Chicago Tribune
Give it a spin: A washer and dryer all in one
If a combined washer-dryer sounds like one of those “Why didn’t somebody think of that years ago?” ideas, get this: Somebody did think of it more than 30 years ago, but we Americans were too busy with big washers and big dryers to notice.
Mike Abt, vice president of family-owned Abt Appliances in Morton Grove, says some major American appliance manufacturers introduced washer-dryer combos in the early 1960s but only Europeans were interested because living spaces are much more cramped over there. Now along comes a small Texas company called Equator that imports from Italy a washer- dryer unit that saves space, time and utility costs.
“It uses less water and energy than any washer and dryer set we sell,” Abt says. The unit has a 8- to 10-pound capacity (a queen- size set of sheets) and a normal wash cycle of 35 minutes and up to 120 minutes of drying time. The Equator EZ 1000 sells for $899 at Abt, 9000 N. Waukcgan Rd., Morton Grovc; 708-967-8830.
