Kelly's Korner - Challenge

Hey, All,

At last week's sales meeting, Brad Cantor led the discussion on why customers do business with W L May.  Everyone contributed with why WE think you do.  My challenge to you is to reply with why YOU do business with us.

Is is our sparkling personalities?  Our vast knowledge of appliances and parts?  That we have what you need at a reasonable price?

Remember the opening song on the old TV show Cheers?  The lyrics of the song, I think, explain why most people return time and again to the same place:

"Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same -
You wanna be where everybody
Knows your name."

Most people like returning to a place where THEY count and they know that whomever they are dealing with has their best interest at heart, because that company knows their best interest is what is in your best interest.

So leave a comment, email me at kelly.m@wlmay.com or call your favorite parts person and let them know why you like working with W L May.

PS:  Cheers also had a song that was really close to my heart - Woody wrote a song to his girlfriend, Kelly, and I have customers who occasionally sing it to me.  lol

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. ~ Winston Churchill

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

Friday Featured Client: Alltech Appliance/Danny Cz Service & Repair, LLC

Alltech Appliance is a family oriented company.
Daughter, Rainey, waves good bye to her dad, Danny,
as he sets out to repair an appliance.  

Once a month we feature a client on this blog. It's way of saying thank you for allowing us the opportunity to help with a companies success, also it is a way of showing positive community involvement from the appliance service industry. We have found that there are a lot of unsung heroes in the appliance business, we want the world to know that. If YOUR business has had more success due to our help, or if your company is doing great things in your community, we would love to know about and share it with the world. To be featured email me at rob.m@wlmay.com.

Name?
Danny Czeschin

Company?
Alltech Appliance/Danny Cz Service & Repair, LLC

Contact Info:
Phone: 208-890-3252
Fax: 877-418-9258
Email: service@alltechdoneright.com
Web: www.AlltechApplianceBoise.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlltechapplianceID

Where did you grow up?
Crowley Lake, CA in the Eastern Sierras on the 395 corridor 3.5 hours south of Reno.  My wife Misty has grown up here, our 3 children were born in Meridian and we are blessed to call Idaho home.

How long in the trade?
My dad owned Bill's Mammoth Appliance for 30 + years ending in 1996 due to illness.  As a kid, I would occasionally ride along with my dad on service calls and grew up learning how to fix things. In 2007 I was hired on with a large local appliance repair shop in Boise.  I received factory training and worked long hours gaining a lot of experience.  In January 2010 I found myself laid off within the throws of the economic downturn.  The following month Misty and I decided to start our own business and have flourished in the face of adversity. February 2nd, 2010 Alltech Appliance was born. It's been a privilege to serve our community while  growing to a place where we are now providing gainful employment here in our beautiful Treasure Valley.

How long in your current company?
5 years

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work?
Family time, camping, riding dirt bikes, taking our kids skiing, metal detecting, kid's baseball, traveling, mountain biking, and hiking in our splendorous state of Idaho.

Tech Danny in Blue and Tech Eric in Red

To what do you credit your success?
To the Almighty God who has always provided and we trust He will forever continue to guide our business and life decisions.  Great partners like W.L. May Company.  Employees and officers with integrity and a great work ethic.  The Treasure Valley which generously supports and appreciates small local businesses like ours.

What do you like about doing business with W.L. May?
Familiar faces, great service, employees' extensive knowledge, their desire to help any way they can, so many parts in stock and ready to go, oh and great luncheons!  We've enjoyed building relationships with the Branch Manager Regina and the other employees.  We feel they are a part of our team here at Alltech.

Can you share one piece of advice for others in our industry?
Happy customer's mean they'll come back. They'll also provide free advertising and referrals = best investment possible.

Can you share something with us that not many people would know?
We are small!  Misty and I operate Alltech Appliance from our 1180 sqft home allowing us to keep overhead low and pass that savings on to our customers.   My little brother Tommy Czeschin was a pro and olympic half pipe snowboarder, he is now coaching for the US Snowboarding team, and was a competitor on the Amazing Race in 2011 for season 19.

