Government overreach continues to come into your homes. Remember when low-flow toilets were introduced and became mandatory? Frequently it took two flushes to accomplish the task so we had to wonder how it could be save water. If there is anything the bureaucrats in D.C. know it’s waste products.

I’ve come across another overreach. When I bought a new washer and dryer to replace the machines that were over 30 years old, I was pleased to see that the washer tub and the dryer drum were large. It was after I got them home and started using them that I discovered how highly inefficient these new models are. The water temperature and duration of wash cycles are preselected. The shortest washing cycle is 45 minutes. My old washer was 20 for a standard wash. The standard selections on the new washer do not allow the use of hot water, though I did discover from the manual there is a workaround for the preselected settings and I can choose hot water when I need to. We are farmers and in summer the clothing gets filthy. I only use hot water when I’ve had many greasy, grimy work clothes to wash. It’s the timing of the cycle that floors me. A heavy duty cycle runs for 97 minutes. How can that be efficient? 

These days, manuals don’t come with the appliances, as they can be found online. As I discovered, it takes perseverance to even find the manual. As I read it, I learned that once the clothes are put into the washer, the machine weighs the load to “decide” how much water to use. The information went into detail on the mechanics of the cycle. Some of them wash for a few minutes then stop agitating to soak the clothing, before starting up again because water volume is limited for the cycle.

The dryer is another set of challenges. I am still getting used to the cycles which range from 25 minutes for fluff and refresh to 57 minutes for heavy duty. I’ve been trying them all. My loads are not huge and the clothing isn’t heavy, and on most cycles, I have to run a second cycle to get the clothing dry. I have yet to find one that gets the jeans dry. Even the heavy duty program isn’t enough to dry them in one cycle. Again, the inefficiency makes it impossible to see a practical benefit. 

Looking at the good points, the permanent press cycle is great and with the large drum, the clothing doesn’t have to be removed the second the dryer stops, which is a help. An added featured is a little music jingle signaling the washer or dryer has completed its cycle. While reading the manual I found those sounds can be turned off.

How many Congressional members wash their own clothes? It just gets so old, having people who have not a clue in the world what their suggestions, edicts, or laws have on the common people.