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Laundry

College Laundry Basics

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For those lucky kids whose clean clothes and sheets magically appeared in their rooms all these years, the first week away at college will be a shock. About this time next week they will awake to the fact that Mom is no longer doing the laundry. When they call in a panic, you can refer them to us. With the help of Whirlpool, we’ll present them with the basics for getting through that pile taking over their room.

Step 1 – Prepping:

Treat stains by blotting, not rubbing, from the back of the fabric to the front.
Divide loads into lights and darks.
Check that zippers are closed, hooks clasped and pockets emptied.

Step 2 – Washing:

Use only enough detergent as specified for your load size (check the bottle).
Extra suds hold and re-deposit dirt on your laundry.
Use hot water to keep white loads bright.
Use cold water to prevent darks from fading.

Step 3 – Drying:

Select items from the wash load to place in dryer. Delicate items can go on a drying rack.
Add a dryer sheet to keep clothes static-free.
Empty the lint trap to dry faster and increase energy efficiency.
To avoid extra wrinkles, fold immediately.

Three simple steps… now they’ll only call for money.

Electrolux to Give Portion of Profits to Cancer Research

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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.

Miele Earns Robb Report “Best of Best” for Washer

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German appliance manufacturer Miele reports that their super large capacity Honeycomb Care™ laundry system has been awarded the top honor in the Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” issue featuring the “Best” products for affluent lifestyles.

The Robb Report “Best of the Best” issue is currently in its 20th year of compiling the finest examples of technology, exclusivity and overall quality in the luxury market. “Miele has always been known for its top-of-the-line washers and dryers, but because the products are geared to a mostly European audience, they traditionally have been sized for smaller loads,” said Bruce Wallin, Editorial Director, Robb Report. “The new Miele appliances represent a rare breed that combines the best of both worlds: large-capacity washers and dryers that are gentle on your clothes.”

From Miele directly:

The Miele Honeycomb Care™ laundry collection easily and safely launders a wide range of clothing including woolens, silks and other delicate fabrics once washed by hand or sent to a dry cleaner. MasterCare™ technology, available on the top-of-the-line W 4840 model, adds an enhanced program selection to optimize the care and cleaning of outerwear, comforters, dress shirts and much more. Consumers no longer have to know the temperature or spin speed – Miele’s Honeycomb Care™ laundry is programmed by clothing type – so a user selects the type and the machine already knows how to effectively clean them.

Miele has achieved more than 10 patents for the Honeycomb Care™ system’s technological advancements – increasing its longevity, cleaning performance, energy savings and quiet, stable operation. A few of these patented features include: the Honeycomb Drum™ that is proven to extend the life of clothing four times longer than other washers; a new aerodynamic lint filter on the super large capacity dryer that reduces the total dry time by keeping a continuous airflow; and, the optional appliance stand / storage drawer with a patented shelf for setting laundry baskets at the perfect height for sorting and folding.

Win a New GE Profile Washer/Dryer Pair

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Visit Times Square on August 26th, 2008 for a free demonstration of GE’s newest washer/dryer pair. Between 8 a.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET, be sure to enter this event’s sweepstakes for a chance to win your own GE Profile frontload laundry pair with a SmartDispense pedestal and dryer storage pedestal.

The Washer:

Uses H2ition to sense the right amount of water and temperature for each load (ENERGY STAR® qualified)
Communicates electronically with the dryer to preset dry cycles and help save time
Stain Inspector ™ provides more than 40 different preprogrammed stain treatments
Offers SmartDispense technology, which when used with the optional pedestal can store and dispense 6 months worth of detergent and fabric softener

The Dryer:

Uses a reverse tumble to offer the fastest, most even drying
Includes a built-in dryer rack and hanger clip for more drying options
Has a 7.5 cubic foot capacity

Laundry Tips From Whirlpool

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If you want good advice, go to the experts. I know I’m not alone in my opinion that laundry takes up way too much of my time. Whirlpool, a leading manufacturer of washers and dryers offers their advice on getting your clothes clean with the least amount of hassle.