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

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

Throwback Thursday: News Recap March 26, 2015

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. So without further ado:

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

• With baseball getting underway, do you know how to break in a baseball glove using the dishwasher? LINK
• A good way to stretch your food budget is too cook twice as much as needed and freeze the rest. Just do it safely, please. LINK
• Farm and Dairy told us what foods you should refrigerate, freeze or store in your pantry. LINK
• Treehugger gave us their dishwasher loading tips. LINK

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

• Bloomberg Business reported on Electoluxes moves into the world of connected appliances. LINK
• GE wants to help you gather around the table to cook dinner-on the table. LINK

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

• The mysterious case of the exploded refrigerators. LINK

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

• A hacked internet connected refrigerator sounds like subject from a comedy sketch. Here is why it isn't funny. LINK
• What does your business do? If you answered appliance repair, you may be missing the bigger picture suggested the New Jersey Herald. LINK
• The Consumerists told us how one restauranteur dealt with a bad Yelp review. LINK

We close with a fun story:

• The fancy features were nice, but it was cheaper to fix the refrigerator. LINK
• A husbands laundry sorting fail leads to thoughts of superstition and nostalgia. LINK

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

Weekly Wednesday Stock Ideas: Dryers

Every week at W.L. may we have several items we feature as good parts to consider adding to your stock. These parts also have special pricing available. For pricing details, ask your account representative for more information.

Last week we focused on the dishwasher. This week we will take a look at some of the pieces on a dryer. Some of these parts are used strictly on gas dryers, some on electric, and some on both.

279320

On an electric dryer, if you don't have power, you've got nothing. On a gas dryer, you also need power. The terminal block for Whirlpool dryers is a fairly frequent request. Many of the terminal blocks used over the years substitute to this common part, 279320.

WE4X197

Once there is power reaching the dryer, that power needs to make a circuit for the dryer to operate. For safety reasons, a door switch is part of completing that circuit. A common GE dryer door switch on both gas and electric models is WE4X197.

131560100

The biggest need for electricity on a gas dryer is the motor. It goes without saying electric dryers are powered by motors too. A very common motor for both gas and electric dryers in all of the Electrolux brands is the 131560100.

5303937186

The next part we are considering is only used on gas dryers. All gas dryers need to ignite the gas and Frigidaire's 5303937186 is a popular style that fits in whole lot of models (some of them even from other makers).

8577274

The last electrical piece we are looking at today is also used on both gas and electric dryers. A thermistor is a temperature sensor. This one, 8577274, is located on the blower wheel housing on a number of Whirlpool brands dyers.

697772

While we are in the neighborhood of the blower wheel, lets jump over to the Whirlpool brands and consider their blower wheel that is widely used across the Whirlpool brand. It is part number 697772 and if you service a lot of Whirlpool dryers it would make a nice addition to your inventory.

WE25M40

One of the reasons we get calls for blower wheels is wear and tear on the blower wheel's bearing eventually causing a failure. Bearings for the main tumbling drum also wear with time. Most GE models have a rear bearing that can be readily replaced with the WE25M40.

37001298

At the front of the dryer drum, many makers have some sort of support glide arrangement. This week we are featuring a glide that was used on many Amana dryers, 37001298.

WE12X83

A frequent complaint with a bad bearing, whether it be on a blower wheel, a drum or a glide is a shrieking squeaky noise. Another source of squealing might be a belt rubbing of a siezed idler pulley. A popular GE idler pulley that is used on almost 400 models is the last item we are featuring this week with a part number WE12X83. 

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

Kelly's Korner - More Mysteries of the Refrigerator

Hey, All,

A couple of weeks ago, I gave you a very simplified explanation of how a refrigerator works, with a promise of more to come.  Well, here it is.

If any of you out there remember spending hours melting, chipping and cleaning ice out of your freezer, you are probably thanking the deities for the development of the frost free systems in our refrigerator/freezers because with the help of technology, we don't have to do that anymore.

As learned in our last session, the coolant (which is very cold now) flows through the evaporator and absorbs the warm air in the freezer.  Because the metal of the evaporator is very cold and the air in the freezer is damp, frost starts to develop on the evaporator coils.  If left unchecked, this ice buildup can cause all kinds of damage.  So a defrost system was developed to periodically turn on and melt this ice.

Mechanical Defrost Timer

The defrost control is the brains of this show.  Every so often,

Adaptive Defrost Control

depending on the manufacturer's setting, this gizmo kicks into gear.  It shuts off the compressor and turns on the defrost heater that begins to melt the ice on the evaporator.  Newer refrigerators may have an adaptive defrost control or a motherboard that does the same thing.

Now the defrost heater starts heating up and melting that ice.  If you stand by your refrigerator when this cycle is in process, you can hear the ice melting and dripping into the drain trough where it goes to an evaporator pan under the refrigerator to evaporate on its own.

Defrost Heater

Now, once the defrost thermostat senses that temperatures have reached a certain limit, it turns the heaters off.  The defrost timer continues on its cycle until the set time has been reached.  Then it kicks the compressor back on and the cooling cycle begins again.

