6 Top Selling Whirlpool Dryer Parts

One of our more common questions we get asked at W.L. May Company is "what items are popular sellers?" When clients ask that question it is because they would like to stock those items to be ready for any eventuality. It can be difficult to recommend a standard stock list that would be the same for every client. Many factors can change the needed stock for a given company. Such things as the climate, gas and electrical infrastructure in the community, energy rates, and income levels and local dealers all can have a bearing on what is needed to fill a well stocked service vehicle or parts department. Because of all the different things that can change stocking needs, I can't exactly offer you a complete list that would work for every company. Some parts, however are universally common and generally our best sellers. Today we crack open the books and share with you six of our top Whirlpool dryer parts. In the future we will revisit this subject for some other top sellers in other categories. These parts are not "must stock" items (after all it IS a free country, you can stock what you want), but they are "strongly encouraged" items that should help increase your first call completes, add-on sales, and ultimately make you more efficient and profitable as a service or parts company.

• 3392519-Thermal Fuse-A very commonly used thermal fuse, many techs call this the "surfboard thermal fuse" because that is what it looks like. Due to their function, thermal fuses are a common replacement part. This one has been in use for years and remains consistently popular.

3392519

• 279834-Valve Coils-This is sort of a funny item. In areas where gas appliances are common this part is widely requested, in areas where electric dryers are the norm these are far more rarely needed. Many different manufacturers have used valves that require these coils in their dryers, making them near universal. Whirlpool offers a good version at price point that makes it attractive to many servicers.

• 279838-Dryer Element-Whirlpool has used a few different dryer elements over the years that were nearly universal across the product line when they were produced. This is the style we are seeing the most of these days. Again, the popularity of this item will depend on the prevalence of electric vs. gas dyers in your area.

279838

• 341241-Belt-This is THE belt for Whirlpool dryers. A wide number of machine styles have used this belt. Many machines that used wider belts when they were designed also substitute to this belt. There are a few exceptions, but this is awfully close to a universal part for Whirlpool dryers.

341241

• 12001541-Support Roller-This is the support roller used on Maytag dryers (Whirlpool owns Maytag, yet there machines often use different rollers). It falls under the "nearly universal" column. Its popularity may not be a true indicator of the number of machines that failed since it is a best practice to replace both rollers if one fails (rollers used on Whirlpool models are generally sold in a 2 pack).

12001541

• 279769-Dryer Thermostat Kit-This is such a popular part among servicers that some will bristle a bit when they find it is not the thermostat kit used on the machine they are servicing. A lot of Whirlpool dryers use this thermostat kit that mounts on the element.. What a lot of servicers like is that it sort of a "2-fer" item. The part is actually a kit that features BOTH a 360 degree thermal cut-out as well as a 250 degree high limit thermostat. 

279769

We hope you find this list helpful in determining your stock needs, Watch for future posts when we discuss other brands and product types. Happy Servicing!

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Kelly's Korner - And the Ants Go Marching Two by Two.....

Hey, All!

Well, I am back from my staycation all rested and refreshed!  The weather didn't cooperate as much as I would have liked but I did get a lot done inside.

My #1 son and I spent two days (at our pace which included lots of breaks lol!) cleaning, scrubbing and reorganizing the kitchen.  It looks so nice!  But the next morning after all this cleaning I come in and there are ANTS!!!!!!  All over the counters that I had scrubbed and disinfected with both Mr Clean AND bleach!!!!  What the ?????

So I got out the ingredients and whipped up a batch of my ant bait and put it out and within 24 hours they were gone.  If my loyal followers remember, I had a blog last year about this.  Newcomers, and if you don't remember, click on the link for the information.  This recipe will make way more than you need as you don't need to put out but a spoonful, but you can share it with friends and keep it in the refrigerator well marked for any other infestations you may have.

Now what does this have to do with appliances?  Well, those ants like nice warm places to nest and will get into your appliances.  In fact, the #1 son's girlfriend came over for the weekend and said she had them in her microwave at home.  So I sent her home Sunday with some of the super duper ant killer to put out.

Please remember to keep this out of the reach of children and pets, and may you have an ant free summer!

Have a great week!

