appliance care
black and decker
hand mixer
older appliances
replacing appliances
rival
updating appliances
Getting life from your appliances
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
Canada
March 7, 2012 2:19pm CST
Today, as I was making a cake for dessert, I used my new Rival hand mixer for the first time. As I clicked the beaters into place, I sort of laughed. I realized that this is the first new hand mixer I have had in 24 years! I've only owned one other -- and it was a wedding gift back in 1987! I had the mixer longer than the husband! 
The reason I had to buy a new one is because one of my daughters wanted to use the old one and it was stored on the top shelf of the cupboard. She's not particularly tall but figured she could reach it. As she started to slide it off the shelf, she lost control and it crashed to the floor, shattering into many pieces. Had it not been broken, I have to wonder how much longer I would have used it. It was an old Black and Decker wall-mountable one.. that was quite the thing "in its day" LOL When I got it, it was brown and white... by the time it went into the trash, it had yellowed to almost deep gold and brown!
My mom had all her appliances, big or small, for well over 20 years and I guess I learned from her to keep things very clean, store them properly and use them correctly to make them last as long as possible. How about you? Do you try to stretch the life of every appliance? Do you do anything special to make sure they last and you don't have to replace them?
The reason I had to buy a new one is because one of my daughters wanted to use the old one and it was stored on the top shelf of the cupboard. She's not particularly tall but figured she could reach it. As she started to slide it off the shelf, she lost control and it crashed to the floor, shattering into many pieces. Had it not been broken, I have to wonder how much longer I would have used it. It was an old Black and Decker wall-mountable one.. that was quite the thing "in its day" LOL When I got it, it was brown and white... by the time it went into the trash, it had yellowed to almost deep gold and brown!
My mom had all her appliances, big or small, for well over 20 years and I guess I learned from her to keep things very clean, store them properly and use them correctly to make them last as long as possible. How about you? Do you try to stretch the life of every appliance? Do you do anything special to make sure they last and you don't have to replace them?1 person likes this
5 responses
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
10 Mar 12
I don't do anything particularly special to maintain them. Just the basics. I keep them clean and use them gently. When I say gently I don't mean with a light touch or anything like that. It is more like I am careful about placement and handling. I do pay attention to the vents and air flow with the stuff that has vents though.
2 people like this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
10 Mar 12
That's an important point, JeninTN... my daughters are TERRIBLE with hair dryers for that. The vents get clogged with lint and they don't remember to clean and rinse them ~ then they wonder why "they smell like burning"
1 person likes this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
11 Mar 12
I have an old toothbrush that I have stashed in a drawer that I clean those vents on the hairdryer out with. You can get a lot of life out of a hairdryer if you clean them. I use one everyday and it would be the worst day ever if I blew my dryer up and had to go to work looking like a drowned rat.
2 people like this
@craziestqueenever (1819)
• Philippines
8 Mar 12
You're so frugal! That's so nice that you were able to stretch the life of every appliances you do have. The only appliance that we had is a Television. We never had that opportunity to buy Kitchen appliances. I'm planning to buy blender within this year.If I will buy some appliances I'll make it sure that it will last more than 20 years, if possible. Nowadays, Some appliances do have a bad quality.
2 people like this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
10 Mar 12
You really have to wonder about that! And, I agree too, it's tempting to buy the very inexpensive appliances to save money... and I often do that. It depends what it is. For example, that new hand mixer I was talking about... cost me $6.77 at Walmart. I take into account how often I use it, what I do with the appliance and how much "wear and tear" it will be subjected to -- in this case, I know I'm not baking nearly as much as I used to so the hand mixer will only get light use right now. If I were to pick up the pace and be baking to the degree I used to, I'd probably get a better one as I would want to be reliable quality.
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
8 Mar 12
I agree that keeping them clean and using them properly will extend their lives. Things do happen, though. I had an electric frying pan that the legs broke off on one side. It was a sort of bakelite plastic and there wasn't anything to be done, but I use that frying pan a long time by putting a certain piece of wood under it. My son finally got me a new one and I felt bad, putting the old one in the trash. 
2 people like this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
8 Mar 12
I know exactly what you mean peavey! With this little mixer, like I said, it was really REALLY discolored and part of the holder was broken so it couldn't be mounted on the wall anymore (not that I would have with it looking the way it did LOL)... but I still kept using it. As I said just above, when it got smashed on the floor, I actually felt bad.... after using it for so long.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
8 Mar 12
Congratulations on your longevity as a couple! That's to be admired and celebrated!!
I was just going to buy one of those manual "crank" beater things... but I guess, after more than 20 years, it was ok to splurge on a new mixer ;) hehe
1 person likes this
@mensab (4200)
• Philippines
7 Mar 12
if the appliances have been with us for a long time, they would be looked after. it would be very hard to dispose them. i remember our first transistor radio. it survived flooding and typhoons. but we kept it until it fell and was broken down to pieces. we had memories with it which made it difficult to let go.
2 people like this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
8 Mar 12
I agree with you that, much of the time, we really want to hang onto something that is familiar and "comfortable" for us! When my daughter broke my mixer that was a wedding gift, it suddenly made me very aware of just how much time has passed.
1 person likes this
