Washing machine in Japan.

The first time I complained to my Japanese friend about not finding a washing machine that uses hot water instead of only cold water, he was shocked. We then went into a heated debate about how unnecessary it is to have those kind of washing machine because 1: they have a wide range of washing detergents and other products that does the job better than hot water, 2: The quality of their water proves to dilute soap easily (soft water: low-mineral) and 3: Theres just no use.....

I insisted that having hot water in my washing machine is a must, especially for white clothing articles. Instead of using bleach or other whitening products that might shrink the material  just use hot water its quite effective and tonnes safer. 

I usually boil water on my stove then toss it into the washing machine which eventually proves hopeless because I see it coming out before the washing even started. Ive been told that if I do have a hot water faucet I could connect my washing machine to it. Sadly nearly all houses (except the modern ones) only have cold water faucet installed. 

Then the next problem I encounter is the amount of water (my washing machine is brand new, BTW) it uses. I could use that amount of water to bath for a week and to think that a few shirts and pants use that much makes me get even more frustrated. 

In summer and winter its a pain. The smell wont go away because cold water cannot kill the bacteria that causes the smell. That's when my Japanese friend would advice me to  add more products which is really more harmful for clothes and not environmentally friendly. What we didn't realise is that cold water detergent are more aggressive.

Then if you don't have a proper place to dry your clothes, example a balcony. You are thoroughly screwed especially in winter. If you do hang your clothes in doors then it will increase the humidity in your room causing some harmful airborne bacteria. Then their answer would be: buy a humidifier or something....creating yet another problem....Just give me a washing machine that uses hot water! or a hot water faucet!