Appliance. net

Appliance news, reviews, ratings, forums, reports and buyers guides.
Locate repairs and parts. for home and kitchen appliances.

You are here: Home / Archives for Laundry

Laundry

Sears Introduces Next-Gen Laundry Line

By

Sears is launching a redesigned line of Kenmore and Kenmore Elite high-efficiency front load washers featuring “smart motion” technology that’s gentler on fabrics while improving cleaning performance.

The smart motion feature is based on an agile direct-drive motor that creates five unique wash motions by precisely controlling the action of the drum. The motions are custom combined for each wash cycle, providing the proper amount of cleansing agitation for each garment type, whether it’s lingerie, denim or rugged work wear.

The five motions include:

• tumbling, a conventional wash motion where clothes are moved from the bottom of the drum to the top of the drum in a large, circular motion;

• rolling, in which clothes are gently moved in a small circle along the bottom of the drum, keeping them immersed in water;

• scrubbing, in which the drum alternates direction causing friction between the clothes, creating a scrubbing effect while keeping clothes immersed in water;

• swinging, in which clothes are gently tossed side-to-side for a delicate hand-wash effect, and;

• stepping, in which clothes are lifted to the top of the drum and then dropped sharply to the bottom of the drum.

The system also incorporates an innovative square door design, new curves, intuitive controls using color and sound cues, and new designer colors including ginger and chili pepper. The line, which is rolling out now through December, features seven washers (with matching dryers). Retail price will range from $800 for a 3.6-cubic-foot drum with eight wash cycles, to a 4.5-cubic-foot capacity unit with 14 wash cycles at $1,600.

Electrolux Front Load Washer and Dryer Giveaway

By

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.

Black Friday Appliance Sales Results

By

Major appliances have never been a traditional holiday gift category, and as such have always taken a back seat to electronics, apparel and home fashions in the pantheon of Black Friday promotions.

All that began to change last year when Sears offered an Electrolux front-load laundry pair for $600 the morning after Thanksgiving. This year, following one of the most challenging periods in recent white-goods memory, appliance offers came fast and furious on Black Friday, rivaling consumer electronics doorbusters in sales.

Apparently the ploy was effective: According to comparison shopping service PriceGrabber.com, sales of laundry pairs, one of the most heavily discounted categories of the holiday weekend, rose 70 percent on Black Friday compared with 2008.

One of the biggest major appliance blowouts was mounted by The Home Depot, which offered deep discounts on LG and Whirlpool’s Amana- and Maytag-branded products. Holiday specials included the high-efficiency Maytag Bravos 4.7-cubic-foot top-load washer and companion dryer for $499 each, down from $799 and $699, respectively, and a 19.7-cubic-foot LG French-door refrigerator, in white, for $798, down from $1,199.

Whirlpool was also front-and-center at Lowe’s on Black Friday, where $998 bought a 4-cubic-foot Duet front-load or Cabrio high-efficiency 4.7-cubic-foot top-load laundry pair, and $898 fetched a 25-cubic-foot French-door fridge in black or white (regularly $1,298).

New York metro area appliance titan P.C. Richard & Son was equally aggressive, offering $1,000 Samsung and Whirlpool front-load laundry pairs, both with 4-cubic-foot washers, and a 3.1-cubic-foot front-load Frigidaire washer and companion dryer for just $500.

But the day still belonged to Sears, which leveraged its private-label Kenmore brand to follow up last year’s Black Friday offering with a 3.5-cubic-foot front-load laundry pair for $580, a 23-cubic-foot French door fridge for $750, and a 4.7-cubic-foot high-efficiency Kenmore Elite Oasis laundry pair for $850. All were advertised as 50 percent or more off from Sears’ regular prices, but shoppers were warned that inventory was limited to only about two SKUs per model per store.
You can read this whole story at Twice.com

Jenn-Air to Move to Sears From Lowes and Home Depot

By

According to an article at Remodel.net, Sears will become the sole national retailer of Jenn-Air appliances after the new year, supplanting existing distribution deals between the super-premium Whirlpool brand and Lowe’s and The Home Depot.

Sears, the nation’s No. 1 appliance retailer, said it will introduce 17 Jenn-Air refrigerators, dishwashers and cooking products by mid-month at 255 of its largest stores. Jenn-Air will continue to be available to independent dealers and regional chains.

This presents Sears with a prestige kitchen collection just as consumers begin planning their holiday entertaining.

Price points for the luxury line run as high as nearly $10,000 for some built-in refrigerator models.

