Equator 3600CEE... Changing Cleaning Behaviour !!
Written: Aug 03 '01
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Pros: Does a great job. Changes the way you'll think about laundry.
Cons: Can't wash previously dry-cleaned clothes; can vibrate a whole house when on wooden floors; expensive.
The Bottom Line: Accommodate its quirks to enjoy the fruits of its labour. Will save your time and your clothes. You will be the envy of everyone who still visits outside laundry facilities.
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| lexor's Full Review: Equator EZ 3600 CEE Front Load All-in-One Washer /... |
I think the catchphrase in the title is a Swiffer trademark, but heck, it works. Bachelors like me don't usually think much about cleaning, and the more toys invented to help us with the chores of the household, it seems the more likely that they'll get done.
The Equator 3600CEE washes and dries clothes wherever you have a level floor and a sink (with the optional faucet kit). And unlike conventional washers and air driers, this machine does your wash while essentially eliminating the possibility of tearing your clothes to shreds.
As it is a front-loader, there is no agitator in the washer that can damage clothes. And since the dryer is a ventless condensing unit, that means it doesn't tear off layers of your clothes like a big heavy-duty forced-air dryer can.
I used to have to fight for the one set of coin laundry machines in my building, and often I would even take a day off work to increase my chances of 'scoring' the machines. And since I've been in the computer industry for a decade, I have lots of clothes -- piles of promotional T-Shirts and plenty of nice clothes bought with gift certificates.
Occasionally I would drive 5 or more loads down to the laundromat with the idea that I would be done in about an hour, the time it would take a load to get completed, as I was using many machines at once. However, these journeys inevitably turned into all-day affairs, while I wrestled with clothing, sorted, folded, fluffed, added coins to dryers, etc. etc. What a nightmare. And I'm never going back.
What this machine has done is completely changed the way I view laundry. No longer can I even have a real "laundry day", really. I can run up to 3 loads per day because the unit can take up to 3 hours to complete its task. And my neighbours would not appreciate the "instant earthquakes" past 11pm (and I wouldn't even want them to have to endure the late-night grinding of that blasted water pump during drying as the walls in my apartment are thin).
So, now I run a load here and there, the way laundry should be done. Believe it or not, I used to wait until pretty much ALL of my clothes were dirty before even considering the chore of laundry. Now, I run a load any time I need to, or any time I need some more space to walk in my bedroom (hehe). This in itself can save my clothes as having dirty garments lying around for a long time can ruin them.
The other reviewers have provided a great overview of how the machine operates, so I will only briefly touch on this. The unit is a front-loading, all-in-one washer/dryer and the dryer function does not require venting like a typical dryer. Instead it "dehumidifies" the moist air by passing it through a fresh cold water spray while lightly tossing the clothes back and forth. This is the first revolution -- once you load the machine, you know you can do just about anything you want for a few hours without having to think about laundry...
Anything, that is, unless you intend to use the sink (if you are using the faucet kit), as the unit requires water even when drying. This has been a minor annoyance as the unit sits in my kitchen and I like to cook, meaning I sometimes have to wash my produce, hands, etc. in the bathroom instead (but not yet in the shower like Kramer from Sienfeld hehe). And this also means that if you have been washing with warm or hot water, you have to turn the faucet to cold so the dryer can be most effective. This is a small issue as the washer only takes about 20 minutes and I'm usually still around to handle this (and if you can connect it directly to hot and cold faucets you won't have this problem). It's usually for the 120 minutes of drying time that I leave the apartment to get other stuff done.
Another great thing is that you can use liquid fabric softener, which is more effective than sheets, and since all the cleaning solutions get poured into a tray you don't have to worry about hitting the rinse cycle. I have been filling the fabric softener reservoir to the top with undiluted "Ultra" condensed stuff, and the results have been great. Sometimes I will also use a bit of Febreeze wash with a bit of HE liquid in a pre-wash if I want the absolute freshest towels around.