  • As your laundry accumulates, pre-sort it into designated baskets for lights, darks and whites. This way, a load will be ready to throw in the washer whenever you have a minute to spare.
  • While sorting, don’t forget to close zippers, clasp hooks and check pockets to prevent snags and avoid washing tissues, money, lipstick, etc.
  • Streamline the laundry process by incorporating storage solutions and flat working surfaces into your laundry room. This will keep laundry where it belongs and eliminate the need to treat, sort and fold in other rooms of the house.
  • Wash small loads as needed between laundry days. Today’s high efficiency washing machines use substantially less water and energy than a conventional top-loading washer. Which means you can do small loads when you have time, rather than waiting for the basket to fill up.
  • Don’t overload the washer or dryer. Clothes come out cleaner and less wrinkled when given room to move freely.

Save Energy and Save Money or Not?

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Energy costs are going up and we’re surrounded by warnings of global warming.  What’s a conscien-tious consumer to do?  Buy an energy efficient appliance of course.

From washing machines that use steam instead of hot water, to refrigerators that use low-energy compressors, to low-power computer screens, electronics companies are furiously developing energy-efficient products and heavily promoting lines already on the market that use less electricity than competitors’ brands.

Homemakers are increasingly buying front-load washing machines, which use gravity to move water instead of agitators as in top loaders.

And now, new washers from LG Electronics and Whirlpool offer an option to use steam instead of hot water, cutting water and power use by more than 70 percent compared with some top-load models.

LG expects 4 out of 10 front-load washers it sells in North America to use steam technology by the end of this year, compared with 2 out of 10  currently.

Their biggest appliance plant in South Korea makes mostly front loaders, while recently built plants like one in Russia have stopped manufacturing top loaders altogether.

Among refrigerators, which consume 30 percent of overall power in a typical home, traditional compressors are giving way to linear compressors that use up to 40 percent less power and make less noise.

In the computing industry, power-saving has long been a key priority as bigger and hungrier gadgets challenge battery life.  PC makers from Apple to the Lenovo Group are replacing screens lit by conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamps with light emitting diode (LED) displays.  “LED saves up to 40 percent of the power used in traditional backlights,” said Jeff Kim, an analyst at Hyundai Securities. “Next year they will be commonly found in notebook screens, and will be increasingly used in TV panels from 2010.”

But too often, these energy-efficient products carry a hefty price premium to reflect the cost of developing new technologies, which in turn hampers faster adoption.  For instance, Whirlpool’s washing machines with steam are sold at $1,300 to $1,500, compared with a traditional machine priced at $700.  Still, makers argue that the lifetime savings from green products could amount to the price of the appliance itself.

Sometimes a little incentive helps.

The Japanese electronics retailer Bic Camera is running a campaign in which buyers of eco-friendly products get extra credit points that can be used for future purchases. “That’s a little nudge to help people buy products that are more efficient, even if they are slightly more expensive,” said Naoko Ito, a Bic Camera spokeswoman. “Consumer interest is high.”

Samsung Sivercare Washer and Dryer Vibration Reduction

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One of the reasons to love front loading washers, is the potential for them to run quietly. Nevertheless, the Bosch washer currently in our test lab often sounds like a jet taking off. Manufacturers are working on the technology to make them quieter. Here’s a video from Samsung on how they are attacking the problem with the SAMSUNG’S WF337 Washer.

Will GE’s Appliances Suffer Under a New Owner?

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By now, GE’s upcoming sale of their popular appliance division is common knowledge and many people are wondering what will become of one of the most popular brands in the US when it is sold.  GE appliances rank highly with sources such as Consumer Reports.  When news that GE was considering a sale of the appliance arm, the magazine reported how various GE appliances stacked up against rivals. Most did pretty well.   GE had many highly rated (though a few poorly rated, including a ‘not acceptable’ in upright freezers ) models in many product categories and across price points.

According to the Wall Street Journal’s Deal Journal, for the most part, those considered to be potential bidders for the GE business–Sweden’s Electrolux, LG Electronics, BSH Bosch & Siemens Hausgerate of Germany, to name a few–match that. The outlier? Haier. Haier’s Genesis is No. 22, or fourth from the bottom in the rankings of top-loading washing machines and dead last in both large countertop microwave ovens (No. 15) and side-by-side refrigerators (No. 34).

The obvious question? Would a Haier-GE combination lead to an improvement in Haier’s own brand or would it pull down the reputation of the GE brand? Unfortunately, the question isn’t, well, academic. The folks at consumer-satisfaction surveyer J.D. Power & Associates said studying whether or how an acquisition of a high-quality brand by a lower-quality brand affected either brand would be nearly impossible, since it would be difficult to identify what was an effect of the deal or integration as compared with the myriad other issues that affect quality, like design, manufacturing, parts/raw materials.

