Regular readers know that I have a favorite place to look for bargains...our downstairs trash area! Our building has trash chutes on every floor and they feed into a separate room, but for boxes and other things that people can't put in the chute, there is an area (indoor) near the loading dock where people can put the things they don't want. I've found quite a few cool items over the last few years.
Here is one of the latest (and biggest)!
This is the SWASH machine by Whirlpool. It was sitting in the loading dock area just like this with a note on it:
Someone moving overseas and not wanting to take this with them. They even included some cleaning pods.
I brought it back up and 2nd Man said "what the heck is that??". Now we did some checking and the machine is no longer made. The pods are still relatively easy to find but not sure for how much longer.
You pull the knob and slide this out, you pop in the pod (it's like a K-cup for clothes, ha), and then you hang the clothing item (two max at a time) and use clips that pull out to pull the clothing taught. Then close it, push the button and it takes about 10 minutes.
Here is a shirt. You can see how it works, you hang it on the hanger and then put the sleeves through the bars, cross each other and the pull out the retractable clips to pull them taught. Then, you do the same to the bottom edge and the sides with the other clips. It holds the shirt tight and then the machine steams on the inside and the wrinkles get out.
It doesn't clean clothes like dry cleaning but it freshens them up and gets wrinkles out. We've already used it on a couple of my works shirts and slacks and it worked great. It will extend the time between dry cleaning bills and there's nothing wrong with that.
Especially since we didn't even have to pay for the machine! Free is best!
WOW! What an Awesome machine. You have about a $300.00 dollar machine there. Perfect timing you getting it when you did.
ReplyDeleteYesterday received an inch of rain and pouring down rain now.
Mowed Sunday and needs it again.
Have a great day, a relaxing evening and a Wonderful weekend.
Yep, I think new they were like $500 and still sell for a few hundred on eBay. I suppose we could sell it but we'll play around with it for now. I dread the grass next week but we balance that with "need the rain" so it'll all work out in the end.
DeleteNever heard of such a gadget, however, I can see how it would be a good savings on dry cleaning ... hopefully the pods are affordable.
ReplyDeleteGoing to use it today (or tomorrow ,ha) on my work shirts and slacks and see how it goes again. They say you can do two at a time. Just to freshen them and get the wrinkles out, in between dry cleaning, it'll be worth it. Found some pods on sale at a website for $12 for 18. If we can do two at a time, that's less than a dollar per item so not a bad deal. We'll seee.
DeleteI remember seeing these. Awesome score.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I saw it I remember them. Then when I did some googling, found out they went away a couple years ago. But hey, it was free and we have a space for it (in the closet) even if it works another year or two, it'll be fun to have.
DeleteThat is great! I wish I had one!
ReplyDeleteWe've used it and it worked great. Did what it was supposed to. I suppose ironing would do the same thing and if we had to buy one new I'd say it was too expensive but hey, free is always good.
DeleteThat is great. I have never even heard of or seen one of those. I have heard of putting things in dryer with some sort of something to dry clean. Interesting. Congrats on that score. And, they even apologized for the lack of a manual!
ReplyDeleteYes, we used those once "Dryel" as I recall. It freshened them but didn't get the wrinkles out. So we'll see how this works long term.
DeleteWhat a great find! It saves money - and time - by cutting down on trips to the dry cleaners. Can’t beat that!
ReplyDeleteYes, dry cleaning is so pricey now. And with 2nd Man working from home, I'm the only one needing dry cleaning and this will save us some money in the long run.
DeleteHow is it that you are the first one to find these things set out for free? I neve heard of this machine but sounds like a winner to as you said cut down on dry cleaning bills.
ReplyDeleteIt's luck of getting there first. I'm guessing this was just put out moments before I got down there. What I've learned is when I go down to get the mail, I'll check and see if someone is moving in or out (their moving vans park in the loading dock area where this is) so then I'll go back down a few times that day or evening. When people move in or out, they usually dispose of things they don't want to move or don't fit.
DeleteI've got a list of things I saw and went back for with a cart and it's gone. One was an apothecary type coffee table, metal with little drawers. So awesome, went upstairs to get 2nd Man to help carry it, took me maybe 10 minutes round trip and it was GONE when we got there, ha. Apparently I'm not the only one looking for deals.
I figure what I get is meant to be and what I miss, we'll I don't know so I don't miss it. ha.