Wool Felted Dryer Balls - Are They Worth the Hype?

 They might be worth more than you expected.

Looking at that title you're probably wondering what are felted wool dryer balls and are we not talking about the stuff that gets caught in your lint trap? Nope!  We are talking today about the benefits both real and imaginary for dryer balls that you can make yourself.

 You've probably seen the commercial version of these in your local big box store or a DIY option on Pinterest. Felted wool dryer balls therefore are balls of wool; either wool yarn, unspun wool, wool batting, an upcycled wool sweater, that's been squished and fused together into roughly the size of a baseball. What matters here is that it is 100% wool without any acrylic or man-made materials in it. The reason for this is because the natural wool fiber has scales that, when wet,  will mesh and knit themselves together. Which is what you want in order to make a solid ball.  

On to what you really want to know about: what are they supposed to do?

On TV you'll probably have seen dryer balls touted as everything from alternatives to dryer sheets reducing your electricity bill by half lasting for years, the list goes on. What we can tell you is that there are many benefits to using wool dryer balls. They are not as extreme as you may see online or on TV but they certainly are benefits.

• They are a viable alternative to dryer sheets that you can make on your own.

• They don't leave any residue on your clothes or towels.

• They reduce static cling.

• Provided you use the recommended six balls for a load, they do reduce the amount of time and therefore energy needed to dry your laundry. They can also be used with auto-sensing dryers. 

• All-wool dryer balls don't release plastic or rubber chemicals when heated as tennis balls and the commercial plastic variants do.

• They soak up some of the moisture in your laundry and redistribute it evenly throughout the dryer to allow for a more even drying process. 

• A well-made dryer ball will last roughly 5 years. You can tell that it's time to make or buy a new one when it has begun to pill or pull apart slightly.

Those aren't just the benefits that are claimed but ones that we can say actually are legit. The reasons most people run into issues with using dryer balls, be they wool, plastic or tennis balls, is because they only use two or three in a load rather than six as is suggested. Using six dryer balls you are able to reduce your drying time by roughly 20% although this might not be the same for all dryers. We have to admit we can only test so many.

The next question many people ask is, “do they damage your dryer?” There is currently only one instance that we have found where they may injure your dryer. There are some older dryers whose inner drum is coated with paint. Those, when hit repeatedly by the dryer balls, will have the paint begin to chip and flake off. Given that that is meant to be a protective coating as well as appealing we don't advise using them in that case. For those of you with a stainless steel drum however we have yet to find any damage that is consistent with just using wool dryer balls.

Going into this we also wondered if they were a fire hazard. Due to the wet felting method that these particular wool balls are made with they do not shed as much as you might think. You do still need to empty out your lint trap and clean out your exhaust duct regularly, but a wool dryer ball isn't going to add to these things in any measurable amount. There is one trend though that we have to warn against, the use of essential oils. The scents that are used on dryer sheets are specially formulated so that they will not catch fire. Those are also the ones that are going to add residue into your towels and clothing though so it's a toss-up. The essential oils that you can purchase in the store and many people suggest adding to your dryer balls to make your clothes smell nice are not the same. These can and will ignite if left in a dryer long enough or if you've oversaturated the wool ball. So as October is fire safety month please do not use essential oils on your wool dryer balls. If you want to make your clothes and linen smell nice you might consider sachets or something similar to place in your cupboards.

The process for making your own wool dryer ball is more simple than you might think. Gather whatever material you're using and form it into a ball. Pack it tightly and then slide it into an old stocking, tie a knot tightly on either side. Then you wash the ball usually with another load of laundry on hot water and a cold rinse. You can run it through the dryer afterward if the ball feels dense enough. Otherwise, you can continue to wash on hot and then rinse on cold until it reaches that point. Since we haven't made these ourselves we're going to link you to another page that explains it in more depth.

So, those are the benefits of felted wool dryer balls. Did you learn anything new? Are you considering using them with your own dryer? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. Don't forget if you're having any issues with your dryer or any of your other large appliances feel free to call or set up an appointment using our page. We want to keep your home running in tip-top shape. 

3 Front Loading Washers, Under $1000

 If you’re looking for the best buy which one is it? 

