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There are many simple ways to prolong the life of your new washer dryer, to ensure that your money is well spent and your machine has as long a life as possible. None of these tips will cost money, and most take only a small amount of time to do, although they will need to be performed regularly to get the most out of your washer dryer.

Important Washer Dryer Tips

It's always important to make sure that the filter screen is not clogged, so that clothes are always at their cleanest. You can make your own lint screen to fit over your washers drain hose, simply be securing the foot of a stocking to the end of it with a rubber band. When the washing machine drains, the sock will collect all the lint, and it can be cleaned easily by turning it inside out.

The washing machine itself needs cleaning as well. Simply pour a gallon of vinegar and a bit of bleach into the machine instead of detergent and run at least a 60 degree wash cycle (hotter is better). This will clear build-up away and also remove any odors the machine might collect. It also kills bacteria, removes soap scum that can build up and lead to mold and mildew, especially around the door seal. A maintenance wash should be done on average once a month, and is especially important if you regularly do washes under 60 degrees. Leaving the machine's door slightly open also allows the drum to dry completely and will lessen the chance of mold growing in damp conditions.

The soap drawer on the machine needs to be cleaned regularly as well - simply slide it out and rinse it in hot water to remove the soap and soap scum buildup. When you remove the soap box, make sure that you use a toothbrush or small wire brush dipped in bleach to clean out the space on the machine that the soap box fits into.

Check the hoses at the rear of the machine periodically to make sure that the rubber is still in good condition. If it is not, they will need to be replaced. These are very inexpensive to replace and are easily found in builders merchants, DIY shops, and online. They come in a standard size, so all washer dryers should be able to use the same hoses. As an added precaution, if you are going away from home, or not using the washer dryer for an extended period of time, shut the water line off completely, so there is no water running into or out of the machine.

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Exercise and a healthy, nutritious diet should be on everyone's daily routine, which can serve as the first line of defense against several ailments. But many patients wake up to the perils of obesity fairly late when their excessive weight has led them to a series of complaints including diabetes and coronary disorders. They get easily dispirited, especially when faced with the rigors of the demanding exercise and diet regimens that won't give them the fast results they desire, and turn in for gastric bypass surgery.

But is gastric bypass surgery the magic bullet that can provide permanent freedom from the extra pounds?

The bypass surgery, or for that matter any bariatric surgery, is not a quick-fix. As the surgery carries its own risk, the surgery is not for all, but only for those morbidly obese persons whose BMI has crossed 40 and who cannot achieve significant weight through diet and exercise alone. It can be successful only for those who are disciplined and committed to the prescribed diet. People who suffer from depression, bipolar disease, or schizophrenia should consult and be under the care of a psychiatrist before gastric bypass, as weight loss can worsen these conditions.

How the gastric bypass surgery works is simple. The stomach is cut high up so that it is divided into two parts - a small upper part, a one 1 oz pouch, and a large lower part a 39 oz bypassed part. Three rows of staples secure the two pieces so that most of the time they don't leak. The pouch is then connected to the small intestines bypassing duodenum and part of the intestines (jejunum). The larger lower part of the stomach is just left lying idle. So you end up with a small stomach and a shorter intestines. This means that you will feel full more quickly and that you will absorb less of the food actually eaten (because of the shorter bowel). Food flows directly into the middle section of your small intestine, limiting absorption of calories.

You can begin regular activity within 4 to 6 weeks after your gastric bypass. You should be pain-free after 10 days or so. Fatigue is common, and can last from 3 to 4 weeks after your gastric bypass. The surgery alters your digestive system to make it impossible for you to eat much food at one sitting without suffering unpleasant side effects such as 'dumping syndrome' or rapid gastric emptying, which occurs when the undigested contents of your stomach are "dumped" into your small intestine too rapidly. Common symptoms include abdominal cramps and nausea .This digestive side effect acts as a brake on calorie intake, and can lead to significant loss of weight within 2 years after surgery.

Almost every gastric bypass patient suffers hair loss and hair thinning during the first six months. Once your weight stabilizes and you consume more protein, the hair will grow back. Hair treatments and permanents should be avoided.

Gastric bypass is a success when half of extra weight is lost and the loss is persistent for up to five years. The risk of mortality with a gastric bypass is about 1 in 100. Though the surgery is generally safe, it can lead to serious and potentially fatal complications. In a gastric bypass, the stitches and staples that help to bypass lower part of the stomach and reconnect to the intestines have the potential to tear in the first few weeks after surgery. This can lead to peritonitis and acid leak and bleeding. Intestinal blockage, due to scar tissue or intestinal twisting, is a possibility. The pