Use a Timer on Your Washing Machine to Wash Clothes While You Are Gone

I have a very cheap washing machine that makes a lot of noise. Instead of clearing out of the adjacent kitchen while the machine is on, I simply hooked it up to an outlet timer and set it to come on just before I wake up or come home. This way, clothes don't sit wet all day or night like they would if I started the machine and went to work, but I don't have to listen to the washer running.

The timer shown is a grounded outdoor-type outlet timer and is plugged into a GFCI outlet.

Step 1: Set a Kanban to remind you to put the wet clothes into the dryer

Set a Kanban or signal to remind yourself to put the wet clothes into the dryer. In my process of continuous improvement of laundry, I have determined that setting the laundry basket either directly in front of the laundry closet or in the doorway to my bedroom yields the best results. Here, I have set my milk-crate laundry-basket in front of the laundry closet -- if the milk-crate is present and the machine is not running, I am reminded to put the wet clothes into the dryer.

Comments

[skippyconsuelo]

 my comment is not actually about your 'ible', I merely wish to compliment the shut off valves.. I installed the water supply for my washer, and I used the standard recessed box with two sill-cocks, I didn't know I had another choice. It appears you have the standard shower-style valves installed into little holes, and then pipe coming out of the wall to an end-piece suitable for the hose attachment. it rocks! 

[ewilhelm]

I didn't install those; they came with the house.  To be honest, I don't like them because the mechanism is in the wall, and if I ever need to replace or service them, I'll need to rip out the wall.  The same is true of the showers though, so may be I shouldn't care?

[ColumbusGEEK]

I would be perpetually nervous of a out of balance load making my washer wander around my basement slamming into things. Then the climax would be it wandered so far away it pulled the water hoses off the wall and the basement floods. Thats just me though. I run my dishwasher at 3 am.

[Derin]

That's the disadvantage of your machines.The European type just stays in place and balances it as it goes.

[Punkguyta]

My washing machine gets offbalance all the time, but I have never ever seen a washing machine that bounces around like they race at moe's tavern.

[ybunnygurl]

MY old washer used to get unbalanced in spin and move across the kitchen floor! but it was just hooked to the sink and would pop off it it got to far from the sink.

[ewilhelm]

How many times has this actually happened?

[buttersnake]

I agree with a few others about this being a flood and fire hazard. I worked for servpro for years (water and fire damage clean up and restoration) and the amount of floods i have seen from the washing machine would just shock you. Mainly its the washer, ice maker, dish washer, or toilet supply line that causes the floods, mainly the washer lines and the ice maker lines. Always use steel braided lines!

[Myself]

Remembering to switch the load into the dryer is where I fail, constantly. I haven't yet found a way to remind myself every time. I'm thinking about building a tilt-switch-activated alarm timer that I can magnet to the washer's lid, so it arms itself as I load the machine. Anyway, if you use powdered soap, it'll sit atop the dry clothes, inert until the delayed cycle starts. But if you use liquid soap, you need some way to keep it from selectively bleaching the clothes. Try perching a cupful of soap on the clothes, so it remains upright until the cycle starts. Have you figured out a way to add bleach at the right point in the whites cycle?

[Goodhart]

yep, some of those silly BLUE liquid soaps will stain your clothes blue if you leave it long enough.

[karen608]

To remember to put clothes in the dryer, I put a laundry basket where I can see it or near me to remind me to tend to the laundry while I am at home. I think if you fill the washer with water/soap/bleach first, then push in the clothes, you might solve your problem. Me, I do all whites and add the bleach to some water and pour it in over an item like a washcloth that it wouldn't matter if any damage. You asked good questions.

[ewilhelm]

Good catch about the powdered soap. I use powdered soap, and didn't even think about it. I don't bleach my clothes, so that hasn't been issue.

[jgscott987]

Do not run your washer or dryer while you are out of the house. you will, eventually, flood or burn down the house. A colleague of mine turned on his washer as he left the house. The drain hose had come uncoupled and his house was flooded. Two months later there are still workers in his house, replacing hardwood floors, ripping out wet, moldy drywall, etc. It's just not worth the risk.

[ewilhelm]

Over last weekend, I talked to someone who had a flood in their house, probably from a blocked sewer drain. When the insurance adjuster was estimating the damage, he shared that more than half of the water damage claims filed are the result of old plastic hoses failing on washing machines or toilets, and that it made no difference whether they were running at the time. So, running the washer while you're away isn't really the risk, the risk is having old plastic hoses -- replace them with the newer steel-braided hoses.

[ewilhelm]

Actually, don't leave your house at all! Robbers might get in and steal your stuff, or maybe angry possums will eat your food. In fact, if you don't go out at all you won't be struck by lighting or stung by bees. Life has many risks, and where you draw the line is a personal decision. Considering my dishwasher, washer, and dryer have all run without fail to date, I'm not going to let the fear that they might fail in the future prevent me from going out and enjoying life.

[Goodhart]

or maybe angry possums will eat your food.

Is that a reference / plug for the movie: Over the Hedge ? LOL

[Punkguyta]

Actually you could be struck by lightening whilst walking down your hallway easier than you'd think. A long time ago a lightening bolt came in our window and zapped it, it wasn't even plugged in that I know of. I saw it boom right through the window.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

really? all my previous (and present) machines have built in timers on em! (yours must be anchient!) :-P

[karen608]

Oh I understand now, there is the issue of lowend and high end washers here. I wasn't familiar with high end washers. A huge percentage of America can't afford the newer machines yet, so we are unfamiliar with them. And for some of us, there is no money in the budget for new. A $75 used washer is all we can afford. Neat to hear about the great features of the expensive stuff though. In our town minimum wage rules the jobs.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

oh :-\.. ok lol. ya i think back in like 02 or 03 we got it for a few hundred $'s.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

oh! yeah lol mine was WAY over 75$ ...WAY over!!!

[karen608]

OH? where do you live? Never seen a washer with a timer on it only dial one must manually spin. Or are you kidding us? okay maybe you are from another galazy. Won't that be fun.

[Punkguyta]

The new ones usually have lcd screens with different modes for different stains and all sorts of dumb shit.

[Marcos]

I have a Kenmore HE3t, front load, high efficiency. You can barely tell it's running unless it's in spin (really fast) mode. It also has a timer on it that allows delayed start of about 12(?) hours. And a weak beeper that goes off when the load is done. Eric, it's time for an upgrade! I now spend half the time I used to doing laundry, because the new (bought used on craigslist) machine does huge loads if you want it to, and uses water by the teaspoonful.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

Ohio, and im NOT kidding. lol i still cant believe yours doesnt have 1?!

[karen608]

Great idea, I like it. I am forever taming the laundry monster and noise level of washer/dryer.