Oh yes, flours can certainly go bad quickly. We have so many cold places in our old house it's like having extra freezers in the winter. I buy directly from King Arthur or the organic foods store, freeze it in case there are any undesireables, then store it in one of our cold spots. Having it accessible means I'll use it regularly.

Thanks for the good wishes regarding a washing machine. It would save me hundreds of hours each month, and keep my hands from being crippled from the wringing and scrubbing. We'll see. It needs to use as little water and energy as possible, even if that means we pay more initially.