Tuesday 22 April 2014

No more washday blues?

My 6-year-old top-loading washing machine has become tired of life, and as it was generally agreed after an opinion poll that nothing is made to last any more and it was time for a new one, I have taken the plunge and bought a front loader again after a break of many years. Requests for advice on Facebook flooded in, with everyone having a completely different view, and so this morning I marched purposefully through the doors of the local furniture store (recommended for value for money), determined to make a decision and hopefully get it before the weekend.

The saleslady leapt up, eager to assist the only prospective customer (presumably others would filter through later after the eggcesses of the Easter weekend had worn off), which made a nice change from the last time I went into a large furniture chain looking for a microwave, only to be totally ignored by multiple salespeople and eventually departing in a huff. I gave her the brief: oldish top-loader tired, need front-loader, good price, how soon?

"You've come on the right day!" she declared. "This one is on special just for today!" She led me to the display stand where a perfectly acceptable machine stood waiting to be snapped up. Nice compact size, great colouring, easy to read dials, not over-the-top selection of programmes and the word 'eco' on the top right-hand corner. The price was R500 less than I had expected, so I said, "Sold!"

As we went off to do the paperwork, I asked what other machines were on offer, by way of a last-minute check, and she told me that was the only washing machine on the floor and she didn't know when the next stock would arrive. I asked for a 'shop-soiled' discount as it was the display model but got short shrift in that department - well at least I tried! It was probably a good thing to have no need to compare prices, models and makes, as the whole deal was completed in less than 10 minutes and my phone indicated that I had paid for it before the slip had come out of the machine! It arrived at my house 2 hours later and will be attached to the tap by HWCFA this evening (he does have a role to play in this scenario).

In the meantime, I read the instruction manual from cover to cover (I am a woman, after all, and we do read the manual) to that I would be au fait with the workings in time for the first wash tomorrow (can't wait!). There was a section that advised on how to reduce pet hair on the clothing (so it's not just me) through a special programme that does an extra rinse, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a large warning at the end of the section: Do not wash your pets in the machine!

Really?

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