle and that “hand” wash cycle. I, like you, did not want anything that cost more than my first automobile unless the silly thing was going to get the laundry from the hampers, sort it appropriately and fold it when done!
    good job on the new one and may you enjoy many years of happiness with it!

  256. Fare well, Sir Washie. Hail, Sir Washalot!
    May you enjoy your new appliances for years to come!

  257. As several have mentioned, the dryer/washer door combination can be a problem, but I *think* you have the same brand that I bought, and if so, the dryer door can be switched to open from either side. Makes things much better, also as others have said, do not use the spin only cycle unless you DO want to felt. Sigh. But the delicate/wool cycle is fine, I have not felted ANYTHING yet with that cycle!
    Also, I am very surprised with the cleaning ability of this washer…old stains (I mean from YEARS ago) came out of my husbands work clothes.
    I’m jealous, my model (from about 5 years ago) does not sing, only buzzes very loudly, but thankfully the buzz can be turned off!

  258. Buy the extended warranty! My front-loader died after 7 years. You’re right. It’s great, but they don’t make washers like Sir Washie anymore. (Well, I suppose the fact that I accidentally washed a disposable diaper in mine may have contributed to its untimely death.)
    Also… can’t felt in it. Front loaders don’t agitate vigorously enough, as I’m sure you know. If you are are looking for a good, cheap alternative to felting with a bucket and plunger, check out the “Wonder Washer.” Seriously.

  259. You will love your new washer. I love mine. The sales person said “you can wash 17 pairs of jeans in one load”. Who the heck has 17 pairs of jeans after your children are grown and married???? Oh well. It holds a lot. There’s only one thing to watch out for. They are sealed so tightly that if you leave the door closed and it’s still wet, it will start to smell. Go buy some Affresh. It’s designed to keep front loaders smelling fresh. The other alternative is to use bleach. Leave the door open after you use it to let it dry inside! In a few weeks Mr Washie will be a faint memory! And when the matching dryer comes! HONEY! You’ll be doing the happy dance!

  260. You got a front loader. Watch out for your back! The only reason the front loaders are popular is because they are different. Not better, just different. Something to bring in the bored buyers.

  261. I had almost as much fun reading the previous comments as I did reading your post. I’ve passed three kids by my bladder, so I had to prepare ahead of time to read this (I went potty before reading, plus a pad backup). You’re hilarious! Congrats on your new housemate! Hope “trout” keeps your family harmonics in tune for years to come!

  262. Just so you’ll know that you have not suffered in vain, a comment to your previous post gave me a hint, and I managed to fix what had been wrong with my dryer for the past two years! Thanks, and keep us posted!

  263. That smell that so many have mentioned might be relieved by soaking up the water (with a towel?) that has made itself at home in the recesses of the rubber seal at the bottom of the opening. It’s like a reservoir.

  264. Oh no — now the appliances are into music as well! A fond farewell to Mr. Washie, and welcome to the new as-yet-unnamed washer.
    And I knew there had to a knitterly reason for it somewhere in there.

  265. I’m not sure if I feel better or worse reading your post. My washer is 33 this year. We have ‘history’. The writing is on the wall.

  266. I like to think Sir Washie had a hand in bringing this new washer into your lives and has passed the deep responsibility he felt on to the next generation.

  267. Put your new washer up on a skid or frame to protect its achilles heel…flood water! Same goes for the dryer. Unlike the old appliances, your new one is filled with wires, chips and circuits. It won’t survive a flooded basement. 6 to 8 inch riser oughta do it. Trust me. My new washer croaked a year past warranty while the old one survived and was back in action after the cellar dried out.

  268. I cannot believe how many comments this washing machine debacle has generated! So, we can assume we all enjoy knitting, naming washers, and having clean clothes. We do not enjoy deaths of our old appliances and smelling like an old towel. My kind of people!

  269. Also: I hoope that Joe the wonder husband can repair the house in some way that will make umm future basement deliveries or emergencies (a never know) more accessible… a removable panel or something?
    (yes I’m worried about your future… I can’t help it- I’m like that)

  270. My sister and her partner just got this same washer! I went over to visit them last weekend and apparently every visitor now gets a tour of the new appliances, including a live concert of “Die Forelle.” It’s such a jolly little melody that I bet unloading the machine is a delight! Enjoy!!

  271. I am seriously jealous that the new washer plays a song when it’s done. My dishwasher beeps when it is done, but the washer does nothing. When we hear the dishwasher beep, I always tells my husband he better get the dishes out before they wrinkle. I would love to know the washing machine is done especially since, as you’ve noticed, it’s so quite, so we can’t hear it finish.
    Enjoy the new one!

