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We currently live in an apartment with no washer or dryer connections and we'll be moving in the summer to a bigger place, but many of the places we are considering are also lacking in washer and dryer connections.
Back when I was a young, single mom of a baby, I had an old (avocado green! ) portable washer that hooked up to my sink in my apartment and I washed most of our clothes in it. Including my son's cloth diapers. I had a matching 110 dryer too, but primarily I hung the stuff up to dry because I was fortunate enough to have a little private yard area where I could do so. Apartments paid the water and management didn't care, it was perfect for our family of 2.
Fast forward to now and we are are a family of five with pets. We do about six loads a week in the little private laundromat that is part of our "complex". There are 3 top load washers there and 2 large dryers so we can only do three loads at a time. However this is not really enough and we are often "behind" on laundry at this rate.
I have looked at the more modern portable washers available and they have improved greatly, it seems, in terms of functions and options and size and so forth. Running back and forth to and from the laundry room is not a huge deal but it *does* suck up a good amount of time. It seems to me that having a portable washer and some drying racks around would make things easier but would it be cheaper? I know they do small amounts so it seems we'd end up doing more loads overall and more often during the week as well.
Plus, many of the apartments we are considering require the tenant to pay the water bill so that is a factor to consider in the overall cost.
Hmm. I just dont' know which way is smarter and I am horribly math-impaired when it comes to figuring it all out.
Last edited by Sally_Sparrow; 01-09-2013 at 01:55 AM..
When I was single I had a small washer that hooked up to my kitchen sink like the one you mentioned. I also had a little dryer. They worked great for me alone. The first thing that comes to mind with you, the OP, is that if you plan on hanging all your wet clothes around the house to try, that will grow old real quick and your house will be cluttered with all of this laundry. You will probably have to do a load a day so you do not have so much to wash and hang up to dry at once. If you get a little dryer you must make sure it does not require a vent, which most of them do. I would imagine it would cost you less. I live in an apartment with a small laundry area and I sure feed it a lot of quarters a week.
When I was single I had a small washer that hooked up to my kitchen sink like the one you mentioned. I also had a little dryer. They worked great for me alone. The first thing that comes to mind with you, the OP, is that if you plan on hanging all your wet clothes around the house to try, that will grow old real quick and your house will be cluttered with all of this laundry. You will probably have to do a load a day so you do not have so much to wash and hang up to dry at once. If you get a little dryer you must make sure it does not require a vent, which most of them do. I would imagine it would cost you less. I live in an apartment with a small laundry area and I sure feed it a lot of quarters a week.
Thanks for the response. True about the hanging up inside factor. One apartment we are looking at has little private yards, so that would be great, but if we don't get that particular apartment then yeah, it will be all over the house!
We could get a little dryer to go with it as well. The one I had before did not require a vent but sure heated up the area where it was being used! It had a little mesh back attached to the back vent to catch lint, that you had to clean each time, then the hot air just blew out the back and all into the room. It was a bonus in one place I lived with a cold cold kitchen! But not so nice in other places in summer, of course.
That's another thing, I never seem to have quarters when I need them and the little laundry facility in my current complex does not have a bill changer, and the corner stores obviously don't want to make change for you... often I forget to get quarters when I am at the bank or whatever and find myself digging through the car or my purse to come up with enough for a load.
A lot of times those laundromat dryers take several times to even dry and the washers are junk or small.
I've never heard of apartments not having a washer/dryer connection unless their really cheap apartments.
I don't know how much it might cost, but having one at home and not lugging clothes all over the place and planning for all of that would be worth it imo.
A lot of times those laundromat dryers take several times to even dry and the washers are junk or small.
I've never heard of apartments not having a washer/dryer connection unless their really cheap apartments.
I don't know how much it might cost, but having one at home and not lugging clothes all over the place and planning for all of that would be worth it imo.
Really? Curious as to where you live (state, region, city, whatever you feel like sharing) because it is very common here. Washer/dryer connections are considered a "bonus" in many places and sometimes only available in 2 or 3 bedroom units as well.