Of course, Haier has has been down this road before, coming close to but ultimately failing to acquire another well-regarded U.S. brand, Maytag, in 2005. Then Haier’s plan was said to follow the Lenovo way, referring to the Chinese PC maker’s slow conversion of IBM Thinkpads to the Lenovo brand after it acquired the Big Blue business. For its part, Haier declines to confirm whether it was indeed bidding for the GE business or comment on how it would handle the integration should it comsumate a deal.

Tips for Saving Money and Energy Around the House

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Looking for ways to save money? Look no further than your kitchen. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) offers these simple energy savings tips to consumers looking for ways to cut energy bills this summer.

The energy consumed by home appliances has dropped sharply since 2000.
Refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers combined account for a 43% decrease in
energy consumption since 2000. Replacing an eight year old refrigerator, dishwasher and
clothes washer with new appliances of average efficiency will save consumers about
$95.00 per year in energy bills. Replacing an eight year old clothes washer will save
more than $60.00 in electricity costs and nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year.
Additional savings can be obtained by purchasing Energy Star appliances.

Energy savings can also be obtained by following these easy tips:

• If you are replacing your refrigerator, do not use the old refrigerator as a second
refrigerator. This will not yield energy savings. Properly recycle the appliance.
To find recycling options in your area, call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.

• Allow hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator; and always cover
foods that may release moisture in the refrigerator.

• Limit opening the refrigerator and freezer doors. Label foods or use clear food
storage bags to easily identify foods.

• Scrape, but do not pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Dishwashers do a great job of cleaning soiled dishes.

• Take advantage of your dishwasher’s “eco” option that reduces water use, or use a
no-heat air dry feature.

• Use load size settings- if you are washing a small load of clothing, be sure to
change the load setting. Use cold water settings whenever possible.

• Always clean the lint filter on the clothes dryer after each use. A clogged filter
will reduce dryer performance.

GE CEO cites five potential bidders for appliances

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General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt on Wednesday named five non-U.S. appliance manufacturers, including China‘s Haier, South Korea‘s LG Electronics, Sweden’s Electrolux, Mexico‘s Controladora Mabe and Turkey’s Arcelik, as potential bidders for the company’s century-old appliances business.

The chief of the second-largest U.S. company by market capitalization said it was “obvious” who would be interested in the unit, which last year sold $7.2 billion worth of refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances.

“The players have become somewhat obvious,” Immelt told reporters in South Korea. “It is Haier in China, it is LG in Korea, it’s Mabe in Mexico, it’s Arcelik in Turkey.”

In Beijing, he added another name to the list of suspects: “Whether LG or Haier or Electrolux or others participate remains to be seen.”

None of those companies confirmed their interest.

After stunning investors in April with an unexpected drop in quarterly profit, GE said this month it would look to sell or spin off its appliances unit, saying the business was too focused on the United States.

Analysts and investors have estimated the business, which is No. 2 in the U.S. behind Whirlpool Corp. could sell for $4 billion to $8 billion. Whirlpool is the world’s largest appliance maker.

Immelt’s comments could be an effort to see if there are other interested bidders who have not yet made themselves known to the company, said Peter Sorrentino, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Huntington Asset Advisors, which manages $6.5 billion in assets and holds GE shares.

“I wonder if he’s not tapping tree trunks with a stick trying to figure out if there’s bees in there,” Sorrentino said.

STILL ‘EARLY ON’

Immelt’s remarks came just a week after he told investors GE that the company was “seriously” considering spinning off the appliances unit.

“The appliance process is still very early on, and much still has to be decided,” Immelt said in Beijing on Wednesday.

GE’s well-known brand name could appeal to a foreign appliance manufacturer looking to build its profile in the United States while capitalizing on lower-cost production.

Goodmorning Shinhan Securities analyst Steve Lee said, “I doubt LG Elec would be interested in pursuing this deal, since there’s little the company can gain. There’s a lot of overlap between the businesses with little premium potential for LG.”

Lee said Immelt’s comments could be aimed at drumming up interest from a small pool of potential candidates with deep-enough pockets to buy the business.