Is it better to give a gift that is aesthetically pleasing, something out of a magazine “gift guide,” or something truly useful, something you know the recipient needs? I’m not always sure, and I guess it depends on how well you know the recipient, but I know for sure which category washing machine accessories fall into… the latter.
It all started when I dropped by my sister’s house the other day to visit with her, give her a gift I’d been meaning to drop off, and finally see her new bedroom set. I arrived, took off my coat, and turned around to see her darting to the back of the house, hollering-”I’ll be right back, just a minute!”
She’s my younger sister, and despite being consistently more put-together and mature than I, still wants things to be perfect when I’m over. What had drawn her to the back of the house? Her washer and dryer were making too much noise, and that was not acceptable.
The house was a little older, rough around the edges, but with a lot of character. It was exactly where I saw her, but the little hiccups with dated appliances seemed to be wearing on her nerves. This latest venture with the washer and dryer was especially annoying, causing her to constantly shut off the machine, leaving wet laundry to sit and damp clothes to wrinkle.
She ended up restarting the whole cycle on most occasions, and was probably spending a fortune on detergent. But-what can I say?-that’s her. More importantly, it was affecting her work schedule; she’s a writer, so not being able to work from home between certain hours can be more than a small annoyance.
Being the older sister that I am, I set to finding a solution to her problem-I read blogs, talked to someone at a home appliance store, even briefly considered chipping in for a new machine altogether.
And then I came across a line of washing machine accessories that promised to reduce the noise and vibrations of your aging washing machine. I was skeptical, but eager to help her out-and so we gave them a try.
Victory!
I’m proud to say she now runs her wash just one time, can work through the day with fewer interruptions (at least none from her appliances), and when I stop by to visit her, we can sit and chat over a cup of coffee, regardless of whether she’s doing laundry.
