Search Results for: whirlpool duet

5 Time-Saving Tips For Holiday Chores

December 19, 2012 By jen 2 Comments

In between the shopping, the baking and the holiday parties household chores never cease. In fact, some of them seem to grow exponentially with the season. Hello extra dishes and laundry. Even now the familiar whooshing sound is mixed in with my Christmas carols as another load of laundry is cycled through my Duets.

I can’t help with all of the chores (just take a look around my house), but here are a couple of time-saving tips to help.

Holiday Dishes

If your holiday dishes are dusty from being stored all year, don’t bother with a full scrub down. Take advantage of the rinse cycle on your dishwasher. Now if I can just find someone to put away those dishes…

Berry Stains

I used to dread difficult berry stains, until I discovered Oxi Clean spray. Now I don’t even bother treating the stain right away. When the garment is removed (at the end of the day) I spray a bit of Oxi Clean spray and let it be. By the time I get around to checking on it again the stain has vanished. (It always reminds me of disappearing ink.) That’s my kind of stain removal

Turkey Stains

Oily stains can be a beast. The key is tackling the stain before it sets. Apply a pretreat to the oily stain, or rub liquid detergent directly into it. Wash the garment in the hottest water safe for the fabric, then air dry and check it for any remaining stain. DO NOT dry the garment in the dryer until you are sure the stain is gone or it will set forever. If necessary, repeat the procedure before placing the clothing in the dryer.

Ring Around the Toilet

No one likes an unsightly dirty ring around the toilet – ick! Not a good way to greet guests. Get that bowl in tip-top shape with my favorite tool — The Pumie! I discovered this wonderful product last Christmas and it is by best friend in the bathroom cleaning department. It’s easy, it’s quick and it works. (Check out my before and after picture!)

Wax Removal

Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah (or both like we do), you’re bound to fight candle wax drip. The first few years I tended to our Menorah it was a mess of melted and remelted wax reside. Our once shinny Menorah became dull and gloppy. Then a friend suggested boiling water. (Of course!) Now wax removal is a breeze. First I peel off the chunks. Next boil water in a large plastic bowl.(Note, do not use your favorite bowl because you will end up with wax reside in the bow. I use an old disposable Ziploc container.) Carefully dip your candle holder into the boiling water, and then wipe clean with a paper towel. Repeat until shinny.

(Hey, my tip saves time. That doesn’t mean I have gotten around to it yet!)

Christmas Menorah

I wrote this review while participating in a Blog Tour for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Happy Three-Year Blogiversary To The Suburban Mom

July 26, 2012 By jen 13 Comments

Three years. That’s how long I have been a blogger. It was three years ago this month that I was inspired to start a blog, and three years ago this week that I took the leap and posted my very first post.

When I started, I had no idea where this blog would lead me. I started blogging as an outlet to write and share. When I started, I didn’t even know there was an entire blogging world out there. I don’t think I had ever even read a blog when I started. In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined that my simple little blog would garner the attention of thousands of readers each week and open doors into
amazing and exciting opportunities.

It was a hobby, but somewhere along the lines it became more. My simple little blog is now my full-time job. I don’t go into an office any more, but I work every day. I work to find and share amazing deals, to be in-the-know on the latest and greatest products, and bring my readers content that they want and enjoy. It’s hard work, and like all jobs there are days I am tired and stressed. But then something wonderful happens and I am ready to go again! In other words, I love my job!

Over the past three years, I have had the privileged of working with a number of amazing companies here are a few of my favorite highlights over the last year:

Reviewing a Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer
Traveling to LA to attend the Red-Carpet Premier of The Lion King
Becoming an Ambassador for Popsicle & Verizon
Writing 4,165+ posts with 25,825+ comments.
Building my social media network to 7,000 Facebook fans and 9,500 Twitter followers
Attending the Chimpanzee Red Carpet Premier
Being invited to tour Chick-fil-A headquarters
Attending two FAM events at Hammock Beach and Clearwater Beach
Being recognized in public by readers
Made some amazing blogger friends online and in real life.

While reflecting on the things I have done, I am also reminded of things that I want to do.

A new blog design – it’s time for a new look.
Write an ebook – it’s been on my to-do list for a long time.
Build a series of posts about how to make money online – you know you want to read this!
Engage my readers more – I want to hear from you!
Attend BlogHer – next year for sure.
Be interviewed on TV or in print.
Share more craft project – I love crafting.

