On the Wire - Laundry List
The room in your home that sees all the dirty laundry doesn’t have to be a time- and energy-wasting scandal. Today’s appliances and amenities are smart, flexible and built to save money over the long haul. Welcome to the laundry revolution.
Smart machines
Family members have no excuse for avoiding laundry chores when faced with the easy-to-operate washers and dryers now on the market. Clear and helpful displays, quiet operation, and a range of cycles to perfectly clean and protect clothes are the new norms. Now, all you need to do is have the chat about separating fabrics and colors and not overloading, and your crew will be good to go.
The latest appliances are smarter than you, and that’s good news for both your life outside of the laundry room and the life of your clothes. Consider GE’s Profile Harmony Clothes Care System, which has a washer and dryer that actually talk to each other─in two languages! In either English or Spanish, users simply select a wash cycle based on how their laundry is sorted, press “Start,” and at the end of that cycle, the washer communicates information about the wash load electronically to the dryer. The dryer responds by presetting dry cycles for better clothing care, increased time savings, and greater convenience. Also smart are the washer’s Stain Inspector™ stain-removal system which treats more than 80 stains through optimized wash cycles, and the dryer’s DuoDry™ system that senses just the right temperature and amount of drying time, adding an adaptive, wrinkle-reducing cool-down phase at cycle’s end.
Ergonomic, flexible styling
Not only are today’s machines gentler with clothes, they’re gentler with you. A wide variety of appliance heights, sizes and configurations allow everyone to find the best fit for them and their laundry space. The increasingly popular front-loaders offer easy access and a height that’s better for your back, and also make for fast, tangle-free retrieval of laundry. Larger baskets in both washers and dryers help to trim down the number wash loads, and when you add manufacturer-provided pedestals under units and comfortably placed, ample counter space, your days of laundry strain are over.
Water and energy savings
ENERGY STAR labeling is the thing to look for when shopping for new laundry appliances. Washers and dryers bearing the ENERGY STAR logo meet energy- and water-savings guidelines set by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy, and will add up to money in your pocket over the long haul. Front-loading machines are among the biggest money-savers, thanks in particular to the reduced amount of water required by their configuration. To give you an idea of how positive these savings can be, here are a few of the stats for Maytag's new Epic™ Front Load Washers and Dryers. The washer uses as little as 10 gallons of water for a load, compared to 40 gallons for a conventional machine. The Epic™ washer also meets the 2007 ENERGY STAR standard, reducing energy consumption by a whopping 46%.
Epic™ dryer stats are equally impressive. Conventional dryers can take up to twice as long to dry clothes as it does to wash them, especially with items such as bath towels and blue jeans. However, because the spin cycle in the technologically advanced dryer is more efficient, more water is extracted from the clothes before they hit the dryer. As a result, the wash and dry times for Epic™ are about equal, which is half as long as a conventional dryer. Shortened dry time also means reduced heat and tumbling and far less wear and tear on your clothes.
But will the savings and higher cost of buying high tech machines that conserve water and energy pay for themselves over the life of the appliance? While there are variables, the short answer is – yes! As a rule of thumb, an average family will save $150-$185 per year by using a high efficiency washer/dryer. The high efficiency appliances cost about twice as much as conventional machines (averaging of $1700 for the pair vs. $850). So the price difference of $850 is made up in the first 6 years or the full price of the machine can be recouped in about 12 years. Since appliances like Maytag’s are designed to last 20-years the appliance should more than pay for itself over it’s working life.
Accessorize to organize
Many manufacturers offer accessories that can turn an already-great pair of machines into a slick full-fledged laundry center. Options include appliance-top work surfaces with spill guards, supply trays and backsplashes; laundry storage “towers” that nestle between or to the side of units for organized, easy access to detergents and supplies; and washer and dryer pedestals with built-in storage drawers. Customizing the space with other items like handy hampers (rolling industrial-style or tilt-out numbers with cabinet fronts), fold-away ironing boards and drying racks not only adds to its efficiency, but also defines the laundry zone if it shares a space with other activities. Add a utility sink to the mix, and you’ll surely wash away all the hassles you used to associate with laundry day!
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Safe Plywood?
“My parents are considering a new home in retirement community. My question is what are the pros and cons of a home built with particle board, and specifically OSB? OSB was used throughout the house and my parents worried about the glue that the glue used could have negative health side effects. Also, what is the longevity of using OSB vs plywood? We don't want a house that will fall down!”