How do you know what goes into a good washer? Do you do research? Do you ask friends? Do you ask Facebook (haha). For us, we compare and contrast to see how models stack up against one another. This week we are taking a look at three different models under $1,000. We're going to walk you through what's the same and what's different between all three of them before we tell you which we think is the best bang for your buck. The contenders for this week are all front load washing machines. Our contenders are made by Electrolux, LG, and Samsung. The specific models are as follows: the Electrolux EFLW317TIW, the LG WM3400CW, and the Samsung WF45M5500AW. 

It’s Like Looking In a Mirror! 

(Ok, maybe not) 

Let's start off with what is the same - before we go seeing what makes these three washers so different. 

All three of them are energy star rated. 

All three of them are stackable. 

All three of them come with a one-year warranty. 

Their dimensions are almost the same at 39 inches high, 27 inches wide, and 31 inches deep, with Samsung being the only outlier at 35 inches deep instead. 

Not one of the three of them connects to Wi-Fi. (Which, if you've read our posts regarding the Internet of Things or how your Samsung fridge can be dangerous, this might be a good thing.)

Where Are The Washers Different? 

Energy Efficiency - 

How much energy does it take for these to do the ‘standard’ wash, consisting of a warm wash and a cold rinse? In energy efficiency, both the Samsung and the LG are highly rated, with the Electrolux lagging slightly behind. Given the current prices for electricity in Texas, this matters greatly to us in suggesting the best option for you. The LG’s rating is affected by their focus on Cold Wash technology, ensuring that cold water washes as well as warm does. 

Water Efficiency -

Their water efficiency is a mix of how much water they take to wash a standard load and how much water it wrings out afterwards. Both the Samsung and LG are given five stars; again the Electrolux lags behind a step at four.

Noise Rating -

This one is important for those of us who live in duplexes or split homes, or if you live in an apartment and have to supply your own washer. (Or if you’re just like our blogger and sensitive to loud sounds.)  Ratings are based on how loud the washers are during all three stages of a wash: fill, wash and spin. We do also recognize that the amount that a washer vibrates is going to affect how much noise it makes. Once again the Samsung and LG are tied at 4 stars out of a possible 5. Samsung has taken time to include ‘VRT Technology’ to reduce the amount their washer vibrates. LG, on the other hand, has engineered theirs for both vibration and noise with proprietary terms like “LoDecibel™ Quiet Operation” and “ TrueBalance™ Anti-Vibration System.” The Electrolux, though, only has two stars. Listening to this is not quite as bad as having nails on a chalkboard - but very surprising in terms of just how loud it can be. And that was without having a dryer stacked either above or below it.

Vibration -

This ranking was based on how much the machines vibrated without having any support underneath them or anything to muffle them. Once again, we see that the LG washer and the Samsung contender are tied at four stars. The Samsung boasts “an innovative tub design and special sensors [to] keep heavy loads balanced even at high spin speeds.” The Electrolux is rated at a respectable three stars, but combined with the noise score, you would be forgiven for thinking it's a much lower rating.

Bonus Features -

Those of us who have to deal with very professional workplaces know that dry cleaning bills can be a hassle, and they stack up quickly. Many different companies (not just the three reviewed here) are now offering steam options on their washers. However, out of the three washers reviewed in this post, the only one that does offer a steam option is the Samsung. 

Gentleness -

For us, this was a very important factor: how well do the washers treat your clothing? The Electrolux was only given one star. This is a machine that is going to rip your cottons apart - perhaps not feed it anything more delicate. The LG model was only given  three stars, which is actually it's lowest score out of every facet we’ve looked at. The Samsung washer rated the highest (AT ZYX STARS?) -  which we found surprising, given some of the earlier stats. Perhaps their vaunted ‘diamond drum design’ has done them some favors. 

Our second to last, but certainly most important to us, is customer satisfaction. We rated this based on how often you're going to have to repair the washer within the first five years, barring an extended warranty or service plan. LG has five stars. Given the amount of work that they put into their products, we aren't terribly surprised by this one. What did surprise us was that the Samsung and Electrolux both ranked at three stars. 

Last of all, let's take a look at price. The Electrolux is going for $765. The LG is going for $720. The Samsung is going for $910 at a sale price as of this writing..

