132: That Sinking Feeling
Ok, the first thing you need to know about this episode is that the original working title was “Spewing the Fat” but that was like, kind of a lot to have in your iTunes lists or whatever. But it’s accurate, non?
Related, I went ahead and looked into this whole “what to do when grease goes down the sink” thing and I found some pretty interesting information. I consulted a true expert - Mr. Rooter, PH.D, Sink and Toilet Stuff, and here’s what he had to say:
Drain cleaners are abrasive, no matter what brand. The chemicals can damage pipes over time and may be ineffective against oil and fat. Pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain causes a reaction that breaks down fats.
Well hot damn, sir. You’re the expert!
Listen to the entire episode here:
In other news, I need to be very clear: Lomi has NOT sponsored our show. We wish they would! We would definitely take their money because hoo boy do we both love our composers! Here’s the too-expensive-but-honestly-so-worth-it machine we’re both raving about.
Related, because it’s December, here’s a quick list of things you could ask for as a gift if there’s anyone in your life with deep pockets who refuses to just give you cash, even though that’s what you really want:
A nice vacuum
A hot water extractor
A non-string mop, maybe one of the ones that Nellie’s makes?
A membership to Grove or Public Goods or wherever
New appliances (seriously, they make the difference)
But of course, you don’t need a lot of money to satisfy your cleaning life. Today I cleaned my car using Folex and dish soap (instead of glass cleaner) and I wiped everything down with old cloth diapers that our previous homeowners left behind!
One more thing: Are GE combo washer/driers really better? And why? I wanted to get to the bottom of this little riddle so I did some digging. Here’s what I found, courtesy of an appliance provider that I assume knows what they’re talking about:
The real magic happens with the dryer. Powered by a condenser dryer, the GE GFQ14ESSNWW requires no external venting. Instead, hot air passes through a chamber that cools the air and collects the moisture in a reservoir before re-heating it and entering it to the dryer drum again…[it’s] ventless, which means you don’t have to deal with exhaust tubes and aluminum piping to push hot air out of your home. All you have to do is hook up the washer’s hoses and drains and then your appliance is ready to go.
So there you have it.. This is actually a better combo - but at what cost? Because it’s still going to take a whole mess of time to wash and dry and at that point you might as well just air dry, right?