My Future is Never-ending Laundry.

Of the many challenges in Japan, one of them is laundry. We are blessed to have all American appliances in our house, with the exception of the washing machine. Boeing has further blessed us by providing appliances for us. So we were able to replace the very tiny and inefficient machine that was in our house. It has been replaced by a new, larger machine, but it is still a Japanese washer. The Japanese washing machines are actually a washer and a dryer. I am sure this is to save space, but also for energy conservation. The downside to this is that it is a very inefficient machine. To do one load (wash and dry) takes 4 hours! No, I am not kidding. So, with a family of 5, it would take the entire day to do 2 loads. Therefore, I hang out the laundry. This cuts down the time for one load to 2 hours. Then I start another load while I hang out the first load to dry outside. It is definitely dry by the time the next load is ready to hang out. Then I usually have to iron most things. I have not ironed so much in my entire life as I have ironed in these last two weeks in our house. What do I do when it rains do you ask? Well, the size of the drum in the washers are also much smaller than their American counterparts, so the loads are smaller. So what most people do is bring their clothes racks inside and let them hang dry in their living rooms, etc. Most Japanese driers don't dry very well, even after two hours. My machine is new and drys well, it just takes forever. It isn't all bad. I get quiet and still time while I am hanging it. And I know there are many of you out there saying how much that is just what I need!