Andy Rooney was a master at identifying absurd aspects of modern society, and demonstrating everyday things that can just frustrate and annoy the living poop out of you. Rooney died this weekend, just as I need him to write and speak about my new washing machine. With him gone (my condolences to his family), I guess I'll just have to do it myself. So excuse me, but...I need to vent.
I actually love to wash clothes; but two months ago my GE washing machine died. It was 26 years old. It's been said that you never miss what you had until it's gone, and I miss that washing machine. In fact, since buying a new one, I now feel that I loved that old machine. I wish it could come back. All it needed was a new motor, and the pan at the bottom to not leak at the end of the wash.
It was bad enough that I couldn't find an "almond/bisque" colored washer in the stores; I had to special order it and wait two weeks for it to arrive. Seeing it, I should have known it and I were not going to get along: The "almond/bisque" color was anything but; its color was more like that of half-and-half. So my GE washer and dryer are now different colors.
Aesthetics aside, I absolutely hate the new machine; in fact, I despise it. I said exactly that when I wrote to GE two weeks ago and again this Sunday morning. Two weeks ago, GE replied that the washing machine "is designed to meet government regulations to 'protect the environment'. To be more energy efficient. To use less water. So that consumers will use less soap." WTF!? Can it just wash and rinse my clothes as they need to be done?
If you're a tree-hugger, a save-the-environment groupie or some environmental rights attorney, spare me the emails, and stop reading right here because I'm going to give you a coronary with what I'm about to say: Later for using less soap, or less water; just wash and rinse my daggone clothes. I am not trying to damage the environment; I just want my clothes to get clean.
As I wrote to GE: "1) It takes forever for the tub to fill with water, and then reaching its pre-set water levels, there is not much water in the tub for whatever level I set. 2) What's the point of ‘soak'...? Just wash, spin and rinse; the clothes don't need to sit there! [Isn't that wasting energy, to have the motor running and the clothes are just sitting in unclear stagnant water?]"
The "Rinse/Soak" cycle is comprised of a swishing Rinse for just 10 seconds!! The rest of the time (three minutes, I'm told) the clothes just sit there--in a "soak." That puts me in a sulk. Don't sit and soak, SWISH! [Or, as the GE rep says, "agitate."] Well "agitate" then, so the soap can move out of my clothes during what is supposed to be a Rinse cycle. Is that too much to ask? I want the clothes to swish, to move, to get the soap out.
The new machine causes a possible waste of water and a definite waste of my time. Why? Because now, after the wash spins out and it's time for the rinse, I literally set the control back to "Wash" so that the clothes will swish/agitate for more than ten seconds. But with this, I have to remain nearby, to listen for the cycles to end/change. I don't have time for that...but I need my clothes to get rinsed. I love clean, well-washed, well-rinsed clothes; is that too much to ask?
There is no lint trap with the new washer and I've noticed significantly more lint in that of my dryer. My old washer had a neat little tray that sat atop the central agitator piece and it collected lint from the wash.
My old washing machine had a mini-basket which was perfect for washing delicates or small loads. The new machine doesn't have that.
What the new machine deems a "small" load is really my mini-basket size; the new "large" is a previous "small" load. The new "super" load is just a "large," and if I have a true extra large--or "super"--load, I have to play with the knob to try to get enough water in the tub to at least meet the level of the clothes. Plus, my sheets get twisted in a knot, with smaller items (and pockets of water) caught within the twisted folds.
In short, I have had enough of this unit, can you tell? Just everything is horrible; it really, really is.
I know my old GE washer was 26 years old and that things have changed; but I just cannot believe that this is how all washing machines are these days [is it...?]: Little water; slow to fill, minimal agitation; three minutes of "soaking" instead of agitating? In my opinion, clothes aren't "rinsing" when they are "soaking"--i.e., just sitting--in still soapy water
So I mourn. I miss my old GE washing machine. It was great. My clothes became wonderfully clean. There were adequate wash, and rinse, cycles. I could open the lid if I wanted to see if I needed more soap and/or water. There was the mini-basket, and the lint trap. There was great agitation with great results.
I can also tell that my old machine was built much better than this plastic piece of crap. The materials of this new unit leave much to be desired in quality and aesthetics, and I know for a fact that this one will not last me 26 years, not that I'd want it to. Again, I despise this machine. The salesman told me that many of today's machines are made for these 'less water' settings, but, in my opinion, this is not good. It's ridiculous.
As I wrote to the GE reps after washing two loads this Sunday morning: "I ABSOLUTELY HATE this washing machine!!! I just cannot deal with it anymore." Maybe this is my punishment for not going to church. [And in case anyone is wondering, it's GE Model # GTWP2005M0CC. Andy Rooney would be proud of me for calling it out and telling it like it is.] RIP Andy Rooney.
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Copyright © 2011 Dr. Melody T. McCloud. All rights reserved. Any excerpts reproduced from this article should include a hyperlink to this--my original post on Psychology Today, with author credit. Feel free to post the link to this, and any of my PT posts, to your social network pages.
