Heat Pump Dryers

[Sprinter]

I'm lucky to have a wife who likes to use a clothesline. In the warmer weather, this is 100% of what we do, and in the winter, we dry most of our clothes in front of a wood stove.

Exactly what we do! I understand that Randy's family is averse to this approach, but this works so well for us I couldn't help but post. This is what we use in good weather:
www.amazon.com/Brabantia-Lift-O-Matic-Rotary-Dryer-Clothes/dp/B0002EXYPM/
It takes up little space and looks good in the back yard. Rotates with the breeze.
Winter we have a fold-up rack near the stove with a small table fan blowing across the stove to it. Surprising how quickly stuff dries that way.

We (almost) never run the electric dryer.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

If i could find a way to disable the heat function. Clothes will dry just fine without it but it will take longer. Iv been waiting for this 16 year old maytag that has a million miles on it to die, but it just keeps chugging along. THey should use this one in a commercial.

 

[semipro]

We do the same at home. There is a reason that you have towel racks/bars and not towel drawers beside the shower. It's to allow your towel to dry out.

I actually keep 2 towels in daily rotation since I generally shower twice a day.

 

[Sprinter]

There are health related sites that discuss the issue of towel turnover. It seems that the consensus is that it depends a lot on how many people are sharing a towel.

As long as it's your own dead skin cells and bacteria, etc, you can get away with fewer cleanings, But it's a different story if you share towels. The best idea in any case is for each household member to have their own towels.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

[QUOTE="Sprinter, post: 2080814, member: 22909" The best idea in any case is for each household member to have their own towels.[/QUOTE]
I never share a towel ,but ill use one myself for a week or so. Agreed one towel for the whole family,not good! I know which one is mine as its pretty ratty

 

[semipro]

I've never even considered sharing a towel - ew!

 

[maple1]

Towel sharing wasn't part of my thing either.

More like - everyone has their own towel rack space.

 

[Highbeam]

Towel sharing wasn't part of my thing either.

More like - everyone has their own towel rack space.

Yes. You rub that thing on your butt!

 

[Sprinter]

Very glad to see that everyone here has good hygiene practices! What seems obvious to most is not obvious to everyone. Kind of reminds me of a particular Seinfeld episode. Anybody know which one I mean?

 

[Sprinter]

If i could find a way to disable the heat function.

Randy, doesn't your dryer have some kind of "tumble dry" or some such setting? Our Whirlpool has a "fluff dry" setting than doesn't use heat.

Maybe you don't need to wait till the Maytag dies. Just get a new one anyway that has a setting like that. We use that fluff dry setting mostly to fluff up some clothes like jeans that come off the clothes line a little stiff.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Randy, doesn't your dryer have some kind of "tumble dry" or some such setting? Our Whirlpool has a "fluff dry" setting than doesn't use heat.

Maybe you don't need to wait till the Maytag dies. Just get a new one anyway that has a setting like that. We use that fluff dry setting mostly to fluff up some clothes like jeans that come off the clothes line a little stiff.

Dryer has that no heat setting but the only way to get anyone to use it is to disable the coil,because of course the heat setting is faster. Same as the vent fan in the bathroom , im going to have to wire it to the light switch to get anyone to use it.

 

[semipro]

Kind of reminds me of a particular Seinfeld episode. Anybody know which one I mean?

I think I do. Soap is intrinsically clean right? -- hilarious exchange between Joey and Chandler about sharing soap. "Whats the last place I clean and the first one you do".

Edit: apparently I don't since I'm confusing Seinfeld and Friends.

 

[Sprinter]

I think I do. Soap is intrinsically clean right? -- hilarious exchange between Joey and Chandler about sharing soap. "Whats the last place I clean and the first one you do".

Edit: apparently I don't since I'm confusing Seinfeld and Friends.

Nice try anyway. Sorry, I don't usually watch Freinds, but it sounds like a funny exchange and to the point.

This one has to do with a restaurant.

 

[semipro]

The guy that pees on Jerry's couch (Poppy) runs a restaurant and Jerry sees him leave the restaurant bathroom without washing his hands?

 

[Sprinter]

The guy that pees on Jerry's couch (Poppy) runs a restaurant and Jerry sees him leave the restaurant bathroom without washing his hands?

Bingo, that's the one... Sorry, no prizes.

 

[semipro]

Bingo, that's the one... Sorry, no prizes.

Ah, but I won one of the Fiskars x27s here for the 2 millionth post so...

 

[Sprinter]

Ah, but I won one of the Fiskars x27s here for the 2 millionth post so...

Congratulations. You've had enough then. I remember winning a flashlight when I had a paper route. I've had a bit of a thing for them since. I'm now up to those super duper ultra bright tactical LED flashlights. Something like a gazillian lumens or so. Light up the whole neighborhood.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Those new liquid soap dispensers eliminate the need to share a bar of soap.

 

[Sprinter]

Those new liquid soap dispensers eliminate the need to share a bar of soap.

liquid soap really is the way to go. Much less messy if nothing else.

I don't like the idea of anti-bacterial soaps though, of any kind. More harm than good it seems.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/scien...ably-stop-using-antibacterial-soap-180948078/

 

[begreen]

Those new liquid soap dispensers eliminate the need to share a bar of soap.

Never used one at home and never will. They add more packaging, plastics and lower value than a good bar of hard soap (showers per dollar). One problem that never crossed our minds in our family is sharing a bar of soap.

 

[semipro]

Never used one at home and never will. They add more packaging, plastics and lower value than a good bar of hard soap (showers per dollar). One problem that never crossed our minds in our family is sharing a bar of soap.

I share the same concerns though I really hate dropping the bar soap in the shower. Liquid soap would take care of that problem.
We don't share soap either.

 

[Sprinter]

We still use bar soap in the shower (I really like Dove) but liquid soap everywhere else. I don't know about the "new" dispensers (or even what they are for that matter), but so far, I've probably refilled a single cheap liquid container 10 times so far. Eventually, the pump gives out, but lasts for many months. I do rinse them out before refilling, though.
This article is worth looking at:
http://www.outsideonline.com/1783536/how-clean-bar-soap

 

[Brian26]

I am really close to buying one of these. Does anyone have one? Seems they use half or more power than a regular electric dryer. I read Europe has been using them for the past 15 years. I can't seem to find how much power they draw compared to a 4500 watt electric dryer. I have a Geospring hpwh and it only uses 500 watts compared to 4500 for a regular element tank and I have reaped huge savings from it.

I have been monitoring my electric usage with my effergy monitor and the electric dryer is crushing me on power usage. With the most expensive electric rates in the lower 48 here in CT I think I would get a good payback on one. We do hang our clothes on a line in the summer but we still end up using the dryer quite a bit due to time constraints.