In a City of Renters, the Theater of Life on a 27-Minute Cycle
15.01.10
Charles Johnson has a 10-second rule. Mr. Johnson is 44, an occasional personal trainer with loose hours, and was juggling three loads one Wednesday afternoon at the Clean Rite Center in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. He insists on doing the wash for his family (wife, two kids) “because I do it better, not because I have to.”
He does the cleaning too. In eight years, he said his wife has touched a mop perhaps twice. She cooks.
“In a laundromat you get a lot of eye drama,” he said. “That’s when someone may or may not like you and they look at you and you look at them and then you try not to look at them. So my rule is if you stare at me more than 10 seconds, I’ll talk to you and find out why you’re staring at me.”
One guy passed muster. They spoke about the pyramids and a lot else. With another, Mr. Johnson ended up doing calisthenics in the park.
Sixty-one Speed Queen washers and 62 dryers gush and rumble 24 hours at the 5,000-square-foot Clean Rite at Putnam Avenue and Fulton Street, commingling with soft blather from flat screens hung on the wall. On a weekday, 75 to 100 people clean their clothes here; on weekends it can reach 250. Those frenzied Saturday and Sunday afternoons, people park laundry bags next to the taken machines, marking their place in line. Attendants troop around, booming out commands to keep things moving: “Washer 21, last call. Dryer 14, empty this baby.”
Source: New York Times
Whirlpool Corporation Unveils Next-Gen Appliance Advancements at 2010 ...
19.01.10
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ever on the forefront of home appliances, Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR ) is bringing truly next-gen products to the 2010 International Builders' Show. The company, which is on the leading edge when it comes to innovation and efficiency driven by consumer insights, will showcase the latest from its
family of brands including a look at smart grid technology alongside unique, interactive demonstrations.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040202/DETU004LOGO )
Whirlpool Corporation's dedication to listening to its consumers and focus on meaningful innovation is evidenced by the fact that, combined with Whirlpool and KitchenAid brands, its portfolio is preferred by more than half of American consumers. According to a November online study by Harris Interactive® commissioned by the company, more than two-thirds of adults indicated they do their best to be 'green' to the extent it fits their lifestyle and finances. Last December, a similar Harris online survey showed that nearly three quarters actively look for the ENERGY STAR® label when making purchasing decisions. With that in mind, Whirlpool Corporation's unmatched portfolio offers more ENERGY STAR qualified appliances than any other manufacturer under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana and Gladiator brands.
Source: PR Newswire (press release)