This is generally true even in newer complexes but specifically in the case of my neighborhood I am sure it has something to do with the available rentals being older (generally 1920s through 1960s). I am in Texas. The only time I expect washer/dryer connections is when looking at house rentals.
Anyway about the washer and dryer, the one in my current complex has small top loaders that are often out of service. Really hard for me, after having a nice front loader at home for years. Since there are only three of them this is a pain, when you go expecting to do three loads and one is out. Or when you haul it all there and they are all in use. So yes, it takes planning, thankfully I am a night owl so I can usually do it at 2 am when no one else is wanting to do laundry.
The dryers are nice and big though and cheap ($.75 for an hour!) and powerful enough that I never need that full hour, but that is not going to be necessarily true for wherever we end up moving to.
Really? Curious as to where you live (state, region, city, whatever you feel like sharing) because it is very common here. Washer/dryer connections are considered a "bonus" in many places and sometimes only available in 2 or 3 bedroom units as well.
This is generally true even in newer complexes but specifically in the case of my neighborhood I am sure it has something to do with the available rentals being older (generally 1920s through 1960s). I am in Texas. The only time I expect washer/dryer connections is when looking at house rentals.
Anyway about the washer and dryer, the one in my current complex has small top loaders that are often out of service. Really hard for me, after having a nice front loader at home for years. Since there are only three of them this is a pain, when you go expecting to do three loads and one is out. Or when you haul it all there and they are all in use. So yes, it takes planning, thankfully I am a night owl so I can usually do it at 2 am when no one else is wanting to do laundry.
The dryers are nice and big though and cheap ($.75 for an hour!) and powerful enough that I never need that full hour, but that is not going to be necessarily true for wherever we end up moving to.
I live in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. I do live in a 2bedroom townhouse. We actually have a washer/dryer in the unit, over 1000sqf and a nice neighborhood all for $729. Come on over. Lol. Or at least that's what we pay, who knows may have jacked up the prices for new folks. I guess I should say all townhouses we have lived in have had hook ups at the very least. Our old one had the hook ups. I'm not too sure on regular old apartments though. We don't do standard apartments, only townhouses for us.
I'm paranoid about being out late at night. Too many movies or tv shows I guess. Rotted my brain and I'm only 23! The few times we went to laundromats the dryers sucked. Took multiple cycles to do even anything.
Fast forward to now and we are are a family of five with pets. We do about six loads a week in the little private laundromat that is part of our "complex". There are 3 top load washers there and 2 large dryers so we can only do three loads at a time. However this is not really enough and we are often "behind" on laundry at this rate.
Those portable machines are tiny. The six loads you're doing at the laundromat now will probably be more like 18-24 a week in a portable. And if you do go with the portable dryer, be advised that they use a crapton of electricity (being 110v vs 220v).
If not leaving the house to do laundry is really a big deal, go for it. If you want to spend any of your waking hours doing something besides laundry, tough it out until you move.
We are a family of 2 and have a portable washer, and a clothesline, as we live in Brooklyn and are able too, as is all the other tenants.
I use the machine all the time, it is a Godsend. When I have several sets of sheets and the big bath towels, I will take those to the laundromat, but come home and hang them. I hate to pay for something mother nature will do for free. Gotta love a clothesline.
In the winter, I hang the clothes on the rack and place next to the radiator, dries in a snap, I do it at night, so no one sees it.
I think the portable washers are worth it.
I have an "Avanti" portable washer, and am happy with its performance.
We currently live in an apartment with no washer or dryer connections
who pays the water bill?
Quote:
we are are a family of five with pets.
We do about six loads a week in the little private laundromat that is part of our "complex".
Hmm. I just dont' know which way is smarter
ask the landlord what he suggests.
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) portable washer that hooked up to my sink in my apartment and I washed most of our clothes in it. Including my son's cloth diapers. I had a matching 110 dryer too, but primarily I hung the stuff up to dry because I was fortunate enough to have a little private yard area where I could do so. Apartments paid the water and management didn't care, it was perfect for our family of 2. 
But not so nice in other places in summer, of course. 
