Tell Jaimie to ignore the haters!
When my babies were born I also had folks who thought I was off my rocker crazy because I used a rub board and did them all by hand.
Age 7 or there abouts I received a gift of a washer (it sat unused for over a year) to me they just swished dirt all around and did not clean them and don't get me started on the rinse cycle!
Your wife is a wise woman for using the heat to not only dry the clothes but add moisture into a dry house during winter!