Comparing all of these things, we feel that the LG is your best bet for a front loading washer. Based on all of the different numbers we’ve crunched here, we feel that it's a solid buy if you're looking to spend under $1,000 on your washer. Whether you're looking for a temporary model until you can afford the washer of your dreams or whether you're looking to furnish a rental property, the LG is a solid model. Its energy efficiency, water efficiency, noise level, vibration, and how it treats your clothing while still cleaning properly all make it a good bet.  Most important of all is the high customer satisfaction rating. Although it sounds counterintuitive, we here at Appliance Rescue Service want our readers and our patrons to have their homes running in tip-top shape. And if that means you don't have to call us because you've purchased a fantastic washer, then that's okay.

We feel that the Samsung is an acceptable secondary option - although given its current ratings, we don't feel that it's worth its price tag. If that comes down in the future, or if you might snap it up at a clearance event, then we might reconsider. 

Do you have any experience with these models? Do you disagree with our opinion? Would you like us to assess another characteristic next time? Let us know over on our Facebook or in the comments below because we'd love to hear from you. Don't forget: if your current washer is giving you trouble and you don't want to replace it, you can always give us a call. We'll help you get it back up and running. You can make an appointment on our web page or give us a call at (214) 599-0055.

Taking Proper Care Of Your Blender

Why they’re more like pets than you might think.

We've all heard 'how is a raven like a writing desk', but have you ever thought 'how is a blender like a pet?' Blenders, much like our pets are finicky and need care. Also like our pets, they give back even more than we give them. Read on to learn all about caring for your blender to keep it going for a long time.

Let’s work up to a full run. 

Just like you work up to an all out run with your dog, your blender needs to warm up. Even if you’re only using it for a few minutes, start at low and work your way up too high.  This not only is easier on the gears, it also protects your kitchen. Think about it, how many times have you hit high, only to end up with something spattered on the walls? 

All of their shapes have a purpose. 

It’s like a lab’s webbed toes, or a blood hound’s nose, the ridges of a blender have a purpose. They’re there to fold the contents of the mixture back into the center rather than leaving the same food at the same levels. 

If it gets too upset, it starts to gnash its teeth. 

Just like many dogs, if your blender gets too stressed out, it starts to grind and ruin its teeth. 

To prevent this, follow these 3 tips: 

-Always make sure the top of the blender is properly seated in teh base. 

-Don’t rock the blender while its blending. 

-Make sure the blender has fully come to rest before you take off the top. 

It’s louder than your dog… 

Or your other appliances for that matter. 

A blender, on standard anyway, emits 92 decibels. That’s louder than any other (properly working) appliance. It’s even louder than many outdoor appliances. The only things that are louder are an electric garbage disposal, an electric drill, a leaf blower and a chainsaw. 

Hot temps and blenders don’t always mix! (Some blenders love the heat, others are more like huskies and need to avoid them.) 

Before you go pouring in hot liquids, check if its safe.  Two go-to places are the manual and the blender’s lid. If a blender can handle hot temps it will have a feeding hole in the lid that allows steam to escape. The manual will also tell you in the warning section if it isn’t made to handle the heat. 

Sometimes it gets stuck. 

Just like your dog, cat, or cow, (yp we’ve seen it happen) your blender can get stuck. Unlike your pet, the issue is an air bubble, and  not it climbing somewhere it shouldn’t. If you still have the blender on, but the mixture isn’t moving, an air bubble might be trapped around the lbande. 

To fix this, turn the blender off and grap a rubber spatula. Use it to scrape down the sides and push the blade around a few times. If it happens again, your mixture might need more liquid. 

Give it a bath regularly. (No one wants a smelly blender.) 

Even though many of today’s blenders say that they can go into the dishwasher, they really shouldn’t. Just like knives, a blender is better served being washed by hand. 

Most of the time that just means pouring in 2 cups of water (or ½ the container’s max volume), a few drops of dish soap and running the blender on high for a minute. 

It needs to breathe too! 

That max fill line isn’t just for looks! Fill a blender beyond that point and one of two things will happen. Either your blender won’t work. Or you’re going to have food and liquids everywhere. The space that’s at the top makes sure that your blender can create a vortex. This brings the whole ingredients down to the blade and pushes liquids up. 

