Vitamix vs. Roommates?

[loodles]

Is anyone else having difficulty with eating raw and having roommates? The main issue is that running the Vitamix is often loud and annoying to others. I want to be respectful and considerate of this reality, yet it is such a central part of eating raw foods that I sometimes feel as if I have to choose. Seems like I would have to live by myself in order to eat this way, but don't want to life in self-imposed isolation/exile because of how I eat. Anyone have any thoughts/experience/suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[nellie]

Well, really what is the issue? I mean using a vitamix a few times a day for a few seconds doesn't seem like an issue.

I use my Vitamix in the morning to make smoothies and I'll close our bedroom door so my husband won't be disturbed. I've also made stuff ahead of time as well. If you are using it at 5am when your roommates are sleeping, then possibly make whatever you are making the day before or even go somewhere that you can close the door to mute the sound.

[Raw Angel Mom]

What about having a chit chat with your roommate and explain to this person your situation. That way, he/she will know that you need to eat and will be fine with this.

This is such a short time of used.

[JennaBoBenna]

tell them to suck it up. what, you use it a couple times a day for less than 30 seconds? do your roommates cook? I would find that as more of a distraction than a Vitamix for a few seconds. The cooked smell lingers for hours.

or, buy some disposable ear plugs and warn your mates when you're about to blend :D

(my downstairs neighbor blasts his horrible club music which vibrates my floor, so I don't feel bad when I use my juicer :D lol)

[Veronica01]

I know what you mean. I use it all the time for smoothies, dressings and sauces and my now ex bf that i live with says when he goes into the basement suite with the other roommates its so loud and they get upset. I don't do it in the morning or late at night, so I just said sorry. But they wake me up all the time by being loud in the morning weekdays and weekends anyways. I will not give up my vitamix!

[mattshor]

I let my family know before I use my vitamix and try to let thom know how long I plan on using it. Sometimes being able to say: I'm just making one more thing helps.

Putting a couple of towels under the base helps absorb sound as well.

[Stephen28]

I have four other housemates. They have not seemed too fussed about me blending. I don't do it at night. :)

[RawSweetie]

I live with roommates and, when I'm using the blender, which is quite loud, I just make a general, pleasant announcement that "Ok! I'm turning the blender on now!" and go to it....several times people have calmly suspended their chit-chat until I'm finished. It seems to be ok. :)

[loodles]

Thanks everyone for your responses and suggestions. In my current house it is quite rediculous as one of my roommates is insanely loud and stays up all night just being as loud as possible. We've had numerous complaints from neighbors. So for her to have a problem with me using the blender for a few seconds is beyond rediculous. However, I've tried to take the high road and be considerate of her, even if she is not of me.

Luckily, the apartment is splitting up for other reasons (thank goodness), and I am looking forward to finding a new place. In that process, I want to prepare for this issue and make sure to have some kind of agreement or understanding with new roommates that this is how I eat. Guess I got scared of potential conflicts and thought maybe I need to live alone, though I'd rather not have to. Thanks for your encouragement and suggestions. I'll try communicating about it openly with potential housemates, and/or the towel method and see what happens. I'll live alone before I'll give up using my beloved Vitamix or eating raw, so hopefully I can find an accepting roommate situation first.

Thanks again everyone!

[Bananna]

It is loud...even annoys me, and it's For me, lol...so I can see how someone who is getting no reward at the end would be annoyed....

In my house they just put up with it because they love me.
Maybe you could run an extention cord to the balcony, lol....worst case?

[PammieTaj]

I think it is reasonable to expect that in course of living with or around other humans stuff like this comes up. Now if the vitamix were running day and night, it would drive me crazy too and I'd tell you to knock it off. If it's a matter of blending something up a couple of times a day and the aggregate amount of time is maybe five to ten minutes, then something else is wrong and that needs to be discussed. There are bigger issues than that little bit of noise across the course of a day.

I live with men folk. And no offense to men folk here or anywhere else. They can't even walk across the room quietly. We won't even talk about what happens when a basketball game is on the television.

blessings and peace, Pammie

[Stephen28]

My house is not considerate of how I eat. Being vegan, I do not want meat touching my things but constantly find people using my plates etc for meat. I once even found mince de-frosting on one of my plates! It was disgusting and covered in blood.

Since this, I have kept a set of my plates etc in my room and only take them downstairs when I use them. It seems to be the only way. It's hard when you live with four meat-eaters. Therefore I just use my blender and my food processor freely, as they seem to have no consideration for me, I'm sure they don't care about thirty seconds of noise.

[Colorawdo girl]

This my dears is a challenge.Pammie,I hear you on men walking. I live underneath a stomper(not the famous stomp show either),,,anyway wow is all I can say. So I am seeking a cottage in the woods with no upstairs or downstairs neighbors...ahhhhhhhhhh

Make them some banana ice cream or some yummy thing out of the vitamix,then when they hear it running,their mouth will water....hahahahah

[Green_Woman]

I am embarrassed sometimes to be using such a NOISY machine, too... especially since I often have to make smoothies at 730am before I head to school.

However - my roommates ALWAYS have parties on the weekends (and I work on weekends at 8am) and make tons of fun noise into the WEE HOURS of the morning.

They also play their music really loud all night long - and they have NEVER complained about my VITAMIX. :D

I love them - they are good people and put up with my crazy diet. :D

[rawmiss]

We always yell "NOISE" before we turn it on. :) It helps keep people from getting jarred.

[klomasius]

I blend early in the morning to make fresh green smoothies. I'm not too worried about other people in the house as they are also up and about, but I do worry about the neighbors.

Someone mentioned putting a towel under the base. I put a towel over the whole thing including the jug (but not the base) and it seems to dim the noise quite significantly.

[kaybee]

when i lived in a group house, i actually did run the cord out the back door and run the blender on a chair out back...this would make it worse for the neighbors though... so i guess it depends on where you live. you could also carry it into the basement... lol. im always worried about disturbing other people so i kept trying to minimize.

[loodles]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and support. It helps to feel validated that 1) yes, this is a potential issue of respect when living with other people and/or neighbors, and 2) that 30 seconds a day of noise, even a couple times a day is really not any worse than constant partiers, loud walkers/phone talkers, people that stay up all night being loud. I think it is something that can be worked out as long as there is an understanding.

So far I have started letting people know who I am interviewing with for potential houses that this is part of my daily routine. So far no one has had a problem with it, and I'm pretty sure they appreciate the consideration of being asked ahead of time. I know I would. Thanks again everyone!