Motivation Monday

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

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Friday Featured Client: Pacific Home Appliance

Pacific Home Appliances

At W.L. May Company, we realize that without our clients we have nothing. In the spirit of celebrating that relationship, every month we feature one of the companies who allow us the privilege of helping address their parts needs. This month's profile was suggested by Terri in the Seattle branch. She reports: 

In the Oso mudslide, Joe (Pacific Home Appliance) has donated 20 refrigerators, laundry sets, taken 4 truckloads of food, and more in assistance for this disaster.
To drive this stuff around to Darrington is over 2 hours one way due to the town being cut off by the slide.

Our hearts go out to the victims of the mudslide in Washington, and Pacific Home Appliances is doing the kind of community service that should make our industry proud.  The mudslide occurred on March 22 of this year. One month later, Joe is still making that drive several times a week to help in the clean up efforts-that is several hours a day on the road. That is in addition to running a full time service company and being a dad. Pretty impressive stuff. We'll let him tell you about himself and his company.

Name: Joe Dickerson

Company: Pacific Home Appliance

Contact info: 
8213A State Avenue
Marysville, WA 98270
Phone 360.925.6671
Fax     360.925.6934
Email: pacific.home.appliance@live.com
Web page: www.pacifichomeappliance.com

Where did you grow up?  Marysville, WA

How long have you been in the trade? 5 years

How long in your current company? 3 years

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work? Fishing / coaching my son's little league.

What do you credit to your success? To my wife Christen, who's dedication and commitment help me keep this business a success.

What do you like about doing business with W.L.May Company?  We  enjoy working with our local W.L. May Company associates, they are always very helpful and informative.

What can you share with others in the industry? Develop good relationships with your customers.

Is there anything else you would like to say?  Be sure to put together a great team to work with.

If you would like YOUR company profiled as a featured client send an email to: rob.m@wlmay.com

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Appliance Tweets: Life Advice For College Bound Seniors

Looking through our Twitter feed, we found some appliance tweets to share with you.

Here is some advice for the kids moving away to college in the fall...

dont worry all you high school seniors the worst part about college is laundry
— Big Jerm (@bodyshotzz) April 17, 2014

You may even find that...

Laundry days are so annoying.
— Ivaniel (@IvanielReyes) April 20, 2014

You could take this approach...

I always wait until my hamper is overflowing to finally start my laundry, then it takes me like two days to finish it all. Such a bad habit.
— Adelise Perez (@adeliseperez) April 17, 2014

Or this one...

I truly hate when I haven't done laundry in a minute and I run out of all my cute panties and I'm stuck with granny panties 😒 it's time
— (@GABRIELLEJOXO) April 18, 2014

While in school, you might notice...

I hate that you can't really procrastinate doing laundry.
— Rocking My Tiara ♕ (@RockingMyTiara) April 21, 2014

Eventually you will probably decide....

Wearing a dress as a shirt for the third time this week, so I guess it's probably time to do laundry.
— probably awake (@JustTashie) April 21, 2014

This approach just doesn't work forever...

I try to live every day as though it were my last, and who wants to do laundry on the last day they’re alive?
— Rick (@rickkondell) April 21, 2014

When you run out of clean clothes you could try asking for a hand....

Hey! I just met you. And this is crazy. Here's my laundry. Do it, maybe?
— Grant Brooke (@GrantBrooke) April 21, 2014

But don' t be surprised if this is the kind of response you get...

I've not done my own laundry since I was in high school, don't see how I'll do a man's. I'll leave you money for a cleaning lady.
— Mercy Murugi (@mercymurugi) April 21, 2014

So when you finally get stuck doing the laundry, you could make the best of the situation....

Practicing in the laundry room pays off in voice class (◡‿◡✿)
— Prisca (@omgitsprisca) April 21, 2014

If you use the time to study, perhaps someday this could be you....

Reading. Laundry. Reading. Laundry. Such is the glamorous life of a book critic.
— Carolyn Kellogg (@paperhaus) April 20, 2014

So you don't want to study? I guess you could watch some sports....

Playoffs & the never ending loads of laundry woohooo!!!!
— Mia Lee (@MiO_MyO) April 19, 2014

Of course, being college students, you will see this approach taken sometimes...

It's easier doing laundry with a few shots of tequila. It takes 3 days longer, but you don't even notice the stains.
— Holy Golightly (@MadamBetteNoire) April 18, 2014

Careful though. Too much of that sort of thing can lead to this...