Defrost Thermostat

As you can see, there are a variety of things that may be in play if your refrigerator is not cooling like it's supposed to.  While I am a pretty handy person, I highly suggest you call a service tech to come take a look at your refrigerator.  This is something that I would not attempt to do.  Due to the government's mandate that appliances need to be water and energy efficient, manufacturer's have needed to find newer and better ways to accomplish this, hence the advent of more electronic boards and the education needed to decipher exactly why it is not doing what it's supposed to.  Call your favorite technician if you have problems.

Hopefully, this little tutorial has given you a better understanding on how your refrigerator works.

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Welcome Spring!

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

Thursday Trivia Challenge

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

Questions
1. What is the brand name for the vibration absorbing pads for front load washers?
2. What year did GE introduce its first room air conditioner?
3. As of 2009, what percentage of Oregon's Electricity is generated by hydroelectric generators?
4. What percentage of the public waits until after 4p to plan dinner on a weekday?
5. What items are included in a Frigidaire dryer maintenance kit?
6. A common appliance lubricant comes in a bottle with an extendable tip. What is the product called?
7. Originally, electric ranges had coil-type elements. When did GE begin using Calrod type elements?
8. Does W.L. May stock U-Line parts?


Answers
1. Vibe Away

2. 1930 (Source: http://www.geappliances.com/build-with-ge/downloads/kitchens_of_tomorrow_today.pdf)

3.58.6% (Source: http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/media/state-regs/pdf/Oregon.pdf)
4.71% (Source: http://www.geappliances.com/build-with-ge/downloads/kitchens_of_tomorrow_today.pdf)

5. Rear bearing, upper & lower felt seal, idler pulley and drum belt

6. Zoom Spout Oil

7. 1928 (Source: http://www.geappliances.com/build-with-ge/downloads/kitchens_of_tomorrow_today.pdf)

8. Yes

Scoring
O-2 correct: You know a bit about appliances, but still have a lot to learn.
2-4 correct: You know a fair amount about appliances.
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!

This is a monthly feature. To submit your appliance 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

Weekly Wednesday Stock Ideas

Every week at W.L. may we have several items we feature as good parts to consider adding to your stock. These parts also have special pricing available. For pricing details, ask your account representative for more information.

This week we are looking at dishwashers installation materials and cleaning accessories.Like any appliance that uses water, hoses are a necessity for a dishwasher install.

48366

A great choice for hooking up the fill line to a dishwasher is a fill hose with a stainless steel mesh wrapping to prevent against burst hoses. This hose for EZ flow is a 60 inch (5 foot) length. Other lengths are available. Ask you account manager for details.

60421

In some installations, an air gap such as 60421 is used to prevent back flow siphoning.

34FHT

On some dishwashers a connector elbow might be a requirement. The 34FHT is the EZ-Flo solution to this install need.

SSDW7

A dishwasher install not only requires hoses for filling the appliance, but a drain hose is needed too. The SSDW7 is a seven foot "universal" style drain hose.

DWP24

With all of the hoses and connections that may b e involved in a dishwasher installation, it is not a bad "insurance policy" to include a drip pan under the appliance. The DWP24, also known a "Dwip Pan"is a popular solution. Simply place under the dishwasher and leaks will be contained, helping to preserve kitchen flooring. Several dealers tell us that they will not even do an install without including one of these.

19212 and 19045

After the dishwasher is installed, good maintenance requires occasional cleanings, more so if you are in an area with hard water. The long standing cleaning solution has traditionally been Glisten Powder. Glisten is a citric acid based, food safe cleaner. Simply add the powder to your detergent while washing a load of dishes. We stock both the 2 oz packet, part 19212 and the 4 oz two-pack, part 19045.

12012

A new product has been rising in popularity and has been challenging Glisten's throne as dishwasher cleaner of choice. Dishwasher Magic, part 12012. Unlike Glisten, Dishwasher Magic is liquid. Dishwasher Magic is meant to be run through a dishwasher cycle without dishes. The big appeal here is that while Glisten is a cleaner and rust remover, Dishwasher Magic is a disinfectant and kills germs for both E Coli and Salmonella.

