A few questions for you ....
 

I've got a couple of questions, so rather than post individual threads, thought I'd combine them onto one!

Hopefully you'll be able to help me on a few points.

a) Do you recycle everything? I'm finding the recycle facilities here poor to say the least and end up putting all my plastic into bags in the garage waiting for enough to warrant a trip to the recycle yard half an hour away. What do you do with yours? Am I cancelling out one effort with another by driving so far to take it?

b) Which washer did you buy? I chose an economic top loader as I was told they washed better, but were friendlier to the environment than usual top loaders as they used less water. I'm finding it doesn't wash properly and now sincerely regretting not spending the extra on a front loader. Or am I using the wrong detergent?

c) Which washing detergent do you use and why? See above ..

d) Do you compost your food waste? I've brought my counter crockpot with me, but we don't have a compost bin. Easy answer would be to buy one, but we're leasing, so would have to leave it, and I'm not sure how the landlords would take us having one? (will have to ask). But then again, they have this mulch stuff going on on top of their soil (to stop weeds I'd guess and keep moisture in), so what would I do with the compost??!

e) Which dishwasher tablets do you use and does your dishwasher take salt? They looked at me like I was an alien when I asked for it!

I'm sure there are more questions (sorry!) but none that spring to mind right now - although as soon as I press 'submit' I'll remember them all!

Thanks everyone :)

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

They don't pick it up from your house? Big blue plastic tub? No? that's the first I've heard of that... but it definitely depends on where you live.

I have a Fisher and Paykel top loader that works well, but I think front loaders are probably the way to go. They're not even that much more expensive these days. I've found you get what you pay for with washing machines, you probably bought one that was just too cheap.

I get huge containers of standard Tide liquid from Costco. Pretreat stains with Shout. Not exactly a revolutionary idea, but it works fine.

No, I live in a crowded suburb though and I'm not sure how the neighbors would take it. I did when I was a kid in the country, though. Also, what does a crockpot have to do with composting? Also, crockpots cost about thirty dollars, why did you bring one over?

the Kirkland-brand Costco stuff works fine and is cheap. Powder works better than liquid, IMO. Nobody calls it "salt" here, just call it "detergent" or "powder".

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

a) Do you recycle everything?
No, but I try to as much as I can. I'm luck that the city provides curbside pickup every week. I (and everybody else) puts the stuff in blue bags and leaves it with the rest of the rubbish and it gets collected every Monday. Check out http://earth911.org/ to see if there are places you don't know about.

b) Which washer did you buy?
We got a Frigidaire front loader, can't remember the model off the top of my head. I'll admit that some top loaders are pretty decent now, but front loaders always get my clothes cleaner and keep them in good condition. Cost about $600 I think.

c) Which washing detergent do you use and why?
I use Ecos Free and Clear (www.ecos.com). I'm allergic to the enzymes in biological detergents and there are very few non-bio ones here. I like this because it's non-bio, environmentally friendly and you need very little of it. It's not cheap, I pay about $18 for a gallon, but I can get about 120 loads from a bottle. With a top loader you need more but I think they quote 64 loads per gallon.

d) Do you compost your food waste?
No. I do throw some things in the garden though. I am thinking about doing it though.

e) Which dishwasher tablets do you use and does your dishwasher take salt?
I've never used salt, never felt the need. I use some kind of liquid, it's whatever costco sell in massive bottles. Cascade I think. It's a green bottle with blue liquid.

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

The one she posted is a counter compost bin, not a slow cooker.

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

Thanks Hiro

We do have a blue box, but they only collect certain items - far less than at home. Example - they don't collect glass and only #1 & #2 plastic (didn't even know they were numbered until moving here), so I bag the rest to take to the recycle depot.

With regards to the washer - yes, I wish I had gone with a front loader. Ours certainly wasn't cheap - it was the top of the range (apparently) and cost wise, was at the top end. We have 30 days to change, hence asking for recommendations. We went to so many places to look at machines and guess what - all the sales people were men. Not saying for a moment men don't do the washing, but lets face it, most don't, so I should have asked here first!


The crockpot is a counter one for putting waste in rather than down the sink thing (what's it called?!). I used to put all my peelings etc in there then when it was full put in the compost bin outside. Obviously I didn't bring our outdoor one with us!

Thanks for the recommendations about the other stuff. Good to know when you haven't got a clue what you're buying!

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

The British and the Americans: separated by a common language.

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

a) Do you recycle everything? I'm finding the recycle facilities here poor to say the least and end up putting all my plastic into bags in the garage waiting for enough to warrant a trip to the recycle yard half an hour away. What do you do with yours? Am I cancelling out one effort with another by driving so far to take it?

We have no recycle facility for any material except metals. We burn paper and cardboard, everything else goes in the trash to the local landfill. Big trash (appliances etc...) go in the junk pile in the woods.


b) Which washer did you buy? I chose an economic top loader as I was told they washed better, but were friendlier to the environment than usual top loaders as they used less water. I'm finding it doesn't wash properly and now sincerely regretting not spending the extra on a front loader. Or am I using the wrong detergent?

Check out the Staber http://www.staber.com/ I've never owned one but I've heard good things and plan to buy one when the need arises.

c) Which washing detergent do you use and why? See above ..

No idea.:o

d) Do you compost your food waste? I've brought my counter crockpot with me, but we don't have a compost bin. Easy answer would be to buy one, but we're leasing, so would have to leave it, and I'm not sure how the landlords would take us having one? (will have to ask). But then again, they have this mulch stuff going on on top of their soil (to stop weeds I'd guess and keep moisture in), so what would I do with the compost??!

Yes. It goes into the compost yard along with the chicken waste and yard clippings.

e) Which dishwasher tablets do you use and does your dishwasher take salt? They looked at me like I was an alien when I asked for it!

:huh:

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

Thanks Duncan

I think I need to get a Costco card!

:thumbup:

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

It would have helped if my link had worked!

Hopefully this will make a bit more sense ... http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!20428

:D

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

It should be issued to all new arrivals on entry, IMO.

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

It's a good thing.

I'm pretty sure this is the washer I got. I paid less than that, I think it's the recommended price that no one sells at. I got it from Lowes. I'd recommend it any day of the week. It's great. Had it 2.5 years now.

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

You don't say where "here" is. The USA is a vast country, and recycling progams vary greatly from city to city, county to county. In Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the city collects just about everything for recycling: glass, all plastics, newsprint, assorted paper and cardboard, metal, corrugated, etc.
Maybe your town doesn't want glass because the nearest glass recycler is 200 miles away and it would be too expensive to truck it that far.

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

This is the one we got http://www.maytag.com/catalog/produc...arch=mtw6600tq .. only I'm not sure if it's the washer itself, my use of it or just a faulty machine which is causing the washing to not be as clean as I'm used to??

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

Sorry, Houston, Tx.

Re: A few questions for you ....
 

The fundamental problem with top loaders is that they have to fill with water and then empty from the bottom. That means that all the suds and dirt that's in the water gets put back on the clothes when it drains, kind of like the ring on a bath.