Make its pulse race! 

What’s the best button on a blender and the least used? The pulse button. 

Whether you’re making smoothies or salsas, milk shakes or just dicing up fruits,. This your best friend. It’s able to use small powerful bursts to chop foods down to a uniform size and handle ice. So you can make chunky salsas or creamy milkshakes with ease. 

So, what do you think? Did we cover all the ways they're alike? Did we miss any? Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk? Let us know over in our Facebook.

If you're having issues with your larger appliances, we're more than happy to help. Just give us a call or set up an appointment on our site. 

The Five Most Common Types of Clutterbugs

And How You Can Deal With Them…

Are you a clutterbug? Do you live with one? Are you tired of it? While there are deep psychological reasons for people being clutterbugs, there are still practical ways to deal with the clutter. The question is: what type of clutterbug are you dealing with? 

The Pack Rat

This clutterbug is the type to keep EVERYTHING. Stuffed in every available nook and cranny are the things they collect or keep because it’s useful. 

How to deal with this: 

• Make a plan. Don’t just say “I’m going to tackle the living room today!” No. Break it down a) in a way that makes sense to you and b) is small enough you won’t get overwhelmed. 

• Go slow. Again the point here is to make sure that you can emotionally tackle this not just physically. 

• Consider the system of ‘Keep’, ‘Toss’, and ‘Donate.’

  • Keep - If you cannot part with it either because it’s useful or important. 

  • Toss - It’s broken and you don’t know how to repair it or don’t have time to learn how. 

  • Donate - You don’t want it or it’s not useful to you, but it could be useful to someone else. 

The ‘Archivist’ 

Letters, magazines, newspapers, books, all forms of the printed or written word are valued by this clutterbug. Their home is full of stacks and shelves. It may be sorted, it might not. 

How to deal with this: 

• Sort by type. Start by figuring out how much of each item you have. Sometimes, seeing just how much of something you have makes it easier to select out what to keep. 

• Cull out any duplicate items. Two of a book? A magazine? Set them aside either to recycle or donate. 

• Scan it! Letters, magazines, newspapers, recipes etc. There are several different scanning apps that can be used to save and store material items against degradation or loss. (This blogger favors Evernote personally.) 

• When it comes to books, if you’ve only read it once, put it aside to be donated. Why keep it if you don’t enjoy it? 

Landing Zones 

 These are the people who collect clutter in specific places. Maybe it’s a table near the entry door. Or a chair in the bedroom. Or the dining room table. It doesn’t matter, these spots are catch-alls. This type of clutterbug will drop the contents of their pockets or purse here, mail, clothes they want to wear later, etc. 

The best way to work with this is to: 

• Create ‘no fly zones’ or areas where things can’t be. 

• Block those areas  with something. It could be a cute pillow, a tray or  a vase, something that clearly says ‘this is not a place to drop things.’ It’s just meant to be a trigger to help you change how you view that space. 

• Include areas where it is ok to put things, but that you have to sort it out once a week. 

The Abundance Clutter 

This clutterbug isn’t what you might think. Their home is mostly clean. They don’t have obvious clutter. But if you go into the kitchen and open up their cabinets and pantry... That’s when the image changes.  This clutterbug buys things on sale that they don’t need. They buy surplus ‘just in case something happens.’ Six or seven of one type of chips. Boxes upon boxes of Rice a Roni, which lets just say you should NOT eat this way for months upon months. 

How to deal with this:

• Make a meal plan. Go through what you have already and decide what you can use soon, what you will use within a month or can store for 6. 

• Go to the store next.  Ask yourself, will I eat this within the next 3 months? 3 months is a healthy middle ground between ‘saving for the future’ or ‘just in case’ and ‘buying only what you need for this week.” Buy only what you will use within that time period.

• Check yourself before you go to the counter. Make sure that you haven’t grabbed more than what you need. 

Organizing Only When Things Are Messy

This is the type of clutterbug that leaves things slowly building up. One day at a time, until there isn’t any space left. Coffee cups, plates, mail, magazines, Everything! 

And it stays that way until one day they realize how messy everything is and they burst into a cleaning frenzy. 

Repeat ad nauseum. 