W10130695

The last dishwasher part we are mentioning today is not an installation item. However, it is a little bit of a tricky to research.  We get calls asking about this part regularly. The part is a latch assembly that comes with a black handle. What is tricky about it, is that on an illustrated parts breakdown they do not show that the handle comes with the latch. Also many breakdowns do list a latch that is minus the handle, which complicate matters further. Then to really confuse us, some models that use this part the listing for the assembly will be found under the listing for the handle NOT the latch. Clear as mud, we know. If you need help tracking down this part, or any part, just contact us-we are here for YOU!

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

Kelly's Korner - Happy St Patrick's Day!

Top 'o the mornin' to ye!

St Patrick's Day seems to be one of those holidays that every one enjoys - wearing green, drinking green beer, parades and corned beef and cabbage.  I love it all and not because my name is Kelly and I have green eyes.  Eveyone is happy!

I was perusing the Web and came across this little video about the origins of the corned beef and cabbage tradition - it didn't start in Ireland!  And it's not totally Irish!  When the Irish came to this country, most were very poor and would have one special meal a week.  Brisket, because it was usually the cheapest cut of meat, and cabbage, because it was plentiful and inexpensive.  In Ireland they would have boiled bacon.  They brined it (Eastern European tradition) because it was a cheap way of preserving the meat.

Creative Commons license on image.

Now, my boys and I LOVE corned beef and cabbage.  I have always gotten the packages of corned beef at the grocery store and tossed the meat in the crockpot covered in water, sprinkle in the package of pickling spices included, turned it on and went to work.  When I got home, I'd pull the meat out and put wedges of cabbage in the water/drippings to cook while I fried up some potatoes.  I just let the cabbage cook until just barely tender and warmed through.  I don't like it overcooked.  Bring on the mustard and dig in!

One draw back of this method is you have all the fat still in the pot with the meat and it gets on the cabbage, too.  Lots of people don't like that.  It's never bothered me or my boys. and we always make sure we have plenty of leftovers to make Rueben sandwiches - more meat and cabbage (as saurkraut which is fermented cabbage) and yummy.

But this year, now that we have the Traeger, we are definately going to be trying something a little different.  I have found that brining is almost a must do when cooking meat on the Traeger.  Not only does it add some flavor, depending on what you use in your brine (citrus fruits, onions, vinegars, sugars, etc.)  but it seals the surface of the meat and keeps all those scrumptious juices in the meat where it belongs and not dripping off and being wasted.  My resident chef, #1 son Bryan, has been researching the perfect recipe for cooking our brisket on the Traeger and I can't wait to get home and taste his latest masterpiece!

Have a fun and safe St Paddy's day and may the luck o' the Irish be with ye!

PS:  Happy Birthday to my nephew, James, who was born on this lucky day!

Monday Motivation

            But that's the thing about basketball: you don't play games on paper. ― Bill Simmons

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

Friday Featured W.L. May Employee: Dick Hevener

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?
Dick Hevener

Job Title?
Counter Sales

Where did you grow up?
Carlton, OR

How long have you been with W.L. May?
Since September 2010

What did you do prior to joining W.L. May?
From 1970-1990 I worked as an appliance repair technician. Then from 1990 to the present worked in parts. First at a competitor, then with Appliance Clinic in Vancouver, WA. before joining the crew at W.L. May.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work?
Being at home watching the river flow by. Gardening. Boating.

To what do you credit your success?
Good work ethics and dependability.

What do you like about working at W.L. May?
The people. Both co-workers and customers.

Can you share one piece of advice for others in our industry?
Stay up with the changes. Seek any knowledge and training you can get.

Can you share something most people do not know about you? 
Nothing I can think of.

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

Throwback Thursday: News Recap March 12, 2015

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. So without further ado:

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

• Dr. Duct gave us a few basic tips for extending the life of our appliances. LINK
• Popular Mechanics explained your refrigerator's inner workings. LINK
• BT gave us a guideline for how often to wash some of the more challenging items on your laundry list. LINK
• The Mother Nature Network advised AGAINST more frequent towel washing. LINK
• A few tweaks to your laundry agenda can result in fewer loads to wash. LINK
• Need to purchase a washer of dryer? Here are some things to consider. LINK

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

• Whirlpool was named one of the worlds most admired companies. LINK
• Whirlpool is working with compressor maker Embraco to develop new compressor designs. LINK

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

• A designer found a house completed in 1956, that has never been lived in. Everything inside is brand new, even including sales labels on the appliances. LINK
• Have you ever wanted R2D2 to greet you when you want a snack? Now he can, and he will also tell you if your refrigerator door is still open. LINK

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

• Scientists drew a connection between dishwasher usage and childhood allergies. LINK
• Scott Yales from BlogMutt was a speaker at the ASTI in New Orleans. He gave his impressions and some free advice. LINK
• Police apprehended an alleged appliance repair scammer. LINK
• France introduced some interesting legislation affecting appliance sales. LINK
• The science Times explained some of the issues about taking appliances online. LINK

We close with a  fun story:

• Don't "splash the plash" on those clean dishes. LINK

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

Weekly Wednesday Stock Ideas

Every week at W.L. may we have several items we feature as good parts to consider adding to your stock. These parts also have special pricing available. For pricing details, ask your account representative for more information.