Folding laundry and drinking. If this isn't what being a housewife is, I don't know what is.
— Somewhat A Lady (@somewhatalady) April 20, 2014

Of course, she may be coming to the realization...

Doing laundry isn't the issue, putting it all away once I'm done is
— Sandy Long (@sandygirlll) April 21, 2014

Some people eventually find out that doing the laundry isn't all bad...

The smell of fresh laundry gets me every time
— Jack Gilinsky (@jackgilinsky) April 18, 2014

So kids, the moral of the story is that no one really enjoys washing clothes, but it needs to be done. You can use that time for other productive activities. You will be pleased with having clean clothes when its all said and done.

When you start your own home and get your own appliances, you will be happy to not have to deal with the dorm laundry room any more. When that day comes, if you ever need any help with parts for your appliances, give W.L. May Company  a call. We will do everything we can to help you.

Until then, good luck in college. Study hard, get good grades and have fun!

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

7 Defunct Brands That Still Have Parts Available

W.L. May stocks parts for the top selling appliance brands in the United States. Naturally those are the majority of the calls that we receive, but there are some appliance brands that were once popular, but are no longer being sold. Occasionally we will get requests for some parts for those older machines. As long as the parts are still being produced, we can frequently surprise our clients with access to pieces on those older units. Here are few older brands that we still can get parts for.

1.Montgomery Ward: Younger readers may not remember, but once Montgomery Wards was a major department store that was Sears main rival in many communitties. Much like Sears with their Kenmore brand, Montgomery Wards also sold appliances under the Montgomery Wards brand name. 

2.J.C. Penney-Another department store that sold appliances to compete with Sears was J.C. Penney. It doesn't seem that they had the same sales volume as Wards or Sears, but there are still some of these appliances out there.

3.Gaffers and Sattler-A popular brand in the 1950's and 1960's, Gaffers & Sattler were acquired by Magic Chef in 1969.

4.O'Keefe and Meritt-A West Coast company based out of Los Angeles, O'Keefe and Meritt were a well known regional range builder that built some durable appliances for many years before being acquired by Tappan (another older brand we can get parts for!). 

5.Caloric-Started in the 1890's as Klein Stove Company, the Caloric Line was introduced in 1903 eventually taking the company name and proving to be a very popular brand in the 1950's. Raytheon, who owned Speed Queen and Amana purchased the company in 1967. By the early 1990's, the Caloric name was phased out.

6.Hardwick-Starting in the late 1800's, Hardwick began making Cast Iron Stoves. As natural gas and electric stoves gained popularity, Hardwick began manufacturing those. A successful company for most of the 20th Century, Hardwick was acquired by Maytag in 1981 and discontinued production.

7.Modern Maid-Started in the 1950's as the electric range division of Tennessee Stove Works, a company founded in 1914.  They had a lot of success in the 50's and 60's. and merged with McGraw-Edison,  under that merger they produced appliances through the 1970's before the brand was acquired by Amana who would shutter the factory by the early 80's.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - New Dryer Products

Hey, All,

As you are reading this I have my feet propped up on the porch, sipping coffee and enjoying the world - Ahh, vacation!

But I didn't want to leave you without a little bit of me this week, so I do have some dryer products that I'd like to share with you.

Last week, a couple of really nice guys from Dundas-Jafine were here showing a bunch of products to help get your dryer installed better and to dry your clothes more efficiently.

The first one is a recessed dryer box.  This fits in between the studs of the wall behind your dryer allowing you to move the dryer closer to the wall - great for those tight spaces.

Recessed Dryer Vent Box

Next, if you are still using that old vinyl venting - get rid of it NOW! - and come down and look at all the rigid and semi-rigid venting supplies we have.  Not only is it easier to clean but you will dramatically cut down the chance of a lint fire catching your whole house on fire.

Semi-rigid Venting





Last of all we'll look at vent caps.  At this time of year all the little birdies are looking for nice warm snug places to build their nest and where would be better than your dryer venting?  Right?  Well, let them roost in trees and bushes-you need your clothes dry.  The dryer vent cap that I like the most is the ProMax. 

ProMax Vent Cap

 

But W L May carries a variety of different styles of vent caps - come on in and have a look.  For homeowners, and apartment and rental maintenance, now is definitely this time to be checking out your venting system.   Click on any of the captions for more info on these products or come on over and take a look at them in person.