For some people this works just fine! For others it becomes far too much. Or it could be the spouse, friends or family of this clutterbug. 

How to deal with it: 

• Dedicate 10 minutes a day to clear. Just pick up anything that you can and put it away. 

• Dedicate time every week to sort through and put away other things that built up over the week, or to organize your home. 

So we ask you again, are you the clutterbug? Or are you the one living with the clutterbug. Either way we hope that we’ve helped you to see a way forward that doesn’t involve huge time commitments or trying to turn your personality inside out.

What about you? What are some techniques that you’ve found that work for you in corralling the clutter? Let us know on Facebook. Remember, we’re not just here to help you keep your home clean, but to also make sure that it runs smoothly. If you’ve recently found that one or more of your appliances aren’t working properly, feel free to reach out. You can call and schedule an appointment or  go to our website and schedule one there. 

Painting New Spaces

Walls don’t need all the color!

Have you ever thought of painting all of your home? Not just the walls, but everything. The whole idea about a home is that it’s meant to reflect you. So why should you limit that to the walls? Who is to say that it has to be one solid color either? There are so many other areas that can be painted, even if it’s just adding small details that add to how your home looks and feels. Floors, ceilings, stairs, what’s stopping you from trying one of them? Here’s a few other places you could add a splash of color to to change the mood. 

Make Your Ceiling Stand Out

Surprisingly most people will paint their ceilings white and leave it at that. If they’re really daring, might continue the color of the room across the ceiling and that’s it. 

But… why? 

It used to be that you would paint your walls white and then paint the ceilings in different colors or designs, or even whole murals. This not only showed your wealth, but it meant that eyes were drawn upwards, and it gave a room a much brighter feel by leaving the walls painted white.

-You could paint patterns of stars, clouds or waves across your ceiling, using stencils or freehand, to bring either interest or peace to a room. 

-Consider using either a contrasting or complimentary color to bring attention to it, without making it overbearing. 

The Floor is Lava! 

Ok perhaps not, but depending on what you have as a floor material in a child’s room, it could be very entertaining  to paint their floor as a multitude of games and have an area rug that covers it 90% of the time. 

-Alternatively  no one said the paint in question had to be permanent. That opens up all sorts of possibilities  from encouraging messages to wild patterns that you’re testing out, workouts or game areas. The only limit here is what you’re willing to come up with. 

Paint the Walls Red! 

Or green, or purple or whatever the Pantone color of the year is. We didn’t say we were only talking about new places right? You’re right. We’ve been painting our walls for eons. What if we told you there’s a way to paint your home whatever color you wanted, even if you’re renting? More interested? There is now paintable, removable wallpaper. Yep, it takes more time than painting straight off, but the exchange is worth it. You can do so much more! 

• Test one color at a time in a room to find which one you like, without having ugly watches on the wall. Just paint a strip and hang it. 

• Change your walls every season! Are you the type to go all out, moving furniture and changing out slipcovers with every season? Why not give your walls the same amount of love? 

• What about for a party? You could easily put up some paper and paint it specifically for the party, or have the attendees write messages all over the wall, depending on what it is. 

• Paint your apartment that bold red you want, and don’t lose your security deposit over it! 

Step It Up

Yup. You knew this one was coming right? Whether you paint the tread or the riser,both are great spots to bring something new. 

-You can paint patterns going up the stairs, on the tread. 

-Paw prints, encouraging messages, family memories. They’ve all been done. 

-You can use the riser to paint a picture that only shows if you’re looking up the stair way.  If your walls are full of pictures already, this is a viable space! 

-Or you could reference things that matter to you or your family, like favorite books, sports, games, history etc. 

This is a seriously underutilized part of the home when it comes to painting! (Check out some of these great examples that we found though!) 

You could even get fancy and mix and match ideas, like putting the removable wallpaper on the stair risers so that you can change them out over time. 

So, are you looking at things in your home differently? Wondering how you could add color to your world? Let us know either in the comments below or on our Facebook.  We want to see where you’re adding color to your life. 

Don’t forget that if your appliances are acting up, or you’d like to schedule a maintenance check, you can do that by calling us or creating an appointment. We want to work with you and all of our customers in the Plano area to keep your home running smoothly.