Thank you for reading and sharing my posts with your family and friends. And thank you to the brands and PR firms who have believed in me and invited me to be a part of your campaigns. I have come a long way since my very first post three years ago - Recycle Ink Cartridges for Charity, I can wait to see where the next three years take me.

Jen Burg The Suburban Mom

My Goals For 2012

December 29, 2011 By jen 4 Comments

2011 has been a year to be proud of. It is amazing to think how different things were a year ago. In 2011 I got pregnant and had a baby! How can the new year possibly top that? I am also hugely proud of everything I have accomplished with The Suburban Mom this year from a trip to LA for The Lion King 3D premiere to an ambassadorship with Whirlpool I have done some really neat things. Plus as my blog has grown, so has the support of my readers who reach out to me to tell me that they appreciate the deals I have passed along and information I share. (You will never fully understand how much that means to me!)

As the New Year draws close and I reflect on everything I accomplished, I can only dream of what is to come in 2012. I am not one to make New Year’s resolutions. Mostly because it is too much pressure to come up with something to change or do that I will actually stick with, and shouldn’t we set and try to keep goals year round instead of just at the New Year? That said, there are a few things I want to do in 2012, so I am going to set a few goals for myself for the New Year. Wish me good luck!

#1 – As a friend recently put it, “I refuse to let my children be jpegs.” I don’t remember the last time I actually had pictures printed. Sure I print one or two here or there, but remember the days when we printed EVERY picture. HA! I stay fairly organized with my pictures, but I just take so many. So my goal is to spend one hour per week on my photos and memories. Either organizing, working on a photo book or just writing down memories. The idea is an hour each Friday, because Fridays are slow any way. More’s great, but if I have to, I will set a timer and make myself take an hour to play with my photos.

#2 – This is the hard one. Somehow, someway I have to find a way to keep the house more organized. Not for myself, not for my husband (although he would be thrilled), but for my girls. I want them to grow up in a house they can be proud of, and my piles aren’t pretty. I don’t know how I will do this, but I need to. For my girls.

#3 – Play more, stress less. Again, not sure how I will accomplish this, but this is also for my girls so I must.

#4 – Watch my blog grow and write more. I started my blog as an outlet for writing, but as it continues to grow I find myself writing less and less just for fun. I have taken on some writing jobs recently to exercise my creative writing side, and I want to write more fun things for my blog. Making time for everything is a challenge, but as I try to squeeze in a few things just for fun I hope you (my loyal readers) will enjoy them. (Feedback is always appreciated.)

So there you have it, my goals for 2012. More than anything else, I hope to have a year filled with laughter and good health. We were so blessed in 2011, I can only hope to be equally blessed in the new year.

I’d love to hear your goals for 2012, anything you’d like to see from The Suburban Mom or even your favorite things from 2011. Please feel free to share.

And because I STILL have not mailed my Christmas cards (my goal for tonight), here’s my family Christmas photo. (Sorry to friends and family who will see it here first. I guess that’s another goal for 2012, to get my Christmas cards mailed before Christmas!)

Happy New Year!

My Whirlpool Duet Washer/Dryer Makes Me Happy

November 17, 2011 By jen Leave a Comment

We’ve been living with (and loving) our Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer for several months now, and I am happy to report everything is peachy keen and then some. Laundry land is a happy place in our house. I continue to marvel at my fancy laundry machines and show them off to visitors whenever I get a chance. (Is it silly to say they are pretty as well as functional, I think not. I really like the silver machines.)

Whirlpool recently celebrated its 100th birthday, and it has come a long way in a century (can you imagine if you had to wash with the original design from 1911?). For that matter, it has come a long way since we bought our last pair of Whirlpool Duets in 2004.

Whirlpool

Today’s Duet system is loaded with technology. Previously, I wrote about the ways features that save me time and money and about how my washer is smarter than me (no joke). Here are my final thoughts on the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer AKA my laundry dream team.

