Washing

Maintaining Your Major AppliancesHere are some tips to maintaining, cleaning, and inspecting your washing machine and clothes dryer. You can save time and money by following this advice, and avoid breakdowns, or hazardous situations.Washing Machine It's a good idea to periodically check and replace the fill hoses on your washing machine. If you have rubber hoses, you should consider replacing them with braided stainless steel hoses. It is recommended that you replace your washer hoses every 3-5 years. While you are back there, take a look at the electrical connection. The plug needs to be firmly in place, the cord connection to the washer should have a restraint, and should not evidence any corrosion or burn marks. Also, you should periodically clean the inside of your outer washer tub. Whirlpool makes a cleaner called Affresh for this purpose. There are also a variety of home remedies including using combinations of bleach, vinegar, and/or baking soda. You can discover these cleaning remedies online, or just look on the aisles of your grocery store for washer cleaning products. If you have a front loading washer, pay special attention to cleaning the front gasket, especially at the bottom where it's possible for moisture to settle and mold to grow.Automatic DryerMake a habit of cleaning the lint filter in your dryer once a week. It's also very important to regularly clean the dryer vent. If you're lucky you'll have a short direct vent pipe to the outside that you can clean with a vacuum

Choosing the Best WasherGetting ready to buy a new washing machine? Here is the first decision you'll need to make. There are three basic types of washers to choose from. We describe each washer type below and provide an example from each of the three major brands.1. GE Traditional Agitator Type Top Loader WasherAgitator type washers were the primary type of washing machine used in the U.S. since the post WWII era up to the 2000's. They're still a popular choice for those who want a washing machine like Mom used to have and prefer the high-post agitator in the middle. Here's an example from GE.GE® 4.2 DOE cu. ft. stainless steel capacity washerGTW485ASJWS ENERGY STAR® qualified Stain PreTreat Speed Wash Rotary electronic controls with cycle status lights2. Whirlpool HE Top Load WasherHigh Efficiency top load washers have been around for about twenty years. They're absent the high post agitator of traditional washers. Instead, they have an impeller in the bottom of the tub that turns and moves the clothes in much less water than traditional agitator top loaders, but they still do an amazing job of cleaning clothes. Below is a Whirlpool HE Top Load Washer:4.3 cu. ft. High-Efficiency Top Load Washer with a Low-Profile Impeller Model #: WTW5000DWPresoak Option Deep Water Wash Cycle Clean Washer Cycle with affresh® Washer Cleaner Smooth Wave Stainless Steel Wash Basket Quick Wash Cycle 3. Electrolux Front Load WasherFront load washers have become very popular over the last 20 years. Originally popularized in

Independence Day ThoughtsCooking, Washing, and Cooling Appliances in 1776When we think of our Founding Fathers, our thoughts go to the grand portraits of Washington and Jefferson and their mansions in Virginia. Of course, life for most people in the 18th century was as the philosopher Hobbes described, "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short".CookingCooking was still mostly done over a fire, but in the second half of the 18th century Ben Franklin invented a cast iron stove. An improved version of his invention that vented upwards became popular for decades. Nevertheless, cooking was very rudimentary when compared with the appliances we have today.Cleaning Consider the poor housewife or servant. Washing in the last half of the 1700s, was a planned event, even a community event, which took place sporadically near a stream or river where water in large vats was heated to boil the clothes. Lye and ash were the chemicals of choice, soaps didn't come along until the 1800's, along with wash tubs and washboards.CoolingRefrigerators didn't exist. There weren't even ice boxes. So food preservation consisted of various dried foods, as well as cured meats and fish. A common breakfast and supper might be little more than bread and milk. For diinner (a mid-afternoon meal), fresh chicken, pork, and some beef were staples and wild game and fish were also plentiful in the New World. Corn was common at most meals, potatoes less frequently, as well as seasonal vegetables.Well, "We've come a long way baby." It's interesting to think that