Best new dryer innovation might also be the simplest

Topwasherdryers.com today bring you news of a remarkable new innovation to the latest washer dryers 

Last week, we stopped by the joint Whirlpool/Maytag press event intended to show off fancy new laundry gear. Are you ready for an LCD touchscreen and a USB port on your washer and dryer? Also new are dedicated function buttons -- kind of like the "popcorn" button on your microwave, only for jeans and towels instead. You can also custom-select dirt levels and can tweak controls to maximize energy efficiency. And did we mention the new auto-inspired paint jobs? But do you really need any of this stuff in your laundry room? Instead of gee-whiz digital tech and iPhone-style control panels, we think two new under-the-radar features are more likely to cut down on everyday laundry annoyances. One of those -- a new baffle system for dryers -- was a real slap-your-forehead moment for Whirlpool engineers, according to senior brand managers Tanu Grewal and Brandon Buckingham.

Quad Baffle Drying System: Why didn't anyone think of this sooner?

In a regular dryer, what happens when most of your laundry is dry except for a towel or a sweatshirt? You remove the dried stuff, and leave those last two items in there, only to watch them go round and round in the dryer, stuck in the same ball that merely gets tossed from baffle to baffle (the baffles are those long plastic or metal dividers that run the width of the dryer drum). The newest (and most expensive) Whirlpool and Maytag dryers ditch the typical three full-length baffles in favor of four shorter, staggered baffles. The result? Drying laundry gets flipped from side-to-side instead of just up and down, so items are less likely to get stuck in the same rolled-up ball.

While the new baffles aren't exactly glamorous (Whirlpool and Maytag don't even mention them in their press releases), they're just the sort of un-sexy feature that solves a real problem. Furthermore, we can't imagine why the company wouldn't start including them on their less costly dryers as well (company reps couldn't tell us whether they had plans to do so). Right now, you'll only find the staggered baffles in the latest high-end models like the Whirlpool Vantage (*Est. $2,000) and Maytag Maxima (*Est. $1,300) dryers.

Automatic detergent dispensers let you reload soap less often

This feature is a little more high-tech, but at its heart, but it's still a simple improvement that can cut down on laundry-room mess. The newest high-end Whirlpool washer now includes a "bulk" soap dispenser that you can fill with any concentration of high-efficiency liquid detergent. After telling the washer what soap concentration you're using, the washers will dispense the right amount of detergent based on load size and cycle. Brandon Buckingham, senior brand manager for Whirlpool laundry, told us that if you're using 6X detergent, you'll only need to refill the dispenser about once every 36 loads.

Right now, the new automatic detergent dispenser is only available on the Whirlpool Duet WFW97HEX (*Est. $1,300).

Where's the GPS and Twitter app?

Other splashy new washer and dryer features include the sort of stuff we're seeing pop up on pretty much everything: touchscreens, USB ports (for software upgrades and diagnostics), and customizable settings, along with exterior designs that look Apple-derived or sportscar-like. It remains to be seen how reliable some of these features will be (and whether there will be enough repair people trained to fix them when they break). We'll certainly be keeping a keen eye on user reviews for these and other new models in our reports on washing machines and clothes dryers.

Read More at Consumersearch.com

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Redo Your Kitchen for less

How To Remodel A Kitchen That's Not Supposed To Fund Your Retirement

by Meg Marco

9 people liked this

Remember the days when your kitchen was an investment? Yeah, those days are over. Now you need a reasonably priced kitchen where you can actually cook!

Consumer Reports has 4 tips for remodeling a non-ridiculous kitchen:

No matter how much money you plan to spend, a few simple rules apply:

Don't rush

If it's been a while since you thought about remodeling, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of innovative products that combine value, performance, and good looks. Take the time--anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the scope of your project--to meet with pros, browse the Internet, and visit showrooms and home centers. Haste can also be expensive. Changing their minds after the work got started typically added about $1,500 to the cost of a kitchen project, according to almost 3,000 readers we surveyed about the hidden costs of remodeling.

