Val: I know this was a very hard decision for you. Bravo to you for giving it a try despite all the drama involved. :) It took us a long time to find most of our rugs. Some we loved to death and had a hard time talking ourselves out of because of one reason or another. When we did find the right ones, it was like it was meant to be... right color, size, condition, etc..... We were able to bring them home, put them down and just stop thinking about whether they were right or wrong because they were perfect for us in every way. There was never any second guessing. I know there are rugs out there just waiting for you to find them. Don't exhaust yourselves trying to find one w/in a set time frame. Shop when you have the time and the energy. It may take months, or it may just take days... but please take your time and enjoy the journey. One more thing. Some dealers may seam snooty, and some may even BE snooty... but the good ones know their stuff and want you to be happy w/ your rug. Some will want to educate you and some won't want to bother. Never tell a dealer what your budget is as some will never show you any less than your upper range. If pressed, just say that you must keep it under $xxx, which should be less than you really are willing to spend. I look forward to seeing your future finds!

hmmm...if you think of the cover as bunched up with the pretty print crushed up against your front and your arms inside of that bunched up fabric at what will be the "top" 2 corners then the part facing the comforter is the "inside" of the duvet cover....think of a giant open mouth ready to "eat" the comforter LOL. Yes if you have it bunched and ready to go then someone can just tie the 2 top corners for you as you are standing there ready to essentially "drop" the duvet cover over the comforter right side out. You could lay it down on the floor with it bunched and tie it and then pick it back up w/ your arms back inside the bunch of fabric. I never use ties so not a problem. I am SO glad it was comfy. I love a fresh made up bed. That is why I got a clothes line up...I love the sheets and cases...brought mine in last night seconds before it rained and threw them on the bed...slept all night ! If this still doesn't make sense I will sure send pics asap...camera should be back in a week or so. Caroline

So far it has been fine for me. If we had children, it might be different. But my husband is a welder/fitter and gets very dirty/greasy when on some jobs. He wears Carhart shirts and jeans. I can wash 2 of those shirts and 2 jeans along with the caps. (BTW, Carhart shirts are made of very thick, heavy material). They agitate very well and I can see the clothes turnover. In my old machine, I couldn't see that at all. I started researching and came upon Speed Queen. I watched all the Speed Queen videos on Youtube and read comments on this forum and one other forum. I read countless reviews. If the words Speed Queen are on the net, I think I found them all. I actually did not start out to get a Speed Queen but I was sick of the machine I had. On top of that, it was somewhere around 2 1/2 years old and the bearing went out. But since SQ cost a lot, it is certainly not a decision to make lightly. Fingers crossed that I will continue to be happy.

@rsunley, thesweethome review was really informative, and if I take their advice, I'm spending way less than I was starting to think I'd be spending. Thanks for the good info source! @Debbi, I called SQ and got a lot of good information. 1) the second floor install is probably OK, but you never know until you try, and although it doesn't void the warranty, a vibration/noise problem is not warrantied anyway. And, since this wouldn't be a big box 30-day return situation (a la independent dealer policies and restocking fees), it would be a pricey risk I'd be taking. In fact it's a risk the most well known dealer in my area won't take at all, as they said they wouldn't sell me a SQ FL for my second floor laundry room, only the TL. @sandiego steve pointed out they are probably thinking about the 2014s, but in any case, that's what they're saying. Also, on the phone with the tech I learned that I may have a problem with the way that my hookups are configured. I'm set up for washer on left, dryer on right. The (new) dealer I talked to today said he'd be concerned about the placement of the washer's drain and the length of hose available. He said reaching the dryer vent is no problem, but reaching the washer's drain would be. I need to do some measuring and calling back. I'm starting to think SQ is not my machine. Talking to a helpful, knowledgable tech in the US made me want it even more, though!