Washing Machine - 50with50 No. 30 / Keeping Things

Permanent Press

The control dial on our old washing machine is the latest entry in the 50with50 series. And keeping old things can be good sometimes.

I have always liked the old of older things such as appliances and cameras. New technology is always nice, but the new designs of things are almost too sleek and smooth to be interesting. Older things such as household appliances have an interesting look to them that is missing from newer appliances. I have grown to love the older looks more and more as we get newer things.

We bought this washing machine and the accompanying clothes dryer a few months after we got married. That means that this model is approaching 27 years old. Not necessarily ancient in appliance years, but getting on up there. This washer has been repaired several times, mostly by me with some help from Laura. We did call a repairman for some early repairs, but then I learned the magic of YouTube videos and ordering parts online. Hopefully, this washing machine will last a while longer, perhaps with a little more help.

After our last repair, we were starting to wonder if our next problem should result in replacement instead of repair. While we were out shopping recently, we wandered through the appliance section to get an idea of what is out there. When we bought our washer and dryer, almond color was all the rage for appliances. This washer is almond in color, although you can’t really tell due to the black and white photo. Now, everything that they have is white. Not that we have to have almond if we ever replace what we have, but it is interesting to see how things change over time. Maybe if we hang on to ours just a little longer, almond will come back in style again and we will once again be trendy!

Keeping Things

Here in our house, we like to keep things around as long as they can. Just because there is something newer out there does not mean that we need to get rid of the old thing just to get something new. That goes for appliances, cars, and whatever else, too.

Many times, things can be fixed rather easily. For the washing machine, I have often repaired it for just the cost of a $20 part and some time. And some frustration, too, because I am often learning more about the washing machine as I go. Cars are the same way, although many times those repairs are more complex and have to be completed by a real mechanic.

We now live in an age where there is a new phone model every year, and if you don’t have the newest one, you are behind. If your phone is three or four years old, it is like a dinosaur.

Televisions are not quite as bad, but while ours is not all that old, there are much better, newer televisions out there. And the new models are relatively cheap compared to what they were a few years ago. But our television still works just fine, so why spend extra money to replace it?

I like getting new things as much as the next person, but is it always worth the extra expense just to have something new when the older model works just fine?

Use good judgement when it comes to buying more, buying new. See if what the advertisers are telling you is just marketing fluff to get you to spend more money.

Have fun, enjoy things, but be wise about it.

Bible Verse

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want. - Proverbs 13:25

About the Photo

Yes, this photo was taken with a 50mm prime lens, as is required to be entered in the 50with50 project. I knew I wanted the tight focus that the prime lens could give. So if you are wondering, yes, I meant for parts of the photo to be out of focus. It’s what they call “artistic.”

I had originally planned for this photo to be entirely in black and white. However, I couldn’t pass up having the main words like “Permanent Press” and “Heavy Duty” in yellow. I really liked how the yellow stands out, so I used some selective color for the photo. Selective color is where the photo is black and white except for one color, or just a few colors. It can be overused at times, but it can also make a photo much more interesting when used properly.

If you go back through the site here and count the times that I have said, “I had originally planned for this photo to be in black and white…,” you might find that there are several that way. As cool as black and white photos are, I still see things in color, so that is what my photos usually reflect. However, to me, this version has much more drama than either a straight black and white photo or a full-color photo. It is kind of fun to do something a little different sometimes.

And yes, a lot of dust and lint can build up on a washing machine over time. You should have seen it before we wiped it off during our last repair! I suppose I could have tried to clean it again for this photo, but why not just go for the natural look? That is what you get here. Real life. Real dirt.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Aurora HDR. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: SonyFE 50mm f/1.8
Date: June 23, 2020
Location: Home, Williston, Tennessee