Throwback Thursday: News Recap December 5, 2014

If you have been reading the W.L. May Blog but haven't checked us out on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, you may not be getting the whole story. We use all of those social media outlets to share news stories that relate to our industry as well as appliance tips we have found from other sources. Here is a recap of some of the top stories we have seen lately. A lot has been happening so without further ado:

We start with some consumer friendly articles we feel would be great for sharing:

• The Handy Guys Podcast covered phosphates in dishwasher detergents and suggested a few solutions to the problem. LINK
• In case of poisoning from dishwasher detergent tablets, New York Times has emergency instructions. LINK
• A Good Guys Appliance Repair Blog shared a few things to looks for in a repair company. LINK
• The Natural Resources Defense Council posted this infographic that talks about how to use your refrigerator the most effectively to save energy and have your food last longer before spoiling. LINK
• Consumer Affairs considers the pros and cons of top load vs front load washing machines. LINK
• The Consumerist suggests some additives that might help if you are one of the many people who are troubled by water spots because of phosphate free detergent. LINK
• Affordable Service Appliance posted a good piece about the costs involved in an appliance repair and why the repairman charges what he does. LINK
• Daily Herald offered some maintenance and sprucing up tips for your dishwasher. LINK
• Greener Ideal shared some easy ways to make your refrigerator more energy efficient. LINK
• ABC10 talked about considerations involved with replacing a refrigerator, and whether replacement is even the best option. LINK

Next, we look at the manufacturers and how they have been in the news recently:

• Electrolux cooking had a change in leadership for their cooking product division. LINK
• GE predicted that new features being rolled out on their machines will inspire a round of price cuts by their competitors. LINK
• We found an interesting timeline of GE history on their website. LINK
• MarketWatch shared appliance trends suggested by GE. LINK
• There is a recall for Viking side by side refrigerators. We aren't involved, but thought you might want to know. LINK
• GE's announced that their new machines have different tones used depending on what product line the tone is used on. LINK

We found several articles that might be of interest to those of you who love all thing appliances:

• Craftlife tried a recipe for homemade dishwasher tablets. They weren't impressed. LINK
• Augusta Chronicle suggested a few organic replacements for washing machine detergent and fabric softener sheets. We were a bit skeptical. LINK
• Simple Bites showed off an immaculately stocked refrigerator along with tips on how to do that yourself. LINK
• Leading up to Thanksgiving, the LA Times published a recipe for cooking turkey in the dishwasher. We opted to pass on that recipe. LINK
• The UK's Daily Mail reported on a service dog that has been trained to do the laundry and the modified machine he does it with. LINK
• A Beautiful Mess shared this washer dryer makeover that looks pretty easy & fun. LINK
• Totem Appliance Service reported in a radical new design in washing machines. Called a Xeros, it uses polymer beads rather than soap and water. LINK

Sometimes, the links we post are related to technology, business or happenings on the internet:

• Bezinga Talked about the 4 appliance makers with the the highest earning estimates for the next year. LINK
• Motley Fool shared reasons to be optimistic about Whirlpool and the rest of the appliance manufacturers. LINK
• ReadWriteWeb discussed privacy missteps made by social media, and considerations to make as manufacturers move forward with smart appliances and the connected home. LINK
• The United Servicers Association share the secret to profitable service. It may not be what you think. LINK
• WebSearchSocial compared 2 different marketing emails they received and share what was & what was not effective about them, LINK
• Reviewed.com looked at 5 appliance brands that they feel retired too soon. LINK

We close with few fun stories:

• The Indian version of The Onion reported on a conflict in the Laundry Room. LINK
• What do you do when find a great looking wringer washer at the antiques store but you don't have a car to get it home? If you are this New Zealand woman, you hitchhike! LINK
• If you have made it this far and still want to keep going, AutomaticWasher.Org has a great collection of old appliance ad videos that can check out. LINK

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