  272. Do yourself a huge favor and build or buy a base to put that thing up on. Your back will thank you every time you do laundry. Plus, a platform will save the thing in the event of a flood. We opted for buying the optional “storage bins” that are designed for the washer and dryer to sit on. The extra (in this case) 10 inches are truly a lifesaver.
    If you do build something (say out of wood…) to sit the w/d on, give it a few extra inches on each side, even though they’re pretty steady my front loader does occasionally wobble out of place and needs to be nudged back.

  273. What kind of a people are we to (1) take such delight in this appliance saga, and (2) leave so many comments? It’s not that I don’t have a life (I should be calling the hospital to argue yet again about a bill), but somehow this does bring me pleasure. Thanks to everyone.
    Ruth in Bar Harbor

  274. Ooooh he’s handsome, AND he can sing? WHOA, Where’d you buy him? I think there are several woman around here that could use one of those…
    I think he needs a name… 😉

  275. Hi,
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  276. Ditto everyone else: leave the door open after each wash. Also, that drawer for the detergent might come out. If it does, pull it out, empty the extra water that’s left in it, and leave it on top of the machine until you do your next load – you won’t be sorry. That’s what we do and we’ve never had any trouble with mildew.
    Also, see if you can switch the doors or machines when you get your dryer – very cool to just drag it from one machine to the next. Sometimes I just pull it halfway out of one and shove it in the other. Extremely lazy: yeah. Worth it: yeah.
    Have fun.

  277. Now I not only want a washing machine, but I want one that plays me music when it’s done.

  278. Here’s a little front loader secret a friend with three teenagers (at the time) and two gigantic dogs told me. Crap the washer full, let it run a few minutes. Once the clothes are wet, they take up less space and THERE’S MORE ROOM TO CRAM IN MORE CLOTHES! Warning, though. This can be taken to an extreme and cause the washer to, um, complain or sprain something. Though I’ve done it a bit with no bad side effects.
    enjoy Sir Washie II

  279. Congratulations on the new family member and you were definitely wise to go with the 5 year warranty. Things just aren’t made the same way as in Sir Washie’s day. Don’t forget to leave the door ajar after a wash so it dries out inside and you can avoid the inevitable odor! Wiping down the gaskets doesn’t hurt either. Ask me how I know………..

  280. Congratulations to the team on a job well, done, anyway.
    Your washer serenades you? Yes, but did it come with a cord and plug? My dryer died last week and I found that electric dryers come with no cord or plug. I kid you not. I bought a brand-new GE electric dryer and THE CORD AND PLUG COST EXTRA.
    I am still stunned and certain that sucker must be tattooed on my forehead.

  281. OH MY GOD!
    This describes my December!
    When I told the washer salesmen that I do 10-15 loads of laundry a week, minimum, one literally said “HOLY SHIT!” Another gaped openly at me! Another commended me on how long I got the old washer to work under those conditions for almost 8 years. (It was not a brand new washer when we moved in.)
    My new washer (A LG Tromm) also sings a little song when it is done doing my laundry. And if I am around to hear it (i.e. most of the time) I do a little dance.
    Thank you for a great laugh. I laughed until I cried. I like #1 best!

  282. isn’t it *amazing* how excited we can get over new appliances? including a washing machine who sings in gratitude to be in our service… I totally get it!! sad but I get it!

  283. Ok I’ve lived in Canada all my life, but we always called it “ginch” although now it goes by the name of “tighty-whities”, which makes me giggle every time. Thanks for sharing your hilarious life with us.

  284. I am crazy envious! I so badly want a front loader. Sometime this year, I hope to aquire one. Although we DO need a dryer first. Ours takes roughly 3-4 dry cycles (one hour each) to fully dry a load! SERIOUSLY!
    Congrats on your new sing-song washer!

  285. Really? It plays a song? My new washer and dryer (a totally awesome cherry red front loader pair that we got when our the previous owners of our new house took the old ones with them when they moved out) just make an annoying beep when they finish.

  286. Sounds like your washer was made by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation.
    (When Douglas Adams wrote, in the late 1970s about doors that thanked you for allowing them to serve you and in so doing be fulfilled, I doubt he ever seriously imagined that my local mall would have litter bins that say “thank you” when you use them; and washing machines that sing. Stranger than fiction!)

  287. Oh man, I have a deep love for my own front loader too. Mine doesn’t play a song, but I admit to smiling almost every time I take a load of laundry out to it. I’ve had it for about 6 years now, I think, and it STILL makes me so happy.

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