Sears has recently beefed up its high-margin premium portfolio with the addition of Bosch appliances and the expansion of its private-label Kenmore Elite collection.

“Sears continues to listen to our customers who have voiced their desire for a super-premium line,” said Sears’ home appliances president Doug Moore. “Our relationship with Jenn-Air to carry its luxury line of kitchen appliances is another great example of how we continue to enhance our brand offerings.”

$300 Million? When Will the Rebates Start?

By

Our article about the government’s $300 million dollar rebate program which is part of Obama’s economic stimulus package hasn’t begun and consumers across the nation are wondering if it is ever going to happen.

Unlike the $3 billion clunkers rebate blitzkrieg that boosted new-vehicle sales last summer, this program has proceeded more slowly and is aimed at longer-term household investments. It’s also being run differently, with each state deciding what kind of equipment will qualify for rebates.

The federal Department of Energy said last summer that only residential appliances that carry the Energy Star designation would qualify for a rebate. It suggested that rebates could be applied to water heaters, refrigerators, central air conditioners and other big-ticket appliances.

After talking with several people familiar with the program, it now appears details will be released by the end of the year on exactly the types of equipment each state will include in its rebate program as well as the amount of the rebates.

If you can’t wait for your state to start its program, you might want to look into the possibility of getting a Federal tax credit by visiting the government’s energysavers.gov.

GE Appliance Rebate

By

GE is offering a rebate of up to $500 on its Profile and Cafe lines. The offer is good until December 31, 2009, so if you plan to update your appliances, now might be a good time.

Pick any 5. Get $500
Pick any 4. Get $300
Pick any 3. Get $200
Pick any 2. Get $100

Check out the GE site for entry and more details.

Will That New Appliance Really Save Energy?

By

If you are shopping for a new, energy efficient appliance, and thought all you needed to do to was look for the yellow EnergyStar tag, think again.

The Department of Energy has released new findings that show a handful of appliances may not be as energy efficient as advertised because of problems with the “energy star” labeling program.

That little yellow sticker you see on some new appliances is supposed to guarantee an appliance is in the top 25% of energy efficiency, but an internal audit, just released, shows that the Department of Energy has not been properly tracking how the star has been used.

Initially manufacturers would self-report whether their products met the energy star guidelines, but with the new revelations, that’s changing.

Industry watchdogs are quick to point out, despite a few problems, the energy star program is not a washout.

“It’s not like we found rampant cheating and mis-representation in our testing,” said Celia Kuperszmid Leharman of Consumer Reports. “I think that for now that the stickers are pretty reliable, and they’re good comparative things from one product to the next.”

Before you purchase a new appliance, check out the Department of Energy’s consumer’s webpage for news on energy efficient appliances.

Whirlpool gets US Grant for Smart Appliances

By

Whirlpool has announced that it is the recipient of stimulus funds as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Smart Grid Investment Grant program.

The grant of $19.3 million over a two year period – which Whirlpool will match with its own investments – will help the company accelerate its work to deliver to consumers smart appliances that can connect with the smart grid. For example, the company recently announced that in 2011 it would deliver one million U.S. manufactured smart dryers capable of reacting intelligently to signals from the smart grid by modifying their energy consumption to save consumers money on their home electric bills. In markets where utilities offer variable or time-of-use pricing, these dryers could save a typical consumer $20 to $40 per year, while also benefitting the environment.

“The grants announced today are a great example of public and private partnerships that will create the next generation of energy saving solutions,” said Mike Todman, president, Whirlpool Corporation North America. “Smart appliances combined with time of use pricing offer consumers the greatest ability to save money on energy costs while benefiting the environment.”

In addition, the funds will complement the company’s commitment that by 2015 all of the electronically controlled appliances it produces – everywhere in the world – will be capable of receiving and responding to signals from the smart grid. This commitment is dependent on two important public-private partnerships: the development by the end of 2010 of an open, global standard for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a home appliance; and appropriate policies that reward consumers, manufacturers and utilities for using and adding these new peak demand reduction capabilities.

New From Whirlpool – Duet Steam Washer – FanFresh

By

Have you ever left your laundry in the washing machine by accident, only to find it smelly and wrinkled when you finally remembered to put it in the dryer? Whirlpool brand has heard consumers’ call, and in response, is arming consumers with the best defense — a washer with the ability to keep clothes smelling fresh for up to 10 hours after the cycle ends with the industry-changing FanFresh option.