Features I can’t get enough of:

Precision Dispense – Much like my Dad’s old “push-button-window theory,” the precision dispense feature is definitely something you never know you need until you have it. Now, I can’t live without it. Adding detergent to every load – that’s so last year.
Fan Fresh – Need to throw a load in and go? Don’t let that load sit and get musty – not good for the clothes or your washer. Fan Fresh to the rescue. (As long as mom remembers to turn it on. This is one feature I would improve by making it automatic if a loads sits for longer than 10 minutes without the door being opened.)
Specialty Cycles – Not sure how to wash that pillow that just got something spilled on it? Not to worry, there is a specialty cycle for that. There’seven a matching specialty cycle for pillows on the dryer. (Use this cycle today!)

Let’s talk accessories. There are several accessories available for the duet washer and dryer, but there is only one that is a must have. Without a doubt, laundry ladies need the pedestal units. Front loaders are great for many reasons, but without pedestal units those doors are pretty low to the ground. Not being one to like bending over more than I have to, I don’t know what I would do with out the pedestals that raise the washer/dryer up 15.5 inches. The additional storage that the pedestals provide in a cramped laundry room rocks too.

Whirlpool Pedestal

Lights, sounds and color - aesthetics are important. Sure, there is nothing wrong with a plain, boring, white washer/dryer that does its job and nothing more. But a laundry duo that looks nice, sings a pretty tune and has flashy lights and a color LCD display… yeah, that makes a girl smile. I know it doesn’t clean my clothes any better because of these features, but the soft chiming effect vs the harsh, demanding buzzer my old pair beckoned me with just makes the whole experience better.

As my fellow Whirlpool moms have remarked on more than one occasion, the only thing my laundry dream team doesn’t do is fold and put away the laundry. (Hence the giant mound currently perked atop my washer/dryer). Maybe in Whirlpool’s next 100 years…

Whirlpool Mom

Disclosure – 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.

My Whirlpool Duet Washer Is Smarter Than Me!

October 25, 2011 By jen 1 Comment

With a newborn in the house (two weeks old today), I went from a normal handful of loads of laundry per week to doing a load almost daily — just to keep the necessities (sheets, onesies, swaddles, etc) clean. Oh, I forgot how much dirty laundry such a little person makes!

In my sleep-deprived mind set, it is good to know that my Whirlpool Duet Washer is smarter than me. No really, it is. Let me explain.

I previously wrote about how much I love the precision dispensing feature on the washer, it is so nice to not have to think about adding detergent I just pop in the clothes, choose my setting and hit start. Smart washer proof #1, it adds the right amount of detergent, every time. Smart washer proof #2, it tells me when it is running low and out of detergent. Seriously, how great is that.

I have been using my new washer/dryer for about two months now, and one of the most important things to me is to keep this washer clean and free of the musty smell that can develop in front-loading washers. I didn’t know how to care for my first washer, and that musty smell made me NUTS! I learned the hard way that once you get the stink, it is really hard (if not impossible) to get rid of it. So this time, I am determined to keep my washer smell free.

I do everything by the book, I wipe the washer dry after every use (especially the seal) and I leave the washer door open to air out. But I also know that it is important to clean my washer. Well, guess what? My smart washer tells me when it is time to clean my washer. Yes! It actually tells me on the screen that it is time to clean my washer (smart washer proof #3). Oh, and if you ignore the suggestion, it continues to suggest a cleaning until you do it. Love it!

Whirlpool Duet Washer

My washer requests Affresh cleaning tablets, which I have had a hard time finding locally, but I was finally able to find them on Amazon. I have run the cleaning cycle twice now, and so far so good — plus they smell really good. There are also Affresh Grit Grabbers too, which I recently purchased, but I haven’t tried them out yet. Frankly, the Affresh tablets are a little on the expensive side, so I think I will try the Tide Washing Machine Cleaner next time (Affresh is about $3.50 per cleaning, Tide is $1.50).

Another problem we moms run into are stains. Smart washer proof #4, the Whirlpool Duet Washer offers stain management suggestions right on the display screen — in multiple steps including what setting and temperature to wash the soiled garment on. Stain assist includes tips to deal with kids stains, beverages, foods and household.

Whirlpool Duet Stain Assist

Overall, I think my washer is smarter than my dryer, but my dryer is pretty smart too. Forget having to search for the manual to figure out what each of the dyer settings mean, the color LCD display offers information about each setting. It even tells you the types of laundry that should be dried with each option. I don’t use a lot of the specialty settings, but I did recently use the “pillow” setting, and it worked like a charm.

Yep. My washer and dryer are smarter than I am, now if only all of the electronics in my house would remind me to do things!

Disclosure - 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.