If I had to, I could do without almost everything ,but I sure as hell wouldn't like it . Nor would I look as well turned out as I do when I jump into my car and go out to enjoy all the time on my hands that having all these labour saving devices and appliances give me. I suspect I would look rather like a scarecrow on wheels in fact.
I think of my mother today. Especially as this I is the 3rd anniversary of her death. When I think of what I have, compared to what she didn't have, it is surprising to me that she did live well into her nineties. I was in my teens before she got a washing machine, a fridge, and an electric stove. Most of the floors were hard surfaced and were mopped , or swept. The sitting room as it was called, and it had a carpet square which was brushed regularly, and taken out and tossed over the line and beaten every so often as well. The whole family helped with beating the carpet !
She used to often say that the best present my father ever gave her was the Electrolux, he bought at the door from a travelling salesman !.
Imagine being thrilled with a bleeding vacuum cleaner ! . Gawd, I would never want to be without one of them though - even though I know that I do not use mine as thoroughly or as often as I should do.
I believe the appliances I value the most are the ones that save me the most time.
I would hate to be without my washing machine, although having said that, I do still do a lot of my washing by hand.
I use my washing machine once a week to do large items mainly, like towels and bed linen.
Lingerie, and my "good clothes" mostly I do by hand throughout the week and drip dry them. I have a clothes dryer, but I can't recall when I last actually used it. As well as my outdoor line, I do have one inside the entire width of my garage. I use that often in the winter months.
The iron is definitely dispensible. Well .... almost..... I hate the wretched thing and I don't buy any clothing that I think needs to be ironed but... yes, occasionally. Oh boy, at least we don't have all those linen clothes, and cotton shirts, that need starching and damping down and frills and laces that needed ironing! Dear mum, how did you ever manage to keep it all looking so immaculate ?
When we were first married, I didn't have a fridge. My DH took a spade and and dug a deep hole into the clay outside our back door. He inserted a large square Bycroft biscuit tin into it, and made a heavy lid to cover it. Our butter, milk meat cheese etc, used to keep very well there, until eventually we could afford to purchase our first second hand refrigerator.
Being on my own now, and living so close to shops, I could manage again, if I had to revert to that primitive but effective method of food storage. Thumbs up to the Boy Scout movement !!
I rarely use my large oven. I have a small bench top oven which I use regularly. I could definitely manage without a Microwave oven.
My electric Jug, is the first thing I reach for every morning and several times throughout each day. .
I love my food processor.... that saves me the most time and effort. Summer or winter I t is definitely my most frequently used small appliance - after my electric jug that is.
I also really like my slow cooker particularly during winter.
I often towel my hair dry and then leave it, so i reckon I could do without the hair dryer if need be. I would rather more miss my curling tongs though, since it superceded the heated rollers which were almost part of permanent headwear at one stage in my life !
Yes, in conclusion .. I have to say I think, that my most valued appliance is my food processor.
Second in line would be a more recent aquisition - a steam cleaner for my hard floors !. They both save me so much time, and so much effort. I love them for without them, I would not be able to get to my TV or my computer for as much time as do.
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