For a machine that spins your clothes at 1000 RPM and can shake a building (when on a wooden floor) to the point of hilarity at times, this machine is incredibly gentle on your clothes. Not only are front-load washers famous for being easier on garments, they also use much less water and energy. However, this unit's delicate touch is also reflected in the condensing dryer. No longer do you have to worry that every trip through the dryer means another thin layer of your clothes is going into the trash by way of that thick mat left in the lint trap. This thing washes better than conventional machines AND is more delicate all around, and that is another small revolution.
It really does a great job washing clothes... and bedsheets, and even big comforters. However there are a few small catches, and most of them center around the dryer. The "dewy" or damp results after a successful wash and dry are both a blessing and a curse -- clothes must come out of the unit right after the cycle is complete, and a good fluff right after will eliminate most creases (this bachelor trick even works with conventional dryers). However, if you dry the clothes completely in this unit (which is possible), the resulting creases in your laundry will make you sad (especially if you are a bachelor that doesn't know how to operate a low-tech ironing device hehe).
If you fold and put away your clothes right out of the machine, depending on your weather conditions and your dressers, they can stay damp for days and that is not a good thing. So I've come up with my own solutions, first I fluff, then I gently lay the clothes around a bushel with space between them for a final air-dry (this works best with T-shirts, socks, underwear and towels -- button-down shirts are put promptly on hangers and left to hang-dry, the only drawback being occasional hanger bumps in the shoulders). After an hour or so, they are ready to be folded and put away. I also toss a bag of silica gel (a moisture absorber), into a drawer with still-damp clothes, however I make sure that the bag is not actually touching any of my clothes.
Yes, there are a few compromises, but heck, I bow to this machine and am happy to accommodate its quirks. It can be noisy at times, but overall it is fairly quiet -- it's just that it makes really radical and/or annoying noises at its peaks. The instructions say you can't wash your previously dry-cleaned clothes because of a chance of fire or explosion (!) but heck I am almost ready to risk this one with a few button-down shirts (I'll just hide in the bedroom and set it to gentle cycle and low heat).
The optional caster kit really looks like an after-thought, as it is fairly unstable and I have had to re-tighten the casters at least once (which means taking the back of the unit off again). They were difficult to install in the first place, and since the housing is not reinforced around the mount points, I noticed the steel had been bent around the casters. Bigger and better steel washers might have prevented this, but since all the wheels have to be locked to run the unit, and because I don't move the machine around much, I am wondering if the casters were a good idea.
One other thing that alarmed me when I initially set the machine up was I found metal shavings left on the drum. Since the thing spins at 1000 RPM, I imagined these shards would be rocketed into some of the unit's internals if I hadn't wiped them away with a damp cloth.
And finally, yes it is expensive but for my lazy bachelor self it was one of those purchases worthy of racking up the credit card (plus I'll get the extra warranty coverage that I hopefully won't ever need -- though I am curious to know if there is any maintenance I can perform on this unit myself and will be contacting Equator about this as I want the unit to last a long time). And thanks to Geoff, the first modification I made was a label on the solution tray saying WARNING: ONE TABLESPOON ONLY to prevent oversudsing by any guests.
This thing really changed my life. It's been 6 months, I've run about 50 loads, and I am very happy. No more quarters, and no more leaving my apartment just for clean underwear... and I can now do laundry while in my underwear. A household of 4 or 5 might find the unit too slow or too small to keep-up, but a lazy bachelor or a couple will be more than happy with the convenience and cleaning power of the 3600CEE.
One last word of warning, many landlords do not allow major appliances to be used in their buildings. You might want to check with this first as there is no hiding this unit one you start running it -- everyone in your complex will know you're up to something if you have wooden floors.
Now all I need is a vacuuming robot and a dishwasher that loads itself, and I'll be closer to that futuristic Year 2001 that I imagined as a child.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1025
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Epinions.com ID:
lexor
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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