Have a great week!

Motivation Monday

Happy Easter!

Throwback Thursday: News Recap April 17, 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 blogger at Young House Love was pleasantly surprised to find that her dishwasher was sold with reversible door panels, and she was able to update her appliances look for free (other than about ten minutes of time). LINK
• Huffington Post had a list of 9 kitchen items that probably don't get enough attention in the cleaning department. LINK
• Contra Costa Times discussed ways to make your appliances more energy efficient. LINK
• Nola.com has solved the mystery of the missing sock...with some help from an appliance servicer! LINK
• Mom4Real talked about how she organized her refrigerator. There are a few ideas in this article I have not seen before. LINK

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

• Electrolux debuted a fancy new R&D facility, hired staff, and is contributing to an engineering school. LINK
• Whirlpool announced its renewed commitment to working with Habitat For Humanity. LINK

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

• Enid News celebrated the writers long lived refrigerator. LINK
• Apartment Therapy shared a clever design for squeezing a washing machine into a small kitchen. LINK

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

• It would be incomplete of us not to mention the "heartbleed bug" that is is challenging programmers and getting a lot of attention in the news. CNN explains things simply: LINK  
• The Register in the UK offered this far more technical explanation of the "heartbleed bug". LINK

We close with a story we are particularly proud of:

• W.L. May Company is proud of our continuing support of  Swipe4Kids and their work of bringing arts and sports education to kids. LINK

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Wednesday W.L.May Profile: Terri Schroeppel

This is the part of the blog where we share a little about ourselves. Today we would like to introduce you to one of the people that help provide you with our famously fast and accurate customer service.

Name?  Terri Schroeppel

Job Title? Seattle Manager

Where did you grow up? NW Washington.  Lynnwood, Darrington, and Granite Falls.

How long have you been with W.L. May? Was here for 2 years BC (before child) and have been back for 18 years.

What did you do prior to joining W.L. May? I was a senior chemical specialist in the HV power conversion division of an aerospace company. When that industry tanked in 1990, so did my job. I went to help my sister at an appliance dealer for a few years, then came here.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work? I am outside a lot. Yard work consumes most of spring thru fall with hiking the mountain and river trails around my home thrown in when possible. 

To what do you credit your success? Dedication and hard work

What do you like about working at WL May? I get to spend my days interacting with a group of outstanding people, and work for a company that allows for the flexibility and individuality of people. I enjoy helping our clients grow their businesses and share in the daily dealings. Every day is going to be different, you never know what is going to walk through the door or be on the other end of the line when you pick up the phone. 

Can you share one piece of advice for others in our industry? Embrace the technology coming at us now, because it’s only going to increase. 

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Spring cleaning

Hey, All!

Answers to last week's mystery kitchen gadget post:  1. Cherry pitter.  2.  Bottle opener  3.  Grapefruit knife.  Thanks to Papa Art's Attic's wife for identifying this.  Evidently it is pre-WWII and has a bakelite handle vs plastic.  Although several people commented that the knife looks like it came from the Klingon home world lol!

I am going to be on staycation next week and part of that is going to be spent doing some spring cleaning.  Which includes kitchen drawers and my large and small appliances.  We all do cleaning of our major appliances to a certain extent - ovens, refrigerator drawers and shelves, etc., but have you pulled these appliances away from the walls and cleaned under and behind them? Refrigerator coils?  Dryer venting?  W L May has all kinds of cleaners and brushes to help you with this.

And those small appliances?  I have got all kinds of small appliances - blender, deep fryer, George Foreman grill, etc. - you may only use these once in a while but they do collect grease and dust and need to be scrubbed periodically.

And now that spring is here and thoughts turn to the outdoors and barbecuing - time to get the outdoor things cleaned up, too.  Need a new grill?  Come down and see our collection of Traeger grills - they are THE BEST!

While I have a lot of projects planned I do planned on doing some relaxing, too!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Every strike brings me closer to the next home run. –Babe Ruth

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Friday Morning Videos: Tour a Refrigerator Factory

This morning we have a video we found that takes us behind the scenes at the Whirlpool/Amana refrigerator factory in Newton, Iowa. The interview is primarily concerned with energy efficiency and several steps Whirlpool uses to increase efficiency are discussed.

