I recently was in the market to purchase a new washer and dryer. I was determined to buy American while also supporting a local small business. I had decided to go for Whirlpool because I had heard they were made in America. I found a small independent owner appliance store nearby. When I entered the store, I told the owner that I wanted to buy Whirlpool because they were American made. He quickly pointed out to me that Whirlpools were made in America but many of the parts were made in China. He told me that if I truly wanted a 100% American made product then the best choice was Speed Queen. He went on to say that every part within the Speed Queen was made in America. It’s also the best made product that I could buy and it has been the choice of laundromats for decades because they are built to last. I was so happy with my purchase and they work great. I did have to pay more but it was worth it to me. I accomplished what I set out to do. I bypassed the giant corporations and supported a small business and I was not contributing to China’s slave labor. I would love to hear of any similar stories and what products are out there that we can trust are 100% American made.
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My father took very good care of everything he owned. He even put car wax on appliances to protect their paint and prevent rust. When he died, he had beautiful old power tools - drills and so on - with metal housing and they were used probably every day of his working life. They looked brand new. He had a gas lawnmower probably bought in 1949 or 1950. It looked brand new. Everything worked like it was new too. The wall oven, stovetop, refrigerator and large freezer were bought in 1962 when he renovated our kitchen. They all worked perfectly. The old stove, bought in 1949, still worked fine too.
As far as that goes, my grandparents house still had grandma's old stove bought I would guess in the late '30s or early '40s was still working fine too.
Kitchen Wax is a thing. It is "Jubilee" and was off the market, but consumers were insistent that it be re-released. Kitchen appliances, Formica counters, and sinks are all waxed. They look like new and spills wipe right off. Your Grandma probably used this. Highly recommend.
There used to be this stuff called Bowling Alley Wax made in Norfolk VA. We used it on everything. Great stuff which is not made any more. Way better than Jubilee.
Dang. That sounds like it was worth getting. What do they wax bowling alleys with now?
The thing I like about Jubilee is that it cleans the appliances as well as waxes them. Willing to see what they are using these days in the alleys, though.
I don't know what they use now. I have tried everything, including expensive, imported from Britain waxes, the expensive stuff all the woodworkers swear by. None of them could hold a candle to Bowling Alley Wax. They stopped making it about 30 years ago.
We cleaned the wood floors twice a year with varsol, on our hands and knees. Then applied a thin coat of the wax, again on hands and knees. Then after it dried, buffed it. It put a hard, shiny coat in the floors that lasted until the next 6 mos. cleaning and waxing.
Oh man, they still make it.
No. There's other brands that call themselves bowling alley. This company is out of business and has been for around 30 years. It was based in Norfolk VA.