I think WOT has more to do with a site's trustworthiness (mostly?) as reported by other WOT users? I find it especially useful when searching for info. I mean when I get a whole page of search results, sites I know nothing about, I look down the list, and I see "Green lights", "Yellow lights", and "Red lights". I get some sort of clue as to which are safe to follow though on, and which I should probably avoid. I usually take time to rate and review as "Questionable" any site that I find spamming it's product, spyware or not. Here is a link that might be useful: WOT videos.

Again, thanks for all the replies and helpful hints about using Speed Queens. Having explored the local laundromat - it seems clean, but who knows what was washed in the load before yours? - I am now doing wash using the 5 gallon bucket and (new!) plunger method. Saves money and gives you great arm toning exercise at the same time. For one person's wash it's really not bad at all. @jakvis: I don't think this poor old Maytag is worth fixing. I googled its serial number and found that mine was not the only one with problems. Indeed, mine seems to have lasted a relatively long time, probably due to light use. The link below has some reviews. Here is a link that might be useful: Maytag SAV2655A Reviews

Relax everyone. Take a deep breath. It doesn't need to be done in a day. The best rooms and houses evolve over time and are a continuing journey. Only on HGTV does everything have to be done before you move in. The best thing is to find something with color you love. For me in both my condo I just sold and in the house I'm hoping to build (don't ask!), I chose my busy granite first and everything in terms of color will work from that. It may be a wallpaper you love, a fabric, a vase with the colors you love, a rug, a favorite chair, or even a painting. Then just choose pieces you LOVE. If you choose what you love, it will all work together.

She's probably been looking at those godawful "hand scraped" prefinished floors. (Obviously done by someone who has no clue how to use a scraper to make a proper flat, smooth surface!) Yes, woods like red oak will have open grain and look and feel "rough" unless the finisher fills the grain prior to applying finish coats. Yes, finish is what you feel at the end of the process, so both the kind of finish and the skill and care with which it's applied make a difference. If you don't thoroughly clean up after sanding you will definitely have "texture"! As above, a separate grain filling step for open grained woods during finishing makes for a much smoother floor. Number of coats and the amount of sanding between coats also matters. Skill and experience of the installer makes the biggest difference in the outcome. Prefinished flooring will always be a little uneven, with evident joints between boards. You can know what the finish will be like in the showroom, it varies from product to product. Site finished flooring can be perfectly flat and smooth, though it won't stay that way as the wood moves with seasonal changes in humidity. The wider the boards the greater the changes in width that you are likely to see through the year.