Home appliances are the work horses that keep the household running.  Technology has improved the efficiency of typical household chores through the use of these domestic mechanisms.  Home appliances can be large, medium, or small and can be found in almost every room in the house.  They perform such tasks as doing laundry, providing refrigeration for preserving food, cooking, sweeping, disposing of trash, cooling a room, and even brushing teeth.  For every basic household chore, there is a home appliance available for the task.

The need to preserve and maintain food led to the development of the refrigerator.  The refrigerator is perhaps the most commonly used home appliance.  Refrigerators have separate compartments for keeping foods chilled and frozen.  They are available in a wide variety of styles including side by side, freezer top, and bottom drawer freezer.  Some refrigerators offer automatic ice making features within the freezer or accessible on the outside door of the freezer through a dispenser.  Technology has greatly improved refrigerators over the years and they are far more energy efficient and reliable than in earlier years.

Another major home appliance is the washer and dryer.  There are several different types of washers and dryers on the market today.  There are many sizes, colors, and styles of these home appliances to choose from.  The most current technology in the washing machine is the “front loader”.  When you use a front loading washing machine, the clothes are placed inside through a door on the front of the washing machine.  Front loader machines save water and energy.  They are able to clean more clothes in a cycle than the older models.  Dryers have also improved to dry all types of fabrics without damaging them.  Most dryers have sensors that will shut them off when clothes are dry.  This saves energy and reduces the risk to fabrics in the dryer.

Small home appliances include the microwave, toaster, garbage disposal, and iron.  The microwave has become the most widely used small appliances in the household.  It has many capabilities including defrosting, cooking, and reheating.  The microwave has all but replaced the oven in most households.  By using the microwave, cooking time is greatly reduced and energy is saved.  Other small appliances that have been around for several years have improved the functionality of the household chores.  The toaster reduces the need to heat an oven and quickly makes a variety of breakfast foods.  The garbage disposal is connected to the sink and shreds unconsumed foods so that they slide easily down the drain.  The iron has been used for over a hundred years to help straighten out wrinkled clothes. 

Appliances have greatly improved the way we cook, clean, and take care of chores around the house.  Major appliances include the refrigerator, washer, dryer, and stove.  Small appliances, such has the microwave, have replaced the need for an oven and decreased cooking times.  Small appliances are very helpful in our everyday lives.  They help clear the drain, straighten clothes, and reduce the amount of work for us.