The Simpson

The old machine in all its rusty glory

The old washing machine finally broke down a week or so back. It was an HWM5TL Haier and was given to me by one of the community organisations when they found me destitute and ill in the house at The Entrance. They had just assisted me to move to Budgewoi and there was a lot of money in their budget and a lot of discounts on machines the appliance stores needed to be rid of. It was certainly that machine. It ate my clothes by ripping off buttons and snagging threads and twisting collars out of shape for almost a decade. I complained about it at the the time but that just horrified everyone. One is not supposed to complain when one is given such an expensive assist. Shades of Oliver Twist, right? That machine meant the next decade was spent looking as though my (almost new) clothes were very old and worn rubbish. I appreciated the effort and the idea of helping me with the machine but really despaired that it meant I was stuck with something that did so much damage although it chugged on relentlessly without a hiccup the whole time. They say “you should not look a gift horse in the mouth”. Actually, unless you have a great deal of money for a veterinarian, that is the first thing you should do! It is gone now and the new machine arrived yesterday. I have to organise someone to pick up the old one which presently reclines on the fence by the apartments at the front gate.

the new Simpson SWT 604

The new machine is a Simpson SWT604. That is a six kilo, top-loading machine with very smooth controls and a few extras like eco-rinse although I think a lot of them have that now. It might be big enough so I can wash the bedding. It is very smooth to use and apart from being very clean and shiny to look there is not that much to get excited about in any clothes washer. The old machine had spent its whole life in an outside laundry and was filthy with rust around the joins so it is also nice to have a clean one. I stood for about half-an-hour watching it during the first bundle of clothes washing. It is exciting to have something new and something that I have paid for myself. It didn’t do much though. It clicked and gurgled and clunked and swished but that was all. I stand in the laundry in the freezing morning and stare at it. It is white and plastic and shiny and new. I paid for it! A huge sigh of relief goes up somewhere in my soul as a little of my self-esteem comes home after a long absence.

Oh, I had to pop back in and add that the new machine was bought from Appliances Online and was a great price and they have an easy to use web-site and a very quick delivery. The Good Guys at Tuggerah were very good to deal with also.

So I thought to have a special kerbside pick up. Every household in our council area gets that don’t they? Well no, they do not. On calling the waste pick up company {Remondis) and holding for twenty minutes I was forwarded to the council to be told that there was no pick up because we are a Housing Department block of flats. Then I was told there is a pick up but it is special circumstance. They forwarded my call back to Remondis and there I was put on hold for another ten minutes before I gave up. Looking in the web site for Remondis it seems that they have no reference for the flats as individual units but mainly a group reference which might mean the service gives the entire block six pick-ups per year rather than six per unit. The washing machine will have to sit out there until it gathers other similar items needing a pick up as well as gathering the ire of the nearby apartment holders as I have nowhere in here to store it. Now I add my waste to the waste that makes this place look so nasty and I understand why it is so that the whole area looks decrepit at times. This looks like I have a problem with Remondis, nope, they are good as well.