Little Known Laundry & Kitchen Tips From Whirlpool

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review. I also was provided with transportation, lodging, and meals on this trip. No compensation was received. The honest opinions are my own.

In an earlier post, I mentioned my recent stay at the Whirlpool Real Whirled House with seven other Whirlpool Moms.

On the trip we were given an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at some of the local Whirlpool testing facilities.

We also listened to, and asked questions of, a Whirlpool team of experts in laundry and kitchen appliances.

Real Whirled Whirlpool Moms with Tre, an Expert from the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science.

I came home with so many tips, tricks, and information about how to make laundry, cooking, and cleaning easier I just had to share just some of the things I learned. Here’s a collection of those tips. I hope they help you too!

Whirlpool

• Whirlpool Corporation brand names include: Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht, & Gladiator
• The Whirlpool Test Kitchens make 30,000 biscuits and 50,000 cookies a year which are donated to the local soup kitchen.
• When testing washers and dryers they put sand in the machines twice a day.
• The Whirlpool laundry motto is: Break things fast to make them last.
• They test the sturdiness of their drums by throwing in multiple exercise balls.

• The first dishwasher was developed by Josephine Cochran in 1886 and she received the top award at the World’s Fair for the invention.
• 10 years ago dishwashers used 10 gallons of water, now they use 3.
• Hand washing dishes uses 27 gallons of water (I’m adding this to my list of reasons why we need to get a dishwasher!)
• Pre-rinsing your dishes uses 20 gallons of water.
• When you pre-rinse, the sensors can’t detect the appropriate level of food particles & dishes won’t be as clean.
• However, if dishes are going to sit longer than 24 hours than you should pre-rinse.
• The dishwasher filter needs to be cleaned frequently. Most people don’t even know they have one!
• If your dishwasher is leaving food particles on items & not cleaning well, check the filter first.
• 1 Hour and Quick Wash cycles use more water and more energy
• The Overnight button washes dishes for 7 hours and is the most economical and green due to the long pauses.
• Eco Boost is based on the amount of water used not the temperature.
• Eco Dry will soon be released and it will dry dishes to 70% which will save energy.

Whirlpool Duet Tips

• 80% of people do laundry using only one cycle.
• The most misused cycle is Quick Wash. It’s meant for 2-4 items. If you have more, the machine will add more time and it will no longer be a quick wash.
• The Sanitize setting is the longest cycle. It is designed based on guidelines from the CDC to get the water close to a certain temperature and to hold it there for a certain amount of time so it will kill 99.9% of bacteria.
• The Bulky Items Cycle is great for sleeping bags and comforters.
• The Duet Dryer Steam Cycle works on clothes that have been worn all day & have no stains. It’s also good for items that have been in storage, or garments that are wrinkled.
• The Steam Cycle in the dryer can be used to sanitize backpacks.

Laundry & Garment Care

•  By law the only thing that must be reported on the garment label is the fiber. So the garment may read 100% cotton but it may have blue dye, anti-wrinkle, etc.
• Stains should always be pre-treated otherwise they will set when washed & dried.
• When pre-treating a stain be sure to rub it in with a smooth object like the back of a spoon or your thumb.
• Baby formula stains are difficult to remove because they are high in protein. Look for a detergent with enzymes to help break down the protein.
• To clean up after bed wetting or other accidents, run a rinse cycle with the items first.
• It’s just as important to sort clothing by weight as it is by color. If you wash jeans with t-shirts, the t-shirts will thin faster.
• When using an HE machine use ONLY HE detergent. If you don’t, you are breaking the machine’s warranty.
• They are working now to do away with the HE symbol and are trying to make a detergent that is universal for all machines.
• It’s possible that the original Maytag washing machine had a butter churn attachment!

Aren’t some of these tips eye-opening?!

While on the Whirlpool Real Whirled trip I had a wonderful time learning how to make life easier and my daily tasks more effective.

I also had a fantastic time in the gorgeous condo hanging out with and getting to know the other bloggers. Look for an upcoming post filled with photos of the Real Whirled House and our trip to the World of Whirlpool. Both of which were incredible locations!