False Advertising

Most of what you see advertised on television is false. They have to lie to get you to buy anything nowadays. You know the drill - if you buy a hot sports car, the women will flock to you.

Lie.

If you buy Super Duper Tooth Whitener, you will have a super fab smile that will get you the Best. Job. Ever.

Lie.

If you buy your kids Extra Choco Power Cereal they will be the smartest kids in school because eating a healthy breakfast will do that to you.

Lie. Your kid won't learn anything because he'll be sitting in the detention for the hyperactive overdrive he's been in all day.

And one of my new personal favorites is for the front loading, high-efficiency washer. Have you seen it? The one where the lady takes a silky cloth thing out of the washer, turns around and hangs it on the wall, and it becomes a dryer? All the while the voice-over is saying that you'll save so much money with your high-efficiency washer that you'll be able to afford to buy the dryer to go with it.

Lie.

We bought into that one and I'm here to tell you differently. We have a HE washer, and I love it. Don't get me wrong. I love the super capacity tub that holds more than my dryer could ever dream of handling and I make handle anyway. It cleans well and I'm only trusting that it uses less water because there's no way for me to measure that kind of stuff. But as far as the saving so much money that you can buy the dryer? Yeh, that would be a lie.

Right around the time that we went all go-green in the laundry department, we also decided to change out the light bulbs to those funky fluorescent ones. While I love the Earth and all that, I didn't do these things to go-green in that sense. I just wanted a bit more green in my wallet. Surely you can appreciate that. If you know anything about the funky fluorescent lights, you'll know that they, also, are reported to save you substantial amounts of green in the course of a year. Substantial. So we figured that between the new HE Machine and the funky lighting, our electric bill should be somewhere in the negative numbers.

Lie.

It has gone down an average of $10 per month. While this is good (any money saved is a win), it certainly won't buy a new dryer in the washing machine's lifetime. Especially considering that it was the washer and light combo that racked up those astounding savings.

I am very disappointed.

Also? The HE Machine needs it's own special kind of laundry detergent to reduce sudsing. That special kind of laundry detergent is more expensive than it's high-sudsing counterpart. There goes any savings that we've managed to pocket.

I think we should start a new trend in advertising.

Truth.

It sells.

16 comments:

Krista said...

The lightbulbs are definately a lies. They're supposed to last up to five years and I have many that have lasted less than two. I only know that because I've been in my house for three and we waited for the originals to burn out. So how do you save money on energy if you have to buy the expensive bulbs that burn out just as fast. LIES! Ha!

shizzknits said...

just FYI, you don't need the special HE laundry detergent. Just use regular detergent, but A LOT LESS. That's the secret they don't tell you LOL

When we got our HE washer installed, the appliance guys at the store gave us that tip and we've been using it ever since. We just plain old Trader Joe's unscented detergent...about a tablespoon per load...works GREAT- clothes come out clean and they don't have any soap residue on them.

My friend just got a brand new HE washer and tried the same thing. Her washer takes a bit more soap than mine (about 2TBS), but works just fine with her regular Tide detergent.

FWIW, we wash everything in cold water (more energy efficient). Oh, except for DH's hockey gear- which always gets a hot water wash. Cuz it needs HOT HOT HOT water LOL

Oh and our HE washer is going on 5 yrs with no problems. We use the regular detergent, and plain white vinegar for fabric softener. Cheap and "green".

Cecily R said...

We have those squirrely lightbulbs all over our house. Green or not, truth or not, they make Jon feel better when the kids leave every light in the house on all day long.

Am I so lame that I don't know what a HE washer is? Where do I live, under a rock?

Infrared Goggles said...

People who falsely advertise their own charms use this tactic in business. (I think any increase in false advertising stems from the increase in sociopaths in the world.) But then advertising is not necessarily a magnet for moral people, I guess... Hence the lawsuits... Wow, thanks for the heads up!

Viv said...

I visit the washer/dryer combo of my dreams every time I go to Costco. Then I stop by and say hello to the coffee maker of my dreams.

KG said...

Dude - that's depressing. Really. $10? Well ... at least it's a few Starbucks runs?

Shellie said...

I agree. I love my front load but how can you save money you just spent? Lies. I'm reading a most interesting book right now called Affluenza, the part I'm liking the most is about what advertizing has done to our society. It's my book of the month for June on my think tank, hop on over to my blog and find the think tank on there and click over to comment on the subject during the month of June.

Burgh Baby said...

You know what is WAY worse? People who say they will sell you something to keep your kids safe and then forget to put the net in the box. What up with that? ;-)

Unknown said...

I too love my front loading washer but as far as saving a ton of money, I don't think so!!!

Michelle said...

I love my HE washer except for the part where the water pools in the front rubber part and gets slimy (I've learned to wipe it out after each washing). And I, too, go with the just use a little bit of soap routine vs buying the "special" watered down soap :)

My personal favorite lie: credit counseling agencies work for the credit card companies. I'm still trying to figure out how that claim hasn't been yanked off the airwaves yet, so blatant a lie!

Anonymous said...

I really wish there was a way to measure the savings of things like that! I do know that my front loader gets the clothes cleaner than my top loader ever did, but since I have children that sometimes require multiple baths a day, I couldn't tell you if we are saving water!

(I do know that by installing a tankless hot water heater, a high efficiency, hybrid furnace, and new windows we cut our December gas bill by $150! We are in the hole by 10 times that, but we saved $150!)

I personally would have preferred a little more truth in advertising as it applied to my husband and his special 'quirks'.

HalfAsstic.com said...

Isn't that a bunch of crap?! Have you looked on line to see what the consumer review is on this particular washer?

SmockLady said...

Your last words reminded me of one of my favorite movies: Crazy People with Dudley Moore. He's an ad exec who goes into a mental institution and his career takes off based on advertising the truth. My favorite ad in the movie: Volvo - they're boxy, but good.

JennyH said...

I agree with people above..
I have an HE washer as well and use regular soap, just less. You can save even more money now cause your soap will last longer! Hee-Hee!

Mine is about 6 years or so old. It works great but I do wish I could cram more in there. I can stuff a king size comforter in it but it's tight!

Sam hears the ads for 'bend-a-roos' and gets all excited when they say- but wait, we will double your order for FREE..... Sam thinks this means the bend-a-roos are free. I hate that commercial!

I am a Tornado ~ proven fact! said...

Truth ... you can't HANDLE the truth.

Yeah, truth doesn't sell ... imagine.

Buy this washer that will cost you more money to purchase and more money to run (as in detergent).

It will save you a few bucks a month ... wouldn't that be GREAT?

Yeah, won't happen.

(Sorry I've been neglectful with commenting on blogs ... been wrapped up in my own brain now for a few weeks...it happens).

Miss you guys - really hoping for a get together soon (and one that I can make it too as well).

Nick said...

The appliance companies fib by omission by not telling you that with a HE washer you DON'T NEED a dryer.

The new front-loading horizontal drum washing machines not only use less water, they then spin the clothes SO FAST that they come out almost dry!

Then just put those 'almost dry' clothes on a clothes drying rack like this one that is set up under a ceiling fan or out on the deck and you will have saved a ton of energy by not needing a clothes dryer at all.