The new front loading washers and dryers are definitely top-of-the-line machines. They make life easier by washing clothes better than the old top-loaders. They also use less detergent, are more energy efficient and have a large selections of features that can be found in no other washer or dryer.
There are definitely a large number of them out there and their prices are already rather high. Are they worth the extra price? You bet! Most people who have bought them see a certain advantage over the old top-loading machines. One of the advantages is that they load from the front. When the doors are right in front of you, loading and unloading the machine is a simple process of reaching in, grabbing the laundry materials and moving them to wherever you may want them, either to the other machine or a laundry basket or any other location.
The problem is that the machines are very low to the ground, which makes loading and unloading them a bit of a hassle, especially if you have a medical condition that hinders or prevents your bending over. Some people just think it's too much work to bend over that far to retrieve laundry to move around.
Another problem that most people do not realize is that when you go to shop for your new top loading washer and dryer, you'll see them displayed in the store with the pedestals attached. This is one of the nice selling ploys for the merchants. When you decide to buy, you go to pay out and if you don't ask about the pedestals, you may or may not be told that they are, in 90% of the cases, NOT included in the price of the machines. They may be delivered to your house, you open up the box, unload them and notice that the pedestals are not there. So, you then call the store and ask them why and it is at this time that you find out that the pedestals are not part of the deal. You have to buy them separately. This is a very big disappointment, especially when you find out how much they cost which, as has been pointed out before, is already close to prohibitive for the average family. The good news is that there is a solution to this problem.
The washer and dryer pedestals come in several models for each brand and model of machine. They can also match the color of the washer and or dryer that you've purchased. That is all very nice, but let's be real for a moment. Most laundry rooms are not located in the most travelled area of the house. If the truth is known, most of them are hidden rooms either in the back of the house or in the basement. It's just not in a location where most people would readily show in a tour of their house. So, the question becomes, is it really necessary to have designer washer dryer pedestal stands in the first place?
With that in mind, why does it matter what the pedestal looks like? One could locate an inexpensive pedestal that may not match the color of the washer and dryer but is, nonetheless, a viable, working pedestal that does the job it's expected to do, which is lift the machine off the ground, to a level that is convenient for the user.
Ok, ok, some of the ladies are not agreeing with the manly outlook. The pedestal may need to at least be the same color or a matching color to the washer and dryer, right? So, what are the options?
Well, first of all, you should know that most pedestals that are custom made for a particular brand of machine, are very high priced when you compare them to the price of the machine and to the materials from which they're actually made. Most washer and dryer pedestals are made of sheet metal, bent into a shape that makes it sturdy, with a few braces and some screws and bolts. They're very light but sturdy and yes, again, expensive. It's hard to find a custom pedestal for less than $250 to $400. Now, if $250 to $400 is nothing to you, go ahead and buy them. They are very useful.
However, if you're a thrifty person or if that kind of cash is a bit too much for you, keep in mind that you can actually make a set of wooden pedestals, paint them to match your machines and use them in the same way, for around $50-$60, if you have just a little bit of skill with a saw and a hammer and a can or two of spray paint. If you do not possess those kinds of skills, you probably know someone who will help you do it or you can pay someone to do it and still come out ahead and with pedestals that are even more sturdy than the kind that are made by the manufacturer just for the machine.
Plans for washer and dryer pedestals can easily be found on the Internet. All you have to do is run a search for “washer dryer pedestals.” The plans come in all shapes and sizes. You can find plain pedestal stands or you can find pedestal plans with drawers in the front, for storage purposes. If you build your own, you can design them with drawers, pockets, slides or whatever suits you.
Reasonably priced washer and dryer pedestal stands are quite difficult to find and an enterprising person or persons may eventually build some pedestal kits that can be sent through the mail or land delivery services. These kits would have all the parts and instructions included so a person could put together a nice pedestal stand or stands and be in business in a matter of a few minutes and they would be very affordable.
