Recommended Home Appliance: "Kanta-kun"!

#20250612-543

Thursday, June 12, 2025
I bought it last October, so it has been over half a year.
Immediately after purchasing it, I couldn't write an article about it because I didn't know how to use it well, but now it has become a staple of our daily life.
Today, I would like to introduce one of my family's "best appliance purchases".

1. The washing machine broke. Time to replace it!

Our family had a drum-type washing machine (with drying function).
It was something Mu-kun (my husband) had been using since he was single, and it was 18 years old. Among home appliances, where 10 years is considered a good lifespan, it had worked very, very hard.
However, starting around last September (one month before replacing it), the end buzzer would sound even though the spin cycle hadn't finished.
For our family, which includes the sweaty Mu-kun and the messy Noko (who was in 5th grade at the time), life without a washing machine is unthinkable. Since we don't have a car, going to a laundromat isn't easy.
It was obviously out of warranty, and even if we sent it for repairs, there probably wouldn't be any parts left.

It's time to replace it.
There is no time to worry about it.

2. How did I find out about gas clothes dryers?

About 5 years ago from the time of replacement.
It was right after we started fostering Noko. Noko had been attending kindergarten since she was at a children's home. She was already in her final year of kindergarten, and elementary school was in sight. Worried that she would forget how to live in a group setting once she started living with us, we put her in kindergarten immediately.
I didn't intend to hide the fact that we were a foster family, but since she was in her final year, the parents had already formed groups, and it was hard to find an opportunity to talk.
Moreover, I had suddenly become a parent to a child in her final year of kindergarten without having any biological children of my own.
I didn't know what to talk about...

While cleaning up after an event, I had a chance to talk to a mom of a girl in the same class.
The safest topic is the weather.
Looking at the sky, I brought up how it's the rainy season and it's troublesome because laundry doesn't dry.

What I had in mind was the drum-type washing machine we used at home. It had a drying function, but it had many disadvantages, so I didn't use it much.

• Anyway, the drying time is long.

• Because of that, I can't do a second load of laundry even if I want to. "Wash -> long drying time -> wash -> long drying time" takes a lot of time.

• Besides, if you don't take the clothes out immediately after drying, they get damp.

• It actually costs a lot in electricity.

Since I am a full-time housewife, I am home for long periods and can rush over every time the buzzer sounds, but it was annoying that I couldn't just leave it alone.
Because of all the disadvantages, I dried clothes indoors on rainy days.
I would use a circulator to blow air on them to dry them, and for clothes that still weren't completely dry, I would put them in the dryer for a short time as a finishing touch.
Not being able to hang laundry outside was just so inconvenient.

"We have a dryer too, but it takes time, costs a lot in electricity, and if you don't take it out right away, it gets damp. I'd be in trouble if I couldn't hang laundry outside."
The mom laughed.

Gas?
Are there dryers that use gas, not just electricity?
(I lived with my parents until I got married, never did much housework, and never had the chance to buy home appliances, so I was quite ignorant!)
That mom's mention of a "gas clothes dryer" caught my attention, and when I immediately searched online, positive reviews like "I dry everything now!", "A must-have appliance for dual-income households", and "So glad I bought it" appeared. It might have been a coincidence, but I couldn't find anyone saying "I wish I hadn't bought it".

Someday—someday when I replace my washing machine, I will include the combination of "washing machine and gas clothes dryer" as an option.
I felt that strongly in my heart.

3. Finally time to replace it! What should I check then?

Five years later. The time for replacement arrived.
I had already talked to Mu-kun about it, so we immediately looked into gas clothes dryers.
It seems like Rinnai's "Kanta-kun" is the only choice.
Our home isn't all-electric, but we switched our water heater to an EcoCute (electric). We only use gas for the kitchen stove. When we installed the EcoCute, we shut off the gas pipes everywhere except the kitchen.
First, I contacted the gas company.

• Requested the gas company to confirm installation feasibility and provide a quote for construction costs.

• Check for exhaust vent construction (to vent humidity outdoors).

• City gas or propane gas, be aware that gas rates differ. -> We use city gas.

• Look for a washing machine that fits the budget. -> We chose an inexpensive fully automatic washing machine (top-loading).

4. Trying out the gas clothes dryer "Kanta-kun".

1) Everything is now "Kanta-kun".

And so, last October.
The gas clothes dryer "Kanta-kun" and a top-loading fully automatic washing machine arrived at our home.

Since we use city gas, our gas bill is on the cheaper side. Even so, at first, I was confused about how utility costs would change, so I only used it on rainy days.
However, because it dries thoroughly and fluffy (especially towels!), I decided to use it heavily regardless of the weather for a month.
As a result, the gas bill didn't go up much.
Except for clothes made of heat-sensitive materials, everything is now "Kanta-kun".

2) Realizing the effort I used to put in.

Since living with a dryer, there is effort that has become visible.
It is the act of organizing and hanging laundry after washing.
Thinking about the movements when hanging, I would sort the laundry by type, lightly fold clothes and towels to smooth out wrinkles, and then hang them on hangers. With "Kanta-kun", I just toss them in from the washing machine below to the "Kanta-kun" above.
After drying, there is no need to take them off hangers, and I can start folding them immediately after taking them out.
The time and movement saved by this is truly significant.

3) There is also increased effort.

It's not just that the chores have decreased.There are also chores that have increased.
Every time after drying, you must remove the filter located at the back of the drum and clean it. Cleaning it can be satisfying in a way, as scrubbing it with an old toothbrush removes the felt-like lint in one big clump.
The inconvenient part is that because I am short, every time I remove the filter, I have to get out a folding step stool and stand on it
. Mu-kun, who is tall, doesn't need a step stool. Regarding this, if you don't mind paying more, there are higher-end models with the filter on the door side

. For now, I've noticed that Mu-kun cleans it too. I set up a system where the position of the cleaning toothbrush indicates whether it's "already cleaned" or "needs cleaning," so I no longer have to remove the filter every time to check.

5. Give it some thought!

The rainy season started in my area the other day as well.
The season where "Kanta-kun" is even more useful has arrived.
If you are interested, please consider purchasing a gas clothes dryer!