Just in time for Mother’s Day- a photo I found recently that I liked for its quaint look back in time. This woman seems so pleased with her new washer and dryer. I imagine that the family had saved for a while to acquire the set and ease her workload. Her daughter writes that it is probably 1953 and this is the family’s first automatic washer and dryer. “Before that she used a wringer washer and we either hung the clothes in the basement, or outside if the weather was good.”
Appliance Lifespans
October 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
We’ve said it before, here, but we’ll say it again, below we list some approximate lifespans for household appliances.
Average appliance life span in years
Compactors: 6
Dishwashers: 10
Disposers, food waste: 9
Dryers, electric: 12
Dryers, gas: 12
Freezers: 11
Microwave ovens: 9
Ranges, electric: 16
Ranges, gas: 17
Range/oven hoods: 11
Refrigerators: 12
Washers: 11
Water heaters, electric: 13
Water heaters, gas: 11
Air-conditioners, room: 9
Air-conditioners, central: 11
Boilers, gas: 20
Dehumidifiers: 7
Furnaces, gas: 15
Furnaces, oil: 17
Heat pumps: 12
Courtesy of heraldnet.com
Electrolux Front Load Washer and Dryer Giveaway
December 29, 2009 By 9 Comments
The Holiday celebrations are winding down and the clean-up begins – tablecloths, napkins, bedding for all the extra guests. If your old washer has spun its last load, here’s your chance: Woman’s Day is giving away a Electrolux 27″ Front Load Washer and Large Capacity Dryer set.
It’s gentle on the environment and your clothes, with wash cycles that are 83 percent more energy-efficient and use 56 percent less water. Color options include Red Hot Red; Turquoise Sky; Silver Sands and Island White. Retails price is about $3,600.
There’s no purchase required to enter, but entries must be made by January 9, 2010. Click here to enter and read more.
Laundry is Moving Up
July 27, 2009 By 1 Comment
The next generation of laundry has arrived and the status quo is getting a much-needed makeover. New washer and dryer technologies and innovations in detergents and clothing care save time and energy, making laundry feel like less of a chore.
Everything in its place
Laundry rooms used to be relegated to the basement, but more people are finding space for washers and dryers in convenient areas of the house like upstairs near bedrooms. Experts say installing a “laundry nook” is not only a good investment and can raise the value of your home, but it can make hauling baskets of clothing up and down flights of stairs a thing of the past.
The closer the washer and dryer are to living spaces the more important it is for them to be quiet. “Look for machines with new technologies that reduce vibration for nearly noiseless laundry sessions,” says home design expert Doug Wilson. “If your washer and dryer are out in the open, look for colorful and sleek models that can stand out stylishly on their own. New models are available in a variety of designer finishes such as wild cherry red, Riviera blue and even colors that give the look of stainless steel without the stainless steel price tag.”
Near the laundry area or on the go, make sure to keep the latest stain removal products handy. Treating a stain as soon as it happens can help to ensure your clothing won’t be ruined and prevent the need for multiple washings to remove the stain. Oxygen-based stain removers are gentle, nontoxic and effective on nearly every stain and most types of fabrics. And portable stain-erasing pens and wipes are handy for treating stains no matter where you are.
Get the most out of your wash and save energy
Until now, washers only used one washing motion — tumbling — to clean clothes. Select washers from LG now feature technology that provides a new way to care for your clothes with four new washing motions — rolling, stepping, swinging and scrubbing.Cold care, heavy duty and enhanced hand-wash cycles use a combination of these motions to gently and effectively clean clothes. For example, the cold care cycle uses cold water in combination with these motions to clean clothes as effectively as the normal cycle that uses hot water, but with an energy savings of more than 60 percent.
Look for the ENERGY STAR label on washing machines, and you can cut your water costs by up to 50 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. There are also machines that automatically adjust the water temperature and the amount of water used for each load to prevent excess and waste. Detergent designed for use in cold water helps to save energy by effectively cleaning clothes without hot water.
Another trend in laundry is the use of steam for greater energy and water efficiency. Steam washers and dryers also offer enhanced clothing care options such as short, steam-only cycles that help to reduce wrinkles and remove odors from clothing with using water and detergent (and can help cut down on trips to the dry cleaner in the process, helping to save money in addition to energy).
Stay healthy
With 70 percent of U.S. households affected by asthma or allergies, LG’s SteamWasher with Allergiene cycle gently and effectively reduces allergens, including common triggers — like dust mites and pet dander — on fabrics by more than 95 percent, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
“Now there’s a washing machine that is so effective at reducing common household allergens, the LG SteamWasher, that we are able to certify it ‘asthma and allergy friendly,’” says Mike Tringale, director of external affairs for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
New From Haier: Stackable Washer and Dryer
October 20, 2008 By 2 Comments
For those folks short on space and loaded with laundry, Haier has introduced a washer dryer pair with the option to stack.
The standard 24-in wide by 24-in deep HBF1055TVE washer offers a 1000 rpm spin speed and can be stacked with the HDY6-1 electric dryer to create one unit that can be stacked in a closet or placed separately side by side.
The washer has a 1.8-cubic-ft stainless-steel drum, auto select wash/rinse temperature and 12 fabric-care wash cycles that include such traditional front load options as soak, extra rinse, four-spin speed and spin only. The dryer has a 3.5-cubic-foot stainless-steel drum, dual temperature settings, dry-time selector and temperature sensor drying.
This convenience costs about the same as a standard washer/dryer, retailing for $1,099. So you don’t have to be as loaded with money as you are with laundry.
Electrolux to Give Portion of Profits to Cancer Research
September 3, 2008 By 4 Comments
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and to help raise awareness, Electrolux, leading is teaming up with Kelly Ripa to launch its premium laundry collection in North America. At the centerpiece of the new collection is a front-loading washer and dryer in “Turquoise Sky,” inspired by the brightly-hued ribbon that is the nationally recognized symbol in the fight against ovarian cancer.
During September, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Electrolux Turquoise Sky Washers and Dryers will benefit The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to remind people that we need to raise funds to help find a method of early detection for ovarian cancer. It’s a deadly disease that affects thousands of women and their families each year,” notes Ripa. “That’s why I am so grateful to Electrolux for stepping up once again to help me raise money and awareness to help support this important cause.”
“Electrolux is proud to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and its efforts to fund the research that will eradicate this deadly disease; that’s why we’re donating $200 to the OCRF for each Turquoise Sky Washer and Dryer pair purchased as part of our commitment to raise more than $500,000 to help fight ovarian cancer over the next two years,” said Electrolux Major Appliances President and CEO, North America, Keith McLoughlin.
For more information, visit www.electroluxappliances.com or check out the new laundry line at select independent appliance dealers Best Buy, Lowe’s and Sears.
Appliance Plumbing Design
