Take it away over our dead bodies
Written: Mar 18 '04
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Pros: Works like a charm. Convenience, convenience, convenience.
Cons: Smallish chamber. Dryer takes some time.
The Bottom Line: Indispensable if you live in a small space and do not want to be a slave to laundry. Works extremely well, and very well made. Also, service is very responsive.
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| nugen's Full Review: Earlex WD1000 Wet/Dry Vacuum |
If we had to choose one thing in our apartment that offers us the most convenience and the greatest happiness, this machine is it. We live in an apartment building in Manhattan. There is a laundry room in the basement, but it is not the cleanest, and using the building's machines exposes us to the constant risk that one of our neighbors is going to remove our clothes 3 minutes after the cycle ends (or 3 minutes *before* it ends) and place it all on the dusty table (or floor). Also, either we visit that dungeon more frequently than we'd like, or we wind up hauling 30 pounds of laundry down when we finally run out of undies. Either way, we wound up dedicating a good chunk of a day or evening to what had become a demanding and stressful chore.
Enter the Malber. It is the size of a dishwasher, and we have it installed in the kitchen under the counter. It could not be more convenient. Is it a bit small? Yes. Does it take a bit long to dry things? Yes. But what do we care? We put laundry in whenever we need to, walk away, and in a couple of hours it’s done. Midnight, and I realize I have no socks for tomorrow? No problem! Wander on into the kitchen in PJs, and 5 minutes later I'm in bed with no worries.
Part of the magic of this little guy is its ventless drying system. Unlike conventional dryers that need to vent steam, the Malber runs its steam through a trickle of cold water where it condenses and is expelled with the waste water. What this means is that all you need is a water-in and water-out hookup (and access to an electrical outlet)-- no worrying about being near a window or running an aluminum venting duct if you don’t already have one. We have ours installed permanently, but you can also hook it up to a sink with a snap-on connector. The only issue when you do that is that you have to remember to set the water coming from the sink to the proper temperature. Then, when its time to dry, you have to make it cold (to condense the steam).
The unit uses very little detergent-- we use a bottle cap full for each of the 2 cycles. Our big box from Costco has lasted over a year and is still going strong. And I believe the unit is very energy efficient, because I have not noticed any change in my electric bill since installing it. The machine is extraordinarily easy to use, and clothes come out very clean. Also, because it is horizontal axis (front load), there is no agitator, so it is more gentle to your clothes.
The primary complaint about the Malber is the dryer function. First, because the unit is 110 volts, the dryer does not get as hot as a 220 volt or gas unit. Then, because things dry most effectively when they are able to tumble through the hot air, you really cannot fill up the (already not-too-large) chamber. If you have a small load, things will dry in under 2 hours, no problem. But if, as we often do, you really cram it in, it is going to take a while. (This is also where you can get wrinkling issues, but do you care if your socks are wrinkled?). But like I said, its in our kitchen, so if we have to leave the dryer running for another 2 hours while we go out to play, no problem. We know that our little friend Malber is working hard to make our life more comfortable.
Recommended: Absolutely
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400 (used)
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Epinions.com ID:
nugen
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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