OSB, or “Oriented Strand Board,” is one of many engineered wood products used in home construction. Many of these products are less expensive because they are easier to produce and therefore, more popular for builders looking to slice pennies off projects. For the most part, we have no concerns about the use of OSB in a home. As a sidewall sheathing and when properly nailed (8 nails at the seem, 6 nails in the field), it is just as functional as plywood at preventing “racking” which is a sideways movement of the framed wall. For floor sheathing it also works just as well, so long as it is thick enough and tongue and groove, so that each board locks together. The one area that we really don’t like to see OSB used is as roof sheathing. Since OSB is not as stiff as plywood, it would flex around every roof rafter or truss. If one of these ended up being high or sagged, you’d see an obvious hump or sag in the roof right over that spot.
As for health effects, there have always been concerns about off-gassing of glues. But the research shows that this is so minimal, it should not have an effect. That is, unless your parents happen to be super chemically sensitive, in which case all bets are off. More detail on the topic is published by TECO, a USA-based third-party certification and testing agency of structural panel products. TECO evaluates and certifies OSB, plywood, particleboard, MDF and agrifiber panels produced throughout North, Central and South America, as well as Europe. For more information and an in-depth explanation of this topic, please refer to TECO’s TECH TIP Formaldehyde Emissions from Wood-Based Panels.
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Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
You can do-it-yourself but you don't have to do-it-alone. Getting in touch with us is as easy as 1 - 2 or 3!
- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
- Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
- Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.
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On the Air - Home Safe Home
From the floor of the 2007 National Hardware Show in Orlando, we are bringing you the products and services that will make your home safer and more comfortable for you at any age and stage of your life. From young children to an empty nest, to taking in an aging relative, we have the info and advice you want. To listen to our radio show, click hereand learn how to download our popular Podcast, or listen online.
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Dot Common Sense - Switch to a Safer Way
Switches control a variety of devices in the home and office. How many times has a well-meaning guest turned OFF a switch you wanted left ON? One that is connected to a security system, baby monitor, computer, fax machine, furnace or a timed device like a instant coffee maker or microwave? It is inconvenient to reset and reprogram these devices when someone has accidentally shut the switch off. Yet, it happens everyday! You might have resorted to a sticky-note or piece of electrical tape to try to get the message across. But instead of unsightly and not-so-foolproof methods, install the e-Lock Switch Guard.
The e-Lock Switch Guard attaches to the existing switch plate. Simply push the button on the device to move the switch to the "on" or "off" position. The e-Lock Switch Guard automatically locks the switch when the range of motion is complete. It is easy to install and easy-to-use. With this device, you no longer have to worry about accidentally shutting off a switch and cutting off power to home and office devices (i.e. oil burners, computers, sump pumps, etc.) You also can prevent someone turning on a switch that should be left off – such as an attic light or garbage disposal. The switch can only be moved from the “safe” position when you push a button on the side of the device at the same time. The Switch Guard saves time, money and will help keep kids safe. It comes in ivory and white with matching screws. Visit www.ejworksinc.comfor more information or to order the e-Lock Switch Guard.
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Fun Fact - What's Cooking?
In your mom’s day – the stove and oven basically came in one design – BAD! But now you don’t have to settle for bending and reaching when you are preparing your culinary masterpiece. Your oven doesn't have to be right near your cooktop. Instead, mount your oven in the wall so you won't have to bend or stretch. Also, get rid of the type of oven door that you open from the top. Choose a door that swings to the side like a microwave. This door will help you get closer to the oven when you take foods in and out. And, you won't have to lean across a hot door to test a cake or baste a turkey. Install your cooktop on a counter that is 32 inches from the floor. Would you like to sit down while you cook? Leave knee space below the counter so you can pull a chair in close. That space should be 30 inches wide and 27 inches high. You can also put your cooktop on an island. Then, you'll be able to reach it from both sides. A few design changes will help you cook up comfort and fun along with your meals. For more great tips, visit www.AARP.org/homedesign.
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Cool Tools - Yard Care with Power
Ryobi is adding four new lawn and garden tools to its popular One 18-volt tool lineup this spring. Now consumers can now take the same battery they use in their drills and circular saws and insert it into the new products that will help them keep their yards tidy. The lightweight, but powerful pole pruner, is great for trimming small limbs and the telescoping shaft allows you to reach branches up to four to five feet above your head. The powerful motor is the same one that powers the Ryobi One reciprocating saw, it can power the blade up to 3,000 strokes per minute.
The Ryobi One System allows users to insert the same 18-volt battery into more than 30 different tools and lifestyle products. The battery works with all current, past and future Ryobi 18-volt tools. All tools can be purchased without batteries and chargers, keeping the price of individual components affordable. As with all Ryobi One System tools, the pole pruner comes with a 2-year warranty and is available exclusively at The Home Depot and retails for $49.97, battery and charger are sold separately. For more information visit www.ryobitools.com.
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Copyright 2006 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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