[aigel]

Not sure where you have been the last 15 years but there is huge progress made in appliances if you are willing to expand your search past $300 for a new unit. Front loading washing machines finally caught up to European models and do a fine job, i.e. with long soak cycles, low water usage and high speed spins (leaving the clothes much drier, to where the dryer has much less work to do.

And on the dryer, there has to be better ones these days as well, but no expert there. As mentioned above, I don't know, because my clothes are exclusively line dried. In the summer it dries very quick here in CA and in the winter I like to hang inside to up the humidity! I was amazed how much my dryer cost when it broke 10+ years ago. Living in a dry climate now, never replaced it.

G