The Whirlpool Duet steam washer’s FanFresh option intermittently tumbles clothes in the wash drum for up to 10 hours after the cycle ends. Meanwhile, a quiet fan draws out moisture through a vent to help keep clothes smelling fresh and prevents wrinkles from setting in. According to a 2007 online survey conducted by Whirlpool brand, 72 percent of respondents said it is important that their clothes never smell sour when left in the washer, yet only 47 percent are satisfied that their current washer completes this task.

“Whirlpool brand is focused on offering consumers the flexibility to live their lives rather than plan around their laundry,” said Brandon Buckingham, senior brand manager, Whirlpool laundry. “The FanFresh option provides consumers with the opportunity to load their washer, run errands and go to the movies, and not worry about getting back in time to switch the wash.”

While the FanFresh option solves one of consumers’ biggest laundry problems today, the new Duet steam washer garners one of the most efficient energy ratings available from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) -Tier III – meaning the machine features advanced water and energy savings for the consumer. In addition, the new Duet® dryer is the first in the front-load category to offer an Eco cycle that uses 40 percent less energy than a conventional dryer’s normal cycle when paired with a Duet® washer.

According to Whirlpool Corporation research conducted by Harris Interactive in 2008, nearly three quarters (72 percent) of adults actively look for the ENERGY STAR label when making purchasing decisions. With advanced water and energy savings for the consumer, the Whirlpool Duet steam washer is ENERGY STAR qualified and can save consumers more than $1,000 in lifetime water and energy costs when compared to a pre-2004 conventional washer, based on a 10-year life cycle. Couple this with the money saved in the dryer, and the savings of the Duet washer practically pays for the cost of the dryer. In fact, the new Duet pair is the industry’s most efficient laundry care system available based on time and energy usage.

The Whirlpool Duet steam washer has a capacity of 4.5 cu. ft., giving consumers the ability to wash up to 18 pairs of jeans in a single load. The Delay Wash setting can be used to set the washer to begin up to 18 hours later, perfect for timing during off-peak hours when utility rates may be lower or when unloading the washer is more convenient.

In addition, the Whirlpool Duet steam washer comes with the industry-first NightQuiet option, which further reduces operational sound and is great for those whose laundry rooms are close to living areas or bedrooms.

The Whirlpool Duet steam wash system adds the power of steam to select wash cycles to steam out tough stains, virtually eliminating the need to pre-treat, and removes up to 95 percent of tested allergens, including dust mites and pet dander. The Whirlpool Duet steam wash system received the highest rating for water efficiency, cleaning and capacity from a leading consumer magazine.

And steam is not just for the washer. The Duet steam dryer utilizes the power of steam to eliminate 99.9 percent of common household bacteria, ideal for those items that should not be washed such as backpacks, stuffed animals and pillows. And for those who want to avoid ironing and cut down on dry cleaning costs, the dryer offers a Quick Refresh steam cycle that tumbles small loads and uses steam technology to break down odors and smooth out wrinkles. In just 15 minutes, clothes are ready-to-wear.

The Whirlpool Duet steam washer (WFW9750W) will be available in White, Cranberry and Lunar Silver with an MSRP starting at $1,599, and the Whirlpool Duet steam dryer (electric WED9750W or gas WGD9750W) will be available in the same colors with an MSRP starting at $1,599 later this fall.

Manufacturer Rebate vs Government Rebate

By

We’ve been getting questions regarding when the Government’s promised 300 million dollar appliance rebate will become available. The problem is, unlike the cars Cash for Clunkers program, this appliance stimulus plan is designed and administered by the individual states.

Under a population-based funding formula, Ohio was allocated $11 million, Kentucky $4 million and Indiana $6 million for the rebates.

Today is the deadline for the states to submit their rebate plans. The federal government has until the end of November to approve them.

But most states aren’t expected to launch their rebate programs until early next year.

Jim Recker of Recker & Boerger Inc. appliance stores in Ohio and other appliance retailers say there are plenty of manufacturers rebates already available and some retailers are piggy-backing with their own rebates.

“People will wait for (the government program), but if they bought now, they could take advantage of rebates already in place and save on less energy used by the new appliances in the meantime,” said Recker,(Cincinnati.com) whose firm has stores in Springdale, Montgomery and Anderson Township.

Some examples: Frigidaire has extended a $100 cash back offer on Energy Star-qualified dishwashers through the end of October. Electrolux is offering $100 pre-paid Visa card on Energy Star-rated refrigerators purchased through November.

Another wrinkle in the appliance rebate program is that the federal guidelines encourage the states to team-up with recyclers to remove old appliances from the market, although it isn’t mandated (as it was in the Cash for Clunkers program).