Much as the Maytag Repairman ads would like you to think appliances last forever, they don’t.  When it is time to replace your appliances, think carefully about all the features available in the marketplace and choose ones that will make your life easier.

 

Safety in the kitchen should be top priority for your selection.  Consider cook tops or ranges with controls in the front or to the side of the burners.  Reaching across a hot pot or burner to turn on or off the burner is a safety risk.  For those who are seated when they cook or who are shorter than average, this risk is significant.  Ranges in all price ranges come with controls on the front edge.  If you are concerned about small children accessing the front edge controls, side controls are the better choice.  Consider if the knobs are easy to grasp and give some feedback on if they are “on” or “off”, both visually (a light on the surface comes on) and tactilely (do they “click” into place when turned to the off position?)

 

Front control ranges also come in the “drop-in” models in all price points.  These have the advantage of being shorter than the standard floor mount models and may be appropriate for creating a lower cooking surface if the primary cook(s) are seated.  These can be placed in cabinetry to adjust their height to standard now and the cabinetry removed in the future if the user may be working from a wheelchair in the future.

Refrigerator/freezer combinations are available now in a wide range of door combinations.  Try a variety to see what works for you.  The side-by-side models has been the most recommended models for wheelchair users because it provided easy access to both freezer and refrigerator compartments.  Confirm that the space you are locating a side-by-side allows you to open the doors to their full extent to ensure clear access to the interior.

Dishwashers are getting sleeker and more models have hidden controls.  Check out the buttons and the labels for those buttons to be sure that they are high contrast and easily read.  If you are creating a new location for a dishwasher, consider raising your dishwasher to put the racks higher so you don’t have to bend over to load/unload.

 

Washers and dryers have come the farthest in making accessible units commonly available.  Front load washers and dryers are all the rage in the industry, in part because they are easier on the items being washed, and in part because they are easier on the person doing the wash!  All front-load washers and dryers have controls in the front.  Most front-load washer and dryers come with pedestal as accessories to raise the appliance to a height that bending over to reach in is not necessary.  If the standard pedestal causes the machine to be too high, a contractor can create a box just the right height for you so that taking the clothes in/out is just the right height.  Some washers even have soap reservoirs so that you can load a whole jug of laundry soap in once in a while and it adds the soap for you for each load.  How convenient!

Those are just a few of the interesting advances in home appliances that might benefit those of us who want to stay in our homes and work safely and efficiently.