A New Washer of Dishes

Mama got a new toy!

Several months ago I started wondering if a new dishwasher might be in my immediate future.  Our old one was still working, but I would describe its performance as mediocre.  I don't think it was a top of the line dishwasher when it was brand new, and at 7 years old, it only did an okay job.  It would run through a cycle with no problems, and it seem to get nice and hot.  But, it was very loud and required pretty thorough pre-washing if you wanted your dishes clean at the end of the cycle.  So, I started the process of researching dishwashers.  For a purchase of this size, I am usually pretty thorough with my research.  I started browsing the websites of the two main home improvement stores to see what the popular features were (and how much they would set me back), and then I moved on to Consumer Reports.  First impression from my dishwasher shopping:  these things are expensive!

From almost the very beginning, I knew I would go with a Whirlpool dishwasher for one main reason:  the silverware tray is in the door.  I mean, come on.  How is it that no other manufacturer does this?!  Having the silverware tray in the door means that I can use the entire lower rack for plates and bowls without loosing any space to the tray.  So, once I determined that Whirlpool was the only manufacturer that has the tray in the door, it was really just a matter of deciding on which Whirlpool washer.

Ultimately, I decided on this beauty:

It's a Whirlpool Gold.  I felt really good about my decision and about all of the features like a stainless steel interior, hidden control panel, adjustable upper shelf, and energy star rating.  What I didn't feel good about was the price.  $750 was a hard pill to swallow.  But, since I still had a working dishwasher, I knew time was on my side and that I had the luxury of waiting until the appliance went on sale.  So, fast forward from mid-August until Labor Day weekend.  As I had been hoping would happen, Lowe's was offering 15% off of all appliances over $399, so that took the price of the dishwasher down to just over $600.  And, when I combined that offer with the 5% off Lowe's offers for using their credit card, the price of the dishwasher came to just under $600.  Still, that was a lot of moolah, but it was an investment I was willing to make.  So, I bit the bullet and brought it home.  So, at that point there was only one thing standing between me and my beautiful, new, quiet and efficient dishwasher:  installation.

Lowe's offers installation, but at $165 a pop, I really wanted to see if this was something Colin and I could accomplish.  And, we were ready to try, but thankfully he and I didn't end up having to attempt dishwasher installation on our own.  Instead, a dear friend's husband and their 4 year old son came over to give us a hand.  Here the men are assessing the project.  (Note the handyman uniform!)

And, here they are a couple hours later with the new dishwasher all installed!  They're looking mighty proud of themselves (as they should be!), aren't they?

I didn't ask for too many details, but from what I could tell, the installation went pretty well.  There were no late night trips to the home improvement store (I had already purchased several add-ons like a new water supply line and some hardware- just in case!), so that's a good sign.  And, the dishwasher has been installed and functional for nearly a month now, and our basement is still dry!

Since we already had a stainless steel dishwasher, the change doesn't make a huge aesthetic difference, but it is miles ahead of the old one in functionality.  I put the dishes in dirty and they actually come out clean!

So, I'm wondering:  did either of my readers actually already notice the new dishwasher in these pictures from the chalkboard post?

Oh, and I almost forgot:  after we got the dishwasher installed and I made sure I liked it and it wasn't a lemon, I posted my old one up on Craig's List.  I was honest about its age and limitations and was able to sell it to a man with a couple rental properties for $50.  So, that thrifty little moment brought the total cost of the brand new top of the line Whirlpool to $550 down from an original price of $750.  Me likey savey money.

My parents were visiting this weekend, and I managed to keep my dad very busy with my Daddy Do List.  Stay tuned to find out what he tackled.  I will give you one picture clue, though, because it's fun and because I know that some people who know me in real life think my house is blog-picture-clean at all times.  So, without further ado, I present to you Evidence A:

xo,

Emily