I was so pleased when I realized there was a washing machine at our Guanajuato vacation rental. In many parts of the world, the only way to do your laundry is to send it away or wash it in the sink. Having a washing machine would make the task of laundry into a no-brainer. I’d just stick our clothes in the wash when we got there and Voila! They would be clean.

But washing machines in ...