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For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Thursday Trivia Challenge

So you think you know all about appliances? Here is a short set of trivia questions to test your knowledge.

QUESTIONS:
1. What does one use a Dryer Jet for?
2. When was the first washing machine made?
3. What popular feature did many Frigidaire electric ranges and cooktops built in late 50s to the mid  70’s have?
4. When was the first Kenmore product introduced to the market? 
5. What parts come in an Electrolux Dryer maintenance kit?
6. This appliance maker is the only of the original 12 Dow Jones companies that is still listed on the Dow. Who is it?
7. How many years did Maytag make wringer washers?
8. Besides a car engine size, what is a V8?

ANSWERS:
1. To increase the air flow when dealing with long exhaust vent lines.
2. The earliest washing 'machine' was the scrub board invented in 1797
3. The “speed heat unit”
4. 1927
5. Rear Bearing, Upper and lower front felts, idler pulley and belt
6. GE
7. 76
8. An 8 coin verticle coin slide

Scoring
O-2 correct: You know a bit, but still have a lot to learn. Luckily you came to the right place.
2-4 correct: You know a fair amount about appliances. Keep visiting this blog to learn even more.
4-6 correct: You know a lot about appliances. Pass some of that knowledge on to someone.
6-8 correct You are an appliance star! Great job!

To submit your own trivia questions (and answers) email: rob.m@wlmay.com with the subject line "trivia".

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Watch This Wednesday: Mythbusters Dishwasher Lasagna

By now, I am sure most of our readers will know about Mythbusters. In this clip they join forces with the Food Network's Alton Brown to test dishwasher cookery. They make a lasagna. How does it turn out for them? You'll have to watch the video to find out.



For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Can you name these kitchen gadgets?

 

Hey, All,

We were moving my mom last week and I was going through the kitchen drawers and found some old gadgets that I thought were really interesting.  Two I knew what they were, but I am appealing to you all to help me identify the third.

The first one is this:  Hint - It will help make some great pies. 

The second is this:  Hint - For the weak of wrist.

Now this is the mystery gadget:  I have not a clue as to what this "knife" is used for and, so far, neither has anyone else I've shown it to.  If you know what it is, please let me know.

 
 
 
 
 
 
  I love kitchen gadgets of all kinds so if you have some old, unusual, or mystery gadgets, please send me a picture and I'll share it.

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”–John Wooden

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Friday Morning Videos: Making Cider in A Washing Machine

Down here at W.L. May Company, we hear about a lot of ways people rework their appliances to serve other purposes. This is an idea we had not considered. With some pretty simple modifications, these folks have turned their old washer into a cider making machine. Not sure this would pass muster with the health departments inspectors, but it does look like it works.



For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Vacation Planning

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library

When was the last time you gave yourself a vacation? Studies show that time off can increase productivity, problem solving skills, creativity, and enthusiasm for your job. This is as true when you run the business as when you are a worker at the business. As the owner of a company it is hard to leave things behind to take time off, it can be easier if you prepare in advance for that time off.

As this goes to post, I am on vacation. When I was planning my time off, I took into consideration that this is a traditionally slow-ish time of year. Considering my calendar and previous years mean that I can try to take off time when it will (hopefully) have the least impact on my clients and co-workers.

Another kind of vacation planning

I do both social media and am a parts expert at W.L. May. Like many of you, I wear a few different hats. Starting with social media, one of the ways that I prepared was to write and schedule my blog posts before I am off the clock. I use the Blogger software for this  blog and it has a schedule feature that will allow you to post articles to be published at any time I request. This allows me to prepare blog posts to appear while I am away. 

To prepare my social media, I could schedule Facebook posts and Twitter tweets using a service like HootSuite or Buffer. If I were to take that approach I would not truly be able to disconnect because I would want to keep an eye on those pages to stay involved with any interactions on those pages. To allow me to fully disconnect while away, I am using teamwork and having those sites monitored by a team member (Kelly in this case). This is the approach I would recommend, if possible, since the less interactions performed remotely, the more you are actually spending time AWAY from your business, which is how to maximize the effects of your time away.

