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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

How old/what is your oldest household electrical ware?

48 replies

notsureaboutmaternityleave · 15/02/2015 10:50

It is known that in good olde days things were built to last forever and now these it is apparently a shocker if things we own last more than 5 years!

My mother in law has a chest freezer that is 36 years old that still works well to this day, 30 year old gas oven, Kenwood standing mixer as wedding gift 38 years ago, etc.

The oldest we have is Bosch hoover - still OK 10 years old after regular use and home renovation abuse (we had filter replaced), but we have been through several house moves so dunno about how good household products can be.

OP posts:

Crikeyblimey · 17/02/2015 22:34

I was moaning that the toastie maker was high maintenance when it comes to cleaning earlier today. Realised we bought it upwards of 17 years ago! Well, I say 'bought' we actually got it free with cigarette coupons

Admiraltea · 17/02/2015 22:47

miele washing machine 12 years
zanussi microwave 15 years mine ..donated
Technics "does everything to cd" love of my life machine 1988
Ruark.. "I am a complete betrayer of all I loved before"...1 year.
Can never keep an iron or ironing board though. They just sort of collapse.
Steam cleaners are complete joy and never got past 6 months yet...

GiddyOnZackHunt · 17/02/2015 22:56

My tumble dryer is 21 years old
My amplifier is 32 years old
My sewing machine was bought new for my nan in 1953

DH collects elderly electrical stuff so god knows what we do have.

CaminanteNoHayCamino · 17/02/2015 23:10

Rabbit123 our Zanussi washing machine is 30 years old! DP got it years before I knew him (he's an old gimmer).

lostscot · 17/02/2015 23:25

My granny's hand mixer, I used it as a little girl even getting my wrist somehow stuck between the still mixing beaters! It was at least 35 years old and still worked perfectly but my hubby threw it out last year after deciding it was dangerous!

OldLadyKnows · 17/02/2015 23:33

In my current home, probably my slowcooker, which was a wedding present 30 years ago. Previously, I was given an old tumble-drier by an amicable ex, it had been his mother's and was probably pushing 40 when it was killed by toddler ds emptying an entire jar of instant coffee into it's guts!

larryphilanddave · 19/02/2015 18:13

In our home, my electric whisk, it's about 8yo so quite young compared to everyone else's contributions! When DH and I got a new kettle a few years back that was more compact, we gave the old one to MIL as a stand-in as hers had just broken. Only recently discovered that she still uses that one and that is 12yo, it was fairly cheap from Argos so that surprised me.

BadgersInTheSlurryLagoon · 19/02/2015 18:19

I have a Hoover floor polisher from the early 1960s. I use it frequently as my house is all stone and wood floors - it not only polishes but also scrubs, and you can still buy spares for it. And it makes a lovely gentle humming noise as I float around with it, imagining myself in a 1950s flowery frock advertising how easy life is as a housewife with my new Hoover appliance.

RaspberryBlonde · 19/02/2015 19:25

I also have a Kenwood chef which was my grandparents. It's from the late 70s/early 80s. Those things are indestructible.

Oldest recent thing is a nine year old iPod classic. Still works fine although wouldn't say I use it regularly; it mainly comes out for long car journeys.

DavidTennantsBeard · 19/02/2015 20:59

Our Zanussi washing machine, bought in 1998 is still going strong, not bad going as we have had 3 kids in the meantime. I hope to god it never packs up as will cost a fortune to replace with anything as reliable now! My hifi separates are from 1991 ish but I am selling them at the moment as they have been in the loft for years.

calendula · 19/02/2015 22:00

Miele vacuum cleaner 25 years old. The only thing that doesn't work is the cord retractor. I hate that the cord is always out but the machine won't die so I can't justify a new one

ChippyMinton · 19/02/2015 22:06

My Singer sewing machine, in perfect working order, is 80 years old - it originally belonged to my great-aunt. My 'modern' machine is about 30 years old.

Poltergoose - if you google there is a website where you entre the serial number and it dates your Singer. Yours sounds just like mine.

Carbonel · 19/02/2015 22:06

My microwave is 26 years old and my portable TV 29 years old. Nothing else anywhere near that old ...

ChippyMinton · 19/02/2015 22:09

Here they both are!

How old/what is your oldest household electrical ware?

PigeonPie · 19/02/2015 22:28

Chippy I have sewing machine envy! I think I'm going to have to go into my parents' loft and see if I can find the one my Ma says is up there.

(My proper sewing machine is 23 years old).

ChippyMinton · 19/02/2015 22:37

Do it! The old machines are fantastic, really smooth running and perfect tension

UniS · 19/02/2015 22:40

The henry vacuum cleaner was a wedding present 18 yes ago.
Our radio alarm is a stereo I've had about 30 yrs.

PigletJohn · 20/02/2015 19:18

One of apparently made in 1989. Now retired to the garage and replaced by a new one.

Still got my old mum's Kenwood Chef, which is presumably older.

Also got one of the worlds finest typewriters somewhere. There will never be a better one now.

hooker29 · 20/02/2015 22:30

A small hand held mixer that belonged to DH's nan-who used to own the house we now own-still in the original box.Must be from the '70's. DD uses it to make cakes and loves taking the whisks out and licking them!

Shesparkles · 21/02/2015 15:02

The oldest thing I have that I bought for myself is my microwave/combination oven which I've had for 25 years. The oldest electrical thing I have is my Gran's 1950s(I think) Singer sewing machine. It's in the loft but I know with a service it will stitch away

Isabelleforyourbicycle · 21/02/2015 15:10

We have a 28 year old boiler. A new one would would peg out after 7 to 10 years.

I have sewing machine from the 1970s.

But I've bought 3 fridge freezers and three microwaves in the last 5 years. Grrrrr.

pressone · 21/02/2015 21:40

Kenwood Chefs must be indestructible. My mum still has hers that she got as a wedding present so that will be 52 years old next month. It does still have the "new" cover on that I bought her for her birthday with my wages from my first p/t job as a student so that is only 32 years old.

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 24/02/2015 07:09

Food processor (made by Phillips) - can't remember exactly how old but definitely bought more than 22 years ago as it predates dh.

We still have the fridge freezer we bought when we bought our first home, so that's 19 years old and still going strong. We've moved house 3 times and it now lives in the garage, but it's never broken down, needed fixing etc. It was a really cheap make as well.

Our Dyson is about 14 years old. It has had the motor replaced once.

Our old Boschh dishwasher was used by us every day until we moved house to a kitchen with an integrated one, so we gave it to my parents. They've used it every day and it's never needed fixing or servicing. It's about 12 years old now I think.

I havd a very expensive Kenwood mixer which I'm hoping will last for ever, but I don't use it every day.

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