Throwing out my washer and dryer

[Guest guest]

This might be a mistake to post here. I know I tend to come across

as, er, the lunatic fringe even on " extremist " groups like this

one. But I'm just excited and kind of wanting to share and hoping

that it's meaningful/useful to someone here.

My sons and I stopped using our dryer about a year ago. It actually

started with the dryer dying on us. It got repaired and died

again. I played phone tag for two months with the people who were

supposed to repair it for free because it was still under warranty.

During that time, we concluded that using the laundromat in our

complex was not clean enough and was making us sick. We ruined some

clothes in the process of trying to figure out how to dry our

clothes in our apartment without a dryer but we did eventually come

up with something that worked acceptably well. We improved on that

system a few months later and now basically have a clothes rack with

a fan directed at it (at a 45 degree angle) for drying our clothes.

We also began hand-washing our clothes in the kitchen sink some time

this past spring. The washer still worked, we just didn't want to

use it anymore.

So I made a few attempts to sell it and a couple of times people

came and looked them over, but then left without buying them. I

think they were weirded out in part by the general lack of furniture

in my apartment. And I was kind of relieved they didn't sell

because I am not convinced they ever properly repaired the dryer, so

I would feel guilty if I sold it so someone. So about two weeks

ago, I told my oldest son we could dismantle the dryer and haul it

down to the dumpster in pieces instead of selling it, just to get

the darn thing out of our house. We did this last Sunday (about 9

days ago). It was quite the adventure -- and the dryer was

amazingly disgusting. Our apartment was so much cleaner after we

got rid of it. So the next Sunday (2 days ago), we went ahead and

dismantled the washer. The washer was waaaay more disgusting than

the dryer had been. There had also been mold growing on the floor

underneath the washer (which got cleaned up the day we threw out the

dryer). The inside of the washer was a mold-farm and I ran a fever

from whatever bacteria was in the water that had been sitting in

some of the tubing for months without being run.

The washer and dryer face the door of my youngest son's bedroom and

sleeps very close to where they sat. The day after we threw the

washer out, he had lots more energy and mental focus and social

skills than he has had in ages. He wasn't " lazy " , he was sick from

constantly breathing fungus!

I don't think I will ever own a washer and dryer again. Dismantling

the two of them was quite the education. We have since talked some

about the fact that I was healthier in the years that I lived in

apartments with laundromats in the basement or another building

instead of a washer and dryer in my apartment.

Peace.

Michele

http://www.healthgazelle.org

http://www.kidslikemine.org

[Guest guest]

very cool:)i cleaned our washing machine oncetoo it was bad. I'm

gonna tryt not using ours too thanx 4 the inspiring post :0)

>

> This might be a mistake to post here. I know I tend to come across

> as, er, the lunatic fringe even on " extremist " groups like this

> one. But I'm just excited and kind of wanting to share and hoping

> that it's meaningful/useful to someone here.

>

> My sons and I stopped using our dryer about a year ago. It

actually

> started with the dryer dying on us. It got repaired and died

> again. I played phone tag for two months with the people who were

> supposed to repair it for free because it was still under

warranty.

> During that time, we concluded that using the laundromat in our

> complex was not clean enough and was making us sick. We ruined

some

> clothes in the process of trying to figure out how to dry our

> clothes in our apartment without a dryer but we did eventually come

> up with something that worked acceptably well. We improved on that

> system a few months later and now basically have a clothes rack

with

> a fan directed at it (at a 45 degree angle) for drying our

clothes.

> We also began hand-washing our clothes in the kitchen sink some

time

> this past spring. The washer still worked, we just didn't want to

> use it anymore.

>

> So I made a few attempts to sell it and a couple of times people

> came and looked them over, but then left without buying them. I

> think they were weirded out in part by the general lack of

furniture

> in my apartment. And I was kind of relieved they didn't sell

> because I am not convinced they ever properly repaired the dryer,

so

> I would feel guilty if I sold it so someone. So about two weeks

> ago, I told my oldest son we could dismantle the dryer and haul it

> down to the dumpster in pieces instead of selling it, just to get

> the darn thing out of our house. We did this last Sunday (about 9

> days ago). It was quite the adventure -- and the dryer was

> amazingly disgusting. Our apartment was so much cleaner after we

> got rid of it. So the next Sunday (2 days ago), we went ahead and

> dismantled the washer. The washer was waaaay more disgusting than

> the dryer had been. There had also been mold growing on the floor

> underneath the washer (which got cleaned up the day we threw out

the

> dryer). The inside of the washer was a mold-farm and I ran a fever

> from whatever bacteria was in the water that had been sitting in

> some of the tubing for months without being run.

>

> The washer and dryer face the door of my youngest son's bedroom and

> sleeps very close to where they sat. The day after we threw the

> washer out, he had lots more energy and mental focus and social

> skills than he has had in ages. He wasn't " lazy " , he was sick from

> constantly breathing fungus!

>

> I don't think I will ever own a washer and dryer again.

Dismantling

> the two of them was quite the education. We have since talked some

> about the fact that I was healthier in the years that I lived in

> apartments with laundromats in the basement or another building

> instead of a washer and dryer in my apartment.

>

> Peace.

>

> Michele

> http://www.healthgazelle.org

> http://www.kidslikemine.org

>

[Guest guest]

>

> very cool:)i cleaned our washing machine oncetoo it was bad. I'm

> gonna tryt not using ours too thanx 4 the inspiring post :0)---

:-)

We had been getting rid of stuff for a long time before any of this

began or I don't think it would have been manageable. But washing and

drying clothes without the machines has changed the type of clothing I

buy. I still have to be presentable for work and I don't own an iron

and all that adds up to some challenges. I have been getting light-

weight knit tops and pants, which don't wrinkle so bad and which dry

quickly. My kids live in athletic clothes.

Good luck with your new adventure.

Michele

http://www.healthgazelle.org

http://www.kidslikemine.org

[Guest guest]

I think you're cool Michele!

:*)

Francine

epiousian = the expression of agape

quite a bit more than enough

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[Guest guest]

>

> I think you're cool Michele!

>

> :*)

> Francine

>

If I'm " cool " it's because the fan runs 24/7 to dry our clothes...

=8^D

Michele

http://www.healthgazelle.org

http://www.kidslikemine.org