guess we will have to wait a while for a Maytag Makeover. IIRC, the gold-tone surrounding the buttons on the control panels is DELICATE. when i was i kid, i think i sprayed ours with something kinda harmless, like windex. all the gold wiped off! and about storage, on ebay ive seen vinyl appliance covers advertised and i think i saw some appliances in mr nelsons basement (fridge?) covered in plastic wrap. seems like a bad idea. seems like vinyl will trap the tiniest amount of moisture, moisture possibly found deep inside of fridge or washer. this trapped moisture, unable to evaporate, might bring on premature rust. any comments from the appliance experts on this? David