Maytag Me, Baby!

About six months ago, my hubby and I ran to the hardware store to pick up a light bulb or some other trivial item. Seizing the opportunity for a "date," I asked if we could just walk around the hardware store. I worked in a hardware store for many years and still feel all the creative energy when I walk in. He amused me and we walked around. I started an endless list in my head of potential projects for the house. We paused by the appliances. The washers and dryers caught my attention. My creative juices were flowing and I had re-configured our laundry room in my head right there in the store. We left the store, but for a week or so I dreamed about stacking the washer and dryer, moving the cabinets, and creating a computer center in the laundry room. We decided to table the project until our current appliances went kaput. There was no reason to buy a new ones when the current ones were cleaning our clothes like they should.

Well! The day came. On Tuesday afternoon, I went to transfer my second load of laundry to the dryer and it was really wet. The washer drained but will not spin. That is as far as I investigated the issue. We've had these appliances since 1992! We have gotten our money's worth out of them. It is time to move on.

My husband consulted Consumer Reports. When I came home from choir last night, he stated we just needed to replace the washer with the CR Best Buy. Now, I love this man dearly. But, he is the most practical human being on the face of this earth. I went through a frustrated phase as we don't seem to tackle any "cool" projects. I wanted something fun! This morning he told me that he really did not care what we did as long as the budget could handle it. That was all I needed. I was off to an array of appliance stores this afternoon. Afterall, how long can we last without a washer?

I did some soul searching and researching. The layout of our laundry room is such that the washer is on the right side of the dryer with a cabinet and countertop separating them. All of the front loader washers have doors that open to the the left. The hinges are not interchangeable. If the washer and dryer were stacked and both opened to the left, then it would be next to impossible to reach around into the cabinet for detergent. That solved it! We needed to stick with a top loader.

I wanted to make sure the appliances were energy efficient. I am all in favor of saving water and utilities. I surfed the internet a bit too. What did we do before the web? We decided on a Maytag Bravos pair from Lowe's. We will get free delivery. The current special was a 10% savings when you buy the pair. Sold!! The creative piece here is that we ordered the appliances in black. Too cool! They will sparkle in the laundry room. I am so excited. The washer has a new technology minimizing water usage. It cleans without a center agitator and makes room for more clothes. The engineer in me can't wait to see how it all works. Wouldn't you know that I just bought two bottles of liquid Tide the other day. I do hope Kroger will let me swap it out for the He version.

Our "old" machines served us well. They are one of the first big appliances we purchased together. We are on to a new chapter...the new machines are scheduled for delivery on Monday. Can I make it until then? I think we may have to hit the laundromat. Is there even one close by?

Here is a sneak peak at my new Bravos ~