That covers the blogging and social media side of my job, but I am a parts guy in addition to being a blogger. The parts side of the equation also takes some preparation. To my mind, the most important thing is letting my regular clients know that I will be away so that it does not come as a surprise if they call and I am not here. W.L. May is a team oriented company and our parts people have a "go-to" person that we can suggest our clients speak to when we are away (Todd in this case). This allows for coverage, in the case of vacation or illness, with a parts expert that our client already has some experience working with. You may notice, I have 2 people helping to cover for me, this helping to spread the work around a little bit with the goal of minimizing the impact to both my clients and my co-workers. 

One of the best things about a vacation-Coming home!

While away, other regular daily duties are handled by the "go-to" person as well. I met with my back up before leaving to advise of any unusual circumstances that might arise during my absence. Is this all overkill? Maybe, but it leaves my clients and co-workers prepared for me to be gone. Using these techniques, I am more comfortable leaving things in the hands of someone else while I am away and I have found that when I return, things fall back into place quickly. 

Of course, you may have other steps to take before you can take off-we would love to hear what YOU do to prepare for time off. Let us know in the comments section. However you go about making time off happen for you, I urge you to do those things. You might well find yourself happier, more efficient, and more profitable after taking a little time to recharge.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Watch This Wednesday: It's Not A Cat Burglar, It's A Dog Burglar!

Recently in my appliance news subscriptions, I received the story of a new addition to the Animal Planet lineup of on air talent. From the Pocono Record: 

Like many of us, Leo has bad eating habits. He likes to raid the refrigerator between meals. The freezer, too.
Only Leo happens to be a dog. A very naughty dog.
Animal Planet will film Leo's antics today at his owner Susie Forrester's Stroudsburg home.
Leo is a 9½ year-old yellow lab. His reign of terror began about five years ago when Forrester, a pro photographer, got divorced and moved into a new home. Now she can't keep him away from the refrigerated food.
Leo caught the attention of Animal Planet after a video of him opening a fridge and pilfering food was uploaded to YouTube a couple of years ago. It caught the attention of the cable show, and Leo will be featured in its "Bad Dog" segment sometime in July.

Naturally, as a lover of all things appliance, this story intrigued me and caused me to do a little YouTube searching. There are a few videos I found of dogs being naughty and raiding the refrigerator, I think our Stroudsberg pooch is in one of the first two videos.

The first video most likely resulted in a call to someone in our business:



The second video features a slightly more crafty dog who looks out the window to make sure the coast is clear, and then begins his crime spree. This video also features a view from inside the refrigerator. Its pretty chaotic camera work for the first few seconds but then they get the camera situated and the fun begins.



And the last is clearly a different dog, but someone showed that old dog a new trick!



We hope you enjoyed these mischievous dogs. If you have a dog that does some tricks, or some petty theft, we would love to hear about in the comments.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - "Natural" Easter Eggs

Hey, All,

So many things pop up on the internet under Facebook, Google+ and other social media sites that pique my interest and then I go searching for more information and find out a lot of things I never knew before!

So yesterday this thing popped up about naturally dyed eggs, and with Easter so close I thought I'd share this with you all.  Some ingredients need to be gathered before hand and it may take some time to do so that's why this is a few weeks early.

This is the site that caught my interest:  http://www.goodshomedesign.com/diy-easter-egg-dye/
And I thought - "Ooooh, so pretty!"  Then I started delving into other natural dyes and found other sites that dye eggs using fruits, veggies and other things (does wine count as a fruit?) to make really interesting dyed eggs.  Who knew that if you boiled red cabbage leaves with eggs that they would turn a royal blue colour?  Wow!

Then I found this website:  http://www.livescience.com/44258-easter-eggs-natural-dyes.html





And then this one: http://www.blogher.com/natural-egg-dye-rainbow-options

Please read through all the articles as they have lots of information and some warnings.  But I was thinking this would be a great thing to do with the kids as a science experiment, art project and Easter decorating all in one!  Supervision is definitely a must while using the stove and dyeing.  You might want to experiment yourself before letting the kids loose with this also.

I don't know if you are at all like me but I tend to have both hard boiled and fresh eggs in the fridge and sometime don't remember which are which as they are all still white.  So if you tossed some onion skins or cabbage leaves or whatever catches you fancy with your eggs when you are boiling them, they will be very easy for anyone to tell which are the boiled ones.  And you'll have pretty eggs all year long!

Have a great week!