GE Mobile Maid Possibly Up For Offer

[launderess]

Have too many vintage appliances, now something has got to go.

Obvious choice is GE Mobile maid dw. It's been ten years on since thing arrived and it has mostly been sat sitting for past four or so. Works perfectly but just can't be bothered shoving it back and forth from sink to cubby. That and being a top loading dw anything on lid has to come off before loading, then replaced when finished. One gets tired of that more than once or so a day. *LOL*

Fell out of love with the thing after it turned nearly every bit of dish and glass ware into scratched or etched mess. This may have been more choice of material as certain china or glasses emerged unscathed, but overall much of former has horrible grey markings and glasses are etched.

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?54735

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?61483

Patch job of liner has held up quite well. Ditto swapping out relay on motor for new so she runs a treat. Just again need room for other bits around here.

 

[tomturbomatic]

If you rigged up a tabletop supported by legs to form a garage or purchased a dishwasher cabinet at IKEA for Mable, you could have storage space and a dishwasher. Alternately, you could buy a couple of ultra smart organizer boxes at The Container Store and put everything on the top of the DW in them so you would have less to move.

 

[launderess]

Thanks for suggestions but am pretty sure will be moving this dw on or maybe parting it out.

Am just that sick of it destroying my dishes and glassware. Have a new set of each and want them to last duration. Am not going to risk them being mauled about in GE Mobile Maid.

 

[ea56]

You’re sick of this vintage DW ruining your dishes and glassware.  

 

So, WHY would anyone else want this devil machine??  Not much of an inducement for anyone to want to take this space waster off of your hands.

 

BTW, I happened to notice how all of my kitchen and tableware began to look better within weeks after I stopped using our DW in 2018.  Everything is shinier and cleaner.  

 

We had company for dinner last night and it only took me 10 mins to stack, wash, dry and put away the dishes, and I didn’t have to return to the kitchen a couple of hours later or this morning when I got up to unload the DW and put everything away.  

 

I don’t miss using it at all.  I now use the inside of it for storage.

 

Eddie

 

[launderess]

"So, WHY would anyone else want this devil machine?? Not much of an inducement for anyone to want to take this space waster off of your hands."

One man's (or woman's) meat is another's poison.

People do like GE MM dishwashers. If no one wants it, then that will be that. No harm in asking.

Feel like sometimes cannot win with this forum. If you don't tell people you're moving something on (and *gasp* had it rubbished for lack of interest) it's "why didn't you let us know, someone/I could have used parts or maybe wanted machine..."

 

[delco1946]

I appreciate you asking, no one wants to scrap antiques. The etching is probably from your water mineral contents, and is probably not at all due to the dishwasher itself I would assume? I had the same problem growing up in Michigan and it’s nonexistent out here in the Pacific Northwest where everything is surface water.

 

[reactor]

etching

Etching occurs when metal ions are pulled from the matrix of glass. The high alkalinity of dishwasher detergent in solution is responsible.

In general, water that is high in calcium content (often called "hard" water) can actually reduce etching. The calcium combines with the detergent at a molecular level and reduces its propensity to etch (sadly, it also reduces its ability to clean.)

Soft water will not tie up the detergent molecules with calcium ions, and the detergent will act more aggressively toward the glassware. The detergent also will not have its abilities hampered by the calcium and will do a much better job of removing removing food wastes, and holding them in suspension, until they are removed in the drain water.

If one has very soft water it is best to use somewhat less detergent to mitigate or prevent etching.

Many of today's detergents rely on enzymes and have less propensity to etch than cheaper brands and yesteryears' brands. Many also contain inhibitors to reduce etching as well.

Laundress...just out of curiosity, do you know the hardness level of your water in grains per gallon?

What detergent are you using, and what quantity?

What is the length of the wash cycle? Do you know use detergent in the main wash and the prewash as well?

If your water is very hard, you may be experiencing calcite build-up.on your glassware, and not etching.

There is a slight difference in appearance, but the easy way to tell is soak a glass in vinegar, if the film disappears you have hard water (calcite) filming. If if it doesn't you likely have etching.

If you consistently rinse off food wastes, before loading the dishes, this will often contribute to etching as well, as the detergent will act more aggressively on your dishware as it is not occupying itself with holding food wastes in suspension.

Basically your contributors to etching are low to no water hardness, higher than necessary concentration of detergent, too long of a wash period, and pre-rinsing of dishes.

Temperate may play a slight role, however chemical reactions involved in etching are less temperature dependent than concentration/time dependent. Because many dishwashers extend the wash time, to internally heat the water, the time extension is the primary culprit, giving the alkaline detergent solution more contact time with the glassware. More time = more metal ions pulled from the glassware. However, many people blame the temperature increase instead of the time increase. The chemical reaction involved with etching is less dependent on temperature than is dependent the other factors of water hardness, concentration and time.[this post was last edited: 8/19/2024-21:43]

 

[launderess]

Thanks for responses and suggestions lads!

Water in our neck of NYS is very soft and quite good. No excessive mineral content or whatever.

Long cycles? If only! *LOL*

Mobile Maid is rather quick with W-R-W-R-R-D. This machine has a 50 minute "normal/daily" cycle with about twenty minutes of that devoted to heated drying. First wash and rinse cycles are rather short. Main wash is bit longer but don't believe it's more than 10 or 12 minutes. Rest of time before drying is for the rinses. Of course there are periods of drain and fill throughout that take up time as well.

Very long story short when one researched issue with dishware being marked up seems it has more to do with type of china/dishware and fact this dishwasher moves incredible amounts of water. Quite simply things are being marked from being shifted about and rubbing against tines.

Detergent wise was using NOS from stash of either Cascade "Pure Rinse" or "Complete". Used both products previously in Frigidaire (badged Kenmore) 18" portable dishwasher without issues. That dw had far longer "normal" cycle and things weren't coming out looking like who did it and ran.

 

[askolover]

With my soft water, one of the best detergents I've used was the finish with the red powerball. It seemed to etch less and when the glasses come out they have almost a smooth feel, not that oxidized paint feel and sparkles more. It didn't foam up too bad either. I prefer the chlorine powders but still use finish with our glass loads.

 

[rollermatic]

Love these machines!

Noisy as hell and really pack a punch inside but they are so nostalgic! I can never get enough of em and couldn't care if they break my dishes! I think I have about 5 or 6 and just found pump seals on the web!