This week we look into the world of refrigeration. Defrost problems are frequently the source of service calls. Often these call can boil down to the "defrost trio". That would be defrost timers, defrost heaters, or defrost thermostats.

WR51X443

This popular GE defrost heater, WR51x443,  is used on over 205 GE, Hotpoint models and many Kenmore models as well It is composed of two glass tube of approximately 10 inches with mounting brackets, wire harness and built into the harness defrost thermostat.

WR51x10031

Slightly less common, being used in over 199 GE/Hotpoint models as well some Kenmores, the WR51x10031 has a shorter glass tube and only one glass tube and bracket configuration. Like the WR51x443 it comes equipped with wiring harness and defrost thermostat.

SLT50

Unfortunately, over time, some parts are discontinued by the original appliance maker. When that happens with defrost thermostats, some people turn to this 50 degree general purpose clip-on defrost thermostat, SLT50.

5303918277

While we are talking about frost in the freezer, lets look at making that freezing water into ice cubes. For this there are, of course, a variety of icemakers. Nine older icemaker models from the Electrolux product family can all be replaced by the 5303918277. It has four round female connectors at end of wire harness and comes with adaptor that converts the harness to three round female & one round male connectors.

BPV31

A frequently used accessory (so much so that many guys buy the 12 at a time), the BPV31 is known as the "Bullet Piercing Valve". Designed to pierce copper tubing, this part is a "must have".

WR55X10025

Making ice requires freezing temperatures. To determine the temperature on many modern refrigerators, a thermistor sensor is used in conjunctions with a computer board, The WR55X10025 is a very common thermistor in GE, Hot Point, and Kenmore refrigerators. Many models use several of these sensors on one machine making this a good choice for truck stock.

FF10HBK1

The compressor is the heart of the refrigeration system. It is important that the right size of compressor with the right refrigerant is used. Also, without proper certification, the EPA does not allow sealed system work. If all the conditions are right, however, this 1/4+ HP compressor might fit your needs.

RO81

The relay/overload is used to complete the electrical circuit for the compressor as well as providing a surge of electricity to help start the compressor. The RO81 is for use on many older 1/12-1/3 HP compressors.

URCO810

To really get the compressor going some models include a capacitor for the compressor. Appliance makers traditionally have included a capacitor until recently when energy efficient designs have bypassed that need. The nice thing about the URCO810 is it is a "three-in-one" relay, capacitor, and overload that can be used on 1/12 to 1/5 HP machines with OR without a built in capacitor.

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

Kelly's Korner - The Mysteries of the Refrigerator

Hey, All,

One of the most mysterious appliances we use everyday is the refrigerator/freezer.  We pretty much take this appliance for granted that it will keep our food cold or frozen.  But how does it do that?

Well, without going into a huge physics lesson, when a compressed gas gets released it cools rapidly.  Have you cleaned your keyboard lately with a can of compressed air?  That can gets really cold really fast, huh?  Kinda the same thing happens in your fridge.

compressor

condenser coils

The coolant is a special chemical that alternates between a hot liquid and a cool gas.  This coolant, as a liquid under pressure, is pumped through the pipes by a compressor.   From the compressor, the liquid coolant travels through the condenser coils where it releases the heat it has drawn from inside the refrigerator.

As it hits an expansion valve, the sudden drop in pressure makes the coolant expand where it rapidly gets cooler and turns into a gas.  As this cool gas travels through the refrigerator evaporator coils located in the freezer section of the fridge, it absorbs the warm air from inside the refrigerator and freezer.  It then goes back to the compressor where it is squeezed into a hot, high pressure gas.  When it hits the condenser coils, it cools back to the liquid form and starts the sequence all over again.

evaporator

evaporator fan motor

damper assembly

Clear as mud, right?  Then, to complicate matters, inside your freezer section is a little motor and fan blade (normally called an evaporator fan motor) that blows the cold air from the evaporator into the freezer section.  This cold air travels through the wall into the refrigerator section via the damper assembly. This damper assembly has a little flapper door that you can adjust via your control panel to regulate how much cold air comes in.

