Tag Archives: washer

Discount appliances at Warners’ Stellian Warehouse Sale this weekend

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We’ll have thousands of appliance deals on hand for Warners’ Stellian’s (now-famous) Extreme Warehouse Sale, taking place 7 a.m. to 5 :30 p.m. Saturday, March 12 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 13.

Though there’s absolutely no early shopping allowed, I can give you this little preview of the appliance discounts smart shoppers will be snapping up at our St. Paul appliance warehouse (550 Atwater Circle, 1 miles north of I-94 & Dale).

See my tips on how to shop for appliance deals. Aside from the products pictured below, look for:

  • Electrolux laundry pair (gas dryer) for $1399
  • Up to 80% off professional built-in cooking products
  • A whole truckload of Bosch dishwashers
  • Up to 30% off blemished Frigidaire freezers
  • $249 for Dyson refurbished vacuums
  • $600 off our best-selling French-door refrigerator

All prices are good only while quantities last.

349 ge dishwasher

399 frigidaire range

399 frigidaire refrigerator

599 kitchenaid dishwasher

799 gas kitchenaid range

799 ele kitchenaid range

799 frigidaire laundry

999 frigidaire laundry

1099 French-door refrigerator

1499 lg laundry

Laundry Efficiency Tips

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Did you know that Energy Star washers use 25 percent less energy and 33 percent less waster than their counterparts?

Don’t stop there, though. These guidelines will help you save energy, water and money:

Don’t Use Too Much Detergent

You’re only helping Procter & Gamble when you pour in those heaping cups of laundry soap. The owners’ manual provides instructions on the proper amount of soap to use. Using too much soap also can shorten the life your clothing, which could get expensive.

Keep Venting Dry and Clear

We recommend cleaning your dryer vent a few times a year (see Dryer not drying? Check the vent). Otherwise, it could get blocked up, causing your dryer to take longer to do its job. And remember to clean your lint filter after every use.

Try Cold Water Washing

About 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes in an average washer is for heating the water. Need we say more? If you have tough, oily stains, even switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load’s energy use in half. Otherwise, you’d be surprised how well cold water cycles clean these days.

Don’t Overdry Your Clothes

Instead, use a moisture sensor (if you have one) to automatically stop the dryer once it’s finished. Note: Separate towels and heavier cottons from lighter weight clothes to ensure proper drying when using a sensor. If you don’t have a moisture sensor, use the cool-down cycle to finish drying clothes using the residual heat.

Wash and Dry Full Loads

Full loads of laundry mean fewer loads of laundry, which mean less energy, water and money used, too. If you must wash a small load, remember to set the water-level to match.

What are your tips for saving money on laundry?

Buy an Energy Star Washer, Get the Dryer for Free*

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*this is not a promotional offer. Just keep reading; you’ll catch on.

(Unfortunately, the washer that comes with a drum full of dollar bills is now discontinued.)

The amount you’ll save on water and electricity costs over the life (in this case, 11 years) of an Energy Star washer will pay for the matching dryer.

You’ve heard plenty anecdotal advice about energy-efficient appliances saving you money on your utility bills.

But when you’re comparing price tags – an estimated $492 for a conventional washer versus an estimated $750 for an Energy Star-qualified washer – it may seem like you won’t save money at all.

But allow us to run the numbers for you, given the above estimates with an average of 7.5 loads per week, according to the Energy Star website:

$258 (initial cost difference)
$481 (life cycle savings)
___________________
$223 (net life cycle savings)

So, you’ll save $223 over the life of the washer, meaning that you’ll make up for the upfront additional cost of an energy-efficient model within 4.7 years.  But that’s just the savings of a standard new washer versus an Energy Star washer. Most Energy Star washers replace a old “clunker.”

Nearly 30% of all clothes washers in the U.S. are more than 10 years old. Replacing a model that old with an Energy Star model can save you more than $135 a year on your utility bills.

$135 x 11 (average life span) = $1485 savings.

$1485? That buys a really nice dryer.

Steam Dryer: Not Just Hot Air

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Iron-a-aphobia? Don't worry, there's help.
Iron-a-aphobia? Don’t worry, there’s help.

The steam dryer function does more than you think it might.

Tell me if this has happened to you: You work all day, come home for a quick wardrobe change for a night out only to find your dress or dress shirt more crinkled than an Ore-Ida – and you don’t have time (or refuse) to iron!

What now? Hang it on the door and turn on a hot shower? I think we’ve all tried that.

Instead, toss it in a steam dryer for a refresh and throw it on 15 minutes later.

Steam Refresh Dryer Cycle

In steam refresh cycles, a small amount of water is sprayed into the drum after several minutes of tumbling with heat. The dryer will continue to tumble at regular heat for the duration of the cycle to reduce wrinkles, static and odors in fabrics.

@falenkdwb's LG washer and steam dryer.
@falenkdwb’s LG washer and steam dryer.

But they aren’t just for procrastinators/wrinkled-clothes wearers.

These dryers have a sanitize cycle, which is NSF certified to eliminate 99.3% of three common infectious bacteria. Think of all those decorative pillows, comforters and children’s toys and stuffed animals that can’t be washed, but need to be sanitized for allergy-sufferers and to ward off cold/flu this season.

Do you use a steam dryer? If so, what’s your favorite feature?

For more laundry tips and tricks, explore more on our blog!

Why do front-load washers take so long?

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Many customers seem confused when we explain that front-load washing machines need an hour minimum for a normal wash cycle.

Luckily, for times when I can't wait an hour and a half for a clean outfit (sports uniforms, anyone?), I have the 18-minute wash, 18-minute dry feature from Electrolux (though my laundry room looks nothing like this). In a word: lifesaver.

But front-load laundry machines profess great water and energy savings. How does a longer cycle reconcile with such efficiency?

First, front-load washers don’t fill deeply with water, only to dump it all out a short while later. Rather, they pump in a minimal amount of water (some models use sensors to determine the size of the load).

Water continuously filters in and out throughout the cycle, meaning the water stays clean the entire time. Top-load washers fill with water until the clothes float, and then the clothes just sit in that water for the entire cycle.

Also, heating the water often takes longer in a front-loader. A sanitation wash cycle takes about two hours. But you can be assured the hotter temperature eliminates all the cold and flu germs and dust mites congregating in your clothing and linens.

The good news is laundry still takes the same amount of time because dry times have been cut in half. We used to wait for the hour-long drying cycle to finish long after the washer was done. But now, because front-load washers extract so much water during the spin cycle, the average dryer cycle lasts only about 30 minutes.

Or for me, the skinny jeans (which I refuse to put in the dryer because they may get a bit too skinny) I hang on a drying rack easily dry by morning.