Cheryl on the Web

Almost as noble as cause as “Save the Earth”, was for me today “Save the Washing Machine”. We have an Indesit WD104T, bought in Holland in February 2003, for the grand sum of 400 euro. Why, you ask, is all that detail important? First, Indesit machines are made in Turkey, not made to last. Second, the model number starting with 1 should tell you we bought the entry level model. Third, February 2003 is 4 1/2 years ago so the thing is hitting its mid-life crisis (according to this article and this one too, the average life span is around 10-11 years). Fourth, last but not least, 400 euro for a washing machine that includes a condense dryer is a good deal in most any book. Or dirt cheap, depending on how you look at it.

Now, when Tim and I got this washing machine we were blissfully ignorant of the dangers mineral buildup poses to a machine (ominous music). I mean, our parents were so happy when we started doing our own wash that they must have skipped the hard-water-is-evil lesson. So here we are four years later, and suddenly we realize that we probably are supposed to do something about the brown stuff that seems to be building up on the machine (!!).

Naturally, the task gets more or less left to me to save the washing machine. So today I bought a bottle of washing machine cleaner, donned my superwoman outfit (not really), and set to work. It took me an hour just to get all the nooks and crannies of the detergent drawer clean, and now the thing is running a wash cycle with the cleaner in it. I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have bought a couple extra bottles of that cleaner so I could repeat the process tomorrow, to make up for the last 4 years. Hmmm. I did buy a bottle of anti-mineral-buildup stuff that we can put it in with the wash from now on.