So, now you know everything there is to know about refrigeration, right?  Wrong!!!!  And, on that note, I am going to leave this for another time with my least favorite three words:

TO BE CONTINUED

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. ~ Jimmy Johnson

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

Thursday Tweets: More from the Laundry Room

While looking through our Twitter feed we found these tweets to share with you.

A bit of fashion criticism brings us back to the subject of laundry...

Someone: omg u wore that shirt the other day me: yeah well in my house we have this amazing thing called a washing machine
— ?aƒ??a ?a???? (@SaFi_p0pZz) February 24, 2015

Sometimes the dirty clothes just scream "clean me". Other times not so much...

My laundry is staring at me.
— Riley (@VeniceRiley) February 25, 2015

Once a person gets started, they might start daydreaming...

So I just sat there and watched the washer for a solid 5 min trying to figure out where the water comes out from??
— ash brum? (@ashlyn_brumley) February 17, 2015

Eventually, an idea might strike...

Just realized that if I do laundry more often, the loads won't be as big. Now, off to go solve the rest of the world's problems.
— Maddie Gardner (@Maddie_Gardner) February 24, 2015

Too much daydreaming can lead to further laundry problems, though...

When you wake up and realize every pair of pants you have are still in the washer from the previous night: pic.twitter.com/ZLBSB3g2Up
— Phantom (@phantominfrisco) February 17, 2015

When comes time to dry the clothes, this Twitter user has an opinion...

If you put one small wash load into three dryers, you are a bad person.
— katey healy-wurzburg (@khealywu) February 17, 2015

Still, there are drying options. You could use a clotheline, but be careful...

Tip of the day, clotheslines save electricity over dryers in the summer,but remember where you hang them #ouch #oldmandown @Frigidaire
— elementernie (@elementErnie) August 1, 2014

Some folks use a laundrymat to dry their clothes. Sometimes that means a grungy old dryer, but maybe not...

S/O to the laundry mat on 13th street for finally up grading their dryers! ??????? pic.twitter.com/QTlSaVOYcE
— Teto (@OhTeto) February 17, 2015

That leaves laundry at home which does have at least one fringe benefit...

"Buck cozy in the warm clean laundry straight from the dryer." --- Marta pic.twitter.com/QbyKiuQsMp
— Cats (@Cats) February 25, 2015

And we all know, when it comes to laundry, it feels so good to get the job done...

"Does finishing laundry make anyone else feel like they have their life together for a split second?" — Stanford
— Yik Yak (@YikYakApp) February 25, 2015

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

Kelly's Korner - Yard, Garden and Patio Show featuring Matt Sander Landscaping

Hey, All!

This weekend I was priviledged to be able to spend several hours at the Portland Yard, Garden and Patio Show at my brother-in-law's display garden greeting people and answering questions.

Now, this show is, for me, the official start of my spring.  All the beautiful display gardens, plants, tools, yard art, etc., just get me itching to get dirty.  And with the mild winter we've had, I've already started.

Matt Sander Landscaping is owned and operated by my brother-in-law, Matt Sander, with his brother, Mark Sander, and nephew, Damian Sander, meeting their clients wishes and dreams.  They and their staff design and install all aspects of the yard of your dreams.  And their award winning display garden this year shows how, in even a small yard, you can have a place for everyone.


For a bit of serenity, there was a nice water feature that you could sit beside and let the waters calm you.  Water flows over the back wall into a pool that ou could have some water plants and fish.

They built 14' x 16' covered outdoor kitchen with a couple of eating areas - a beautiful table for you and guests, set and decorated by my sister, Kathy Sander, and a little bar area with a couple of stools so you can converse with the cook in style.  Areas under the grill and counter can house a small refrigerator and cabinets for storage.

After dinner, you and your guests can retire to the firepit with post-prandial cigars and beverages of choice and great conversation.

Kids at loose ends while the adults converse?  Keep them occupied for hours in this fun sand area.  No kids?  A nice hammock here would bring the beach to your backyard.  A good book and iced beverage and you wouldn't get me out of here all summer!

Matt and his staff listen to what your needs and wants are and design and install your perfect yard - not what they think you need but what you want.  If you are not fortunate enough to live in the Portland/Vancouver area and have Matt and company do your yard, then shop carefully for a landscaping company that will listen to you.

I had a ball talking with all the people that flowed through on Saturday.  If you are looking for ideas for your outdoor areas, visit your local garden shows for great ideas.

Have a great week!