Don't get stuck on size

Bloated showpieces are out. In addition to being expensive, huge kitchens can be exhausting to work in. There should be only about 4 to 9 feet of space between the sink and the refrigerator or between the sink and the stove, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. Islands should be only 3 to 4 feet deep and 3 to 10 feet wide and have a 42-inch-wide aisle between the island and surrounding cabinets. Anything bigger can be hard to use and clean.

Beware of budget busters

"While we're at it ..." are words that can break any budget. It's one thing to make unexpected structural repairs (in fact, you should leave a 10 to 15 percent cushion in your budget for such surprises), but it's another to add decorative flourishes just because a skilled carpenter happens to be in your kitchen. But don't settle for a cheap option, promising yourself that someday you'll replace it with what you really want. "In 30 years, I've never had a client actually come back and make the change," says Mark Karas, a Boston designer and president of the NKBA.

Get everything in writing

Whenever you hire a pro, the written contract should list each phase of the project; every product, including the model number; and copies of each contractor's license and workers compensation and liability insurance to confirm that they're still in effect. Call references and, if possible, visit them for a visual inspection.

For some great kitchen makeover ideas come take a look at Coolclassickitchens.com

Classic Kitchens For Less 

Dads on Wheels: Brian Brooks

Dads on Wheels: Brian Brooks

How old are your kids and why do you bike with them? When did you start them biking?

I have on daughter, Simone(2yrs). Cycling is a great way to spent time together exploring the city and beyond. She love riding! She was 10 months old when she had her first bike ride. 

How often do you bike with your kinds now ….and do you bike with them for fun or also for taking them on errands, getting them to school?
We ride at lease once a week. We bike for fun, running errands and to day care.

What’s the best thing about biking with your kid(s)?
Getting her outside and enjoying the feeling of cycling. I would love for her to have no fear but respect traffic.

What do you say to relatives or friends who think the streets of San Francisco are not safe for kids to bike?
I've only heard that once and my reply is where in the US are the streets safe walking cycling or driving?

What makes a route or street OK for taking your kids biking on it?
Bike lines, Sharrows or little traffic. 

We saw Brian and his baby by Pamela Palma - bici girl

Is it even harder getting kids ready for trips if you’re traveling by bike?
Not really. Its actually better because you can't carry as much "stuff"

How often do you bike on your own: recreation/exercise or for transportation also?
As much as possible. a few time a week plus every weekend.

Any advice for other dads who are thinking about biking on their own or with their kids?
At stop lights I also look drivers in the eyes so they know I'm riding with my child. Be confident with your cycling skills. Be aware of traffic.

 + + + + + + + + + +
Gracias Brian!!

Come and browse our newest Bicycle reviews at Toptownbikes.com  

Read more  her at Bikes and the City
  

Smart Washer-Dryer Sings

Smart Washer-Dryer Sings its Problems to the Repairman

Next to the refrigerator, the washer and dryer in your home are probably the most reliable gadgets you own. That hasn’t stopped LG coming up with a crazy new diagnostic scheme to help them troubleshoot these appliances from afar, and to take the stupid meat-sack owner (you) almost entirely out of the equation

No, this isn’t another internet-connected-appliance story. Instead, it is a product so odd that LG’s engineers must have been smoking something while inventing it. It works like this: When there is a problem, you call up LG. The person at the other end then gives you instructions, telling you to press some buttons in a certain order. Once you have put in the Konami cheat-code, a series of tones will chime from your washer or dryer like the spaceship in Close Encounters.

The trained LG technician will then diagnose these mysterious sounds and decide what to do. At no point are you, the owner, required to read a number out wrongly, or to second-guess the technician on the line. Once LG has the information it requires, it can decide whether or not it needs to send out a repairman, and that repairman will arrive equipped with just the right tools and parts.

The tech, called SmartDiagnosis, is pretty weird, but it is also very clever, and is already available on a few machines like the WM3885 pictured above ($1,900). I wonder when we’ll see this tech brought to more commonly failing gadgets, like PCs? Once we get used to these odd rituals, I imagine the IT guys having an amazing time pranking their callers: “First, I’d like you to hold the keyboard over your head. Now, sir, please whistle the national anthem.”

LG smart washing machines [LG. Thanks, Ralph!]

If your needing the serices of a good washer dryer come what we have for you at,

Topwasherdryers.com

Read More at GadetLab