A:Answer I can't answer if you can buy the tray separately but maybe I can help you with your wife :) I have the washer with the tray and I thought I'd REALLY like it, but I don't. It's only good until you decide to wash something. If you have something soaking and want to wash a different load, the tray must be lifted in order to start that load. For example, if you're soaking something in bleach and you need to wash a load that does not require bleach, you can't. You either have to wash a load with bleach or wash JUST that one soaking piece.
I don't mind that I have it since I did buy it, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it or say it's a definite must have.