As you may remember reading in my previous posts, I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Maytag Dependable Laundry Mom!  With that designation comes the perk of trying out the new Maytag Bravos XL High-Efficiency Top Loading Washer and Steam Dryer in my own home.

Now that was amazing enough, but a few weeks ago I was thrilled to learn of an even bigger honor...I was chosen to be one of eight Maytag Moms that would live in The Real Whirled for three days!

What's The Real Whirled you may ask?  Well, it's an amazing two-story house in Benton Harbor, Michigan, outfitted with the latest and greatest Maytag kitchen and laundry appliances.  It's original purpose is to serve as a training facility for future Maytag employees.  What a novel concept!  Learning all about what Maytag appliances have to offer is taken to the ultimate level when you actually incorporate them into your day-to-day life.

So what's it like in The Real Whirled?  Keep reading to find out!

Before I dive head first into everything I learned and experienced over those 3 days, let's first check out the other seven Maytag Moms that joined me in The Real Whirled:

You'll also keep hearing me talk over and over about the one big take away I learned from my Maytag experience:

Maytag Takes Their Product Development and Their Customers' Satisfaction to a Whole New Level

After flying into O'Hare airport in Chicago, we were quickly whisked to Benton Harbor, Michigan, to see our new digs for the next few days.  The Real Whirled House was AMAZING!  I couldn't get over the fact that this two-story house contained 8 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, two laundry rooms, FOUR kitchens and four dining areas!  Plus, I had an amazing view of the water right outside my window.  Here's just a peek at some of what The Real Whirled House had to offer:

Talk about a great place to live for the next few days!  Of course, having the latest and greatest appliances inside were just the icing on the cake.  Although we had everything we needed to make a fabulous dinner here at The Real World, the awesome gals from Peppercom and Mom Central took us out to eat at a local fine dining establishment, the Boulevard Bistro.

I feasted on calamari and baked ziti and left the restaurant fat and full.  There was plenty of great conversation during dinner and I could already tell that this was going to be a fabulous trip.  All of the Maytag Moms, including Kasey, Jessie, Monica and Alicia, were just so fun and easy to talk to.  I was having a blast and couldn't wait for the following day, where we would begin to immerse ourselves in the Maytag culture and get behind-the-scenes looks at the very appliances we've been using these past few months.

Wednesday was indeed a "whirlwind day" (pardon the pun) and had us visiting the Reliability Laundry Lab and Performance Laundry Lab.  It was so cool to see areas not available to the public where Maytag really puts their home appliances to the test.  I learned that a washing machine and dryer are supposed to last approximately 10 years, but that Maytag goes above and beyond to hopefully long surpass the 10 year mark.

Everywhere we went, science and engineering marvels were on display, giving a rigorous and thorough testing to absolutely every component of the washers and dryers.  For instance, there were small robotic arms opening and closing the laundry pair's doors...over and over again.  Tiny robotic fingers pressed the buttons, and laundry cycles were repeated 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, for at least a year (which simulated the 10 year wear and tear that consumers put on these machines).  After each machine had been "put through the wringer" (sorry, I just can't help myself), it was meticulously scrutinized to see what wore out and why.

That data is then sent directly to a team of engineers and designers to try and do better.  Possibly the design of the product itself might be improved, maybe the materials used, etc., but if there's one thing that you can depend on, it's that Maytag is on a mission to get it right.

Once the machines' mechanical abilities were tested to capacity, it was time to test their overall performance.  I found this portion of the tour extremely informative as well because the technicians here were using the scientific method to measure the performance of their machines and those of the competition.  In the laundry performance lab, there were long strips of material, containing all of our FAVORITE stains...blood, grease, grass, etc.

These strips were laundered and then analyzed closely to note the degree of stain removal.  Everything that we consumers encounter on a normal basis was scrutinized and evaluated...pilling, unraveling and fraying, etc.  My one huge take away from the Laundry Performance Lab was that WHAT DETERGENT YOU USE DOES MATTER!  Although the head of this lab couldn't tell us exactly which detergent she used at home, she did tell us that it was NOT the least expensive.

She also told us that laundry chemistry is a huge part of the cleaning process and is an innovative art form in itself.  Trying to save a few bucks on a brand that will last you 60 loads is being penny-wise and pound-foolish.  Just think about it...an average load of laundry is easily worth several hundred to maybe over a thousand dollars.  Why would you subject this expensive load of clothing to cheap detergent?  I have to admit that I was guilty of doing this myself, but will not do it again.  After thinking about it, the damage that this cheaper detergent is doing to my clothes is simply not worth the small amount of savings I'm receiving from using it.

After the laundry lab tours and a bite to eat, we had a chance to see some of the sights of Benton Harbor itself.  They have a marvelously quaint downtown area that looks like something out of "It's a Wonderful Life".  Monica led us on a brief shopping excursion where several of us found some great souvenirs.  Erika and I each bought a fashionable scarf that I'll definitely be rocking this winter!  Then it was off to see Lake Michigan.  With the temps being in the 30's, our visit was cut a tad short, but the pier on the water was beautiful and very calming to see.

Next up, we visited the Performance Cooking Lab and learned how ovens are tested and features are determined.  There was an entire lab of cooks making yummy cakes and cookies.  Personally, I don't see how those ladies worked there...the smell alone would get me in trouble, but the delicious food they made wasn't for eating, it's for analyzing.  We saw how cakes were photographed and critiqued to measure hot spots and the overall performance of the ovens.

Mrs. Cook (yes that's her real name) was our tour guide through the Performance Cooking Lab and then she traveled over to The Real Whirled House to become our personal cooking tutor...boy, did she have her work cut out for her!  I learned quite a lot from her about how an oven operates and why my KitchenAid double ovens were giving me hot spots, even though they were convection ovens.

Apparently, in order to promote even heat distribution, there should be at least a 2" clearance on all sides of your pan(s).  This allows air to flow around your uncooked food as it is designed and will yield better cooking results.  I also learned that the type of cookie sheet you choose has a lot to do with how your cookies come out.  If you use a dark colored cookie sheet, you risk the bottoms of your cookies burning, while the tops could still be raw.

We tested out the same cookie dough mix on different kinds of cookie sheets, cooked them for the same period of time, and it was eye-opening to see the difference in the cookies that resulted.  My take away here is to use aluminum or lighter colored cookie sheets, but not necessarily the ones that cook with a "layer of air".  The cookies we made using this type of cookie sheet came out the most evenly cooked and were delicious.

The great Chicago skyline as seen from atop the World of Whirlpool

That night, we made our own dinner, thus having a chance to use the Maytag / Whirlpool / KitchenAid appliances directly.  It was so much fun to cook dinner together and we all had a blast doing it.  Mrs. Cook had planned the menu and it consisted of:

• Pasta with a Homemade Sauce
• Focaccia
• Golden Cream of Potato Soup
• Broiled Hamburgers
• Sugar Cookies

After dinner, we quickly learned how easy it is to clean the kitchen.  With some of the tips provided by Mrs. Cook, we had the dishwashers churning and countertops sparkling in no time.  One of the most invaluable tips Mrs. Cook shared was how to clean a dirty ceramic stovetop...I mean the kind with baked on gook that looks like it's been there for years.  Just take a RAZOR BLADE (that's right, a razor blade), tilt it to a 45-degree angle and scrape that stuff away.

She advised using hot water to loosen the layered goo and then scrape, hot water again and keep scraping.  You can also use cooktop cleaner coupled with a razor blade.  Curious as to where to nab one of these handy tools?  Try looking for a paint scraper at your local hardware store which uses a razor blade.

On our final day in the Real Whirled, Lucinda stopped by to give us a total rundown on proper dishwasher use.  This was quite an awakening, because I soon learned that everything I thought I knew about dishwashers wasn't exactly right.  For instance, did you know that when placing glasses on the top rack, they're supposed to go IN-BETWEEN the tines instead of hooked OVER the tines?

Of course, one of the most amazing tips is that with today's dishwashers, pre-rinsing dirty dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is actually a waste.  Modern dishwashers can actually handle most anything you throw at them and by pre-rinsing every single pot, pan, utensil, glass and dish, you are wasting a LOT of water, time and effort.  Just plop that baby in the dishwasher, give the large propeller at the bottom a spin to make sure it is not inadvertently being blocked by something and put in some top-notch detergent.

That's right, Lucinda agreed that dishwasher detergent does indeed matter and that you should NOT be using the cheap stuff.  Her recommendation was to use the gel packs which have the two different cleansing agents together in one convenient pack.  She also stressed that it is very important to constantly use a high-quality rinsing agent and to keep this secondary dispenser filled at all times.

Finally, we were off to tour the World of Whirlpool in Chicago.  The World of Whirlpool was amazing in so many ways, from its location in the heart of downtown Chicago, to its impressive array of custom kitchens and appliances that featured all of Whirlpool's brands.  I think most of us were drooling during the tour because each kitchen area was a testament to quality and efficiency and just looked so darn good!

The World of Whirlpool was a great way to end our trip to The Real Whirled because it represented the pinnacle of success and everything these brands worked so hard to attain.  We saw the never-ending dedication to quality and making sure that the customer would have the best possible experience with their Maytag appliances during our trips to the various reliability and performance labs.  Now, it was time to celebrate and showcase the culmination of collective hard work and attention to detail here at the World of Whirlpool.

Throughout our stay, the ladies from Peppercom and Mom Central were simply amazing.  They made sure that we had everything we needed and were always there to lend a hand, or an ear or a smile.  This trip was so awesome in large part because of their organizational skills and hospitality!  I also thoroughly enjoyed the other Maytag Moms at The Real Whirled House.  I learned so much from these gals and was constantly laughing and enjoying myself.  I feel like I made several friends during this trip that will be with me for the long haul.

I was already a Maytag believer after having experienced the Bravos XL laundry pair in my home these past few months, but now after seeing what rigorous testing, design and quality control each and every Maytag appliance goes through, I can honestly say that I plan on being a recurring Maytag customer for life.  What can I say?  I'm a Maytag Mom through and through!  :thumbs up:

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Disclosure:  I wrote this post participating in an Maytag Moms Ambassador program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Maytag. I was provided with a trip to the Real Whirled house to facilitate my post.