Laundry Woes

Yesterday I managed to get 2 loads of laundry done, sorta.

The first load, basic lights went off without a hitch. I arranged most of those items on the rack inside, leaving room on the outside line for the next load. Evidently my washer decided it didn't like the second load. Perhaps, in it's old age it has developed an aversion to sheets? Or maybe it just figures one load a day is enough. Either way, it made it through the wash cycle alright, and it did okay with the rinse cycle. By the time it had reached the second spin cycle however, it decided it had had enough.

Pa pulled everything out. Everything consisted mainly of a set of king size flannel sheets. After removing the sheets into the basket, he toted the basket outside for me, where we pulled each item out,one at a time, folded in half, and in half again, then we each held an end and started twisting, he to one side, me to the other. Tiger, one of our kittens noticed the activity and decided to plop himself down between us to take a nap. He changed his mind right quick when the rather heavy stream of water began raining down on him. He moved off to the side, shook himself off, and sat down to watch us from a safe distance.

Fortunately, we got started early enough, and the sun was shining bright enough that everything dried on the line yesterday. Unfortunately, I still have laundry to do. The sun is shining brightly once again, and I'm really not sure how many sunny clothes drying days are left in the season, and me without a washer...

Pa's going to take a look at the aging washer today, to see if he can getting it working again. If not, it's looking like we'll be in the market for a new washer. As with most things, I'm wondering what the most frugal way to go would be. We could go with a used washer, but of course there are no guarantees with that, and chances are we would end up with a less than energy efficient appliance. New appliances aren't cheap, but in the long run we may actually end up saving money energy wise, not to mention the hassle of more frequent replacement needs with used.

So long as we're getting a new washer, should we spring for a dryer as well? For the most part my line outside, coupled with the rack inside are sufficient for my drying needs, and I do appreciate this option, both for economical and ecological reasons. However, there are times a dryer would come in handy, and is even needed. There's wintertime of course, and the sheets really don't fit so well on my inside rack. Then there's those items such as afghans, blankets, comforters and pillows, that are not only large and bulky, but they also benefit from a tumble in a dryer.

How often would I use a dryer? After giving that some thought I've decided I may find it necessary to use a dryer 10 - 12 times a year. That's approximately once a month. If we chose to get a dryer, I'm thinking with that small amount of usage we may be better off going with used for that particular appliance.

Ah well. I guess I don't need to make the decision today. Who knows, maybe Pa will be able to work his magic with the cranky old washer, and we can put it all off for a bit longer...

We're going to town again today. Need to go to the post office anyway, so figure we may as well make the most of our trip in to town. No telling what fun and exciting happenings I may have to report tomorrow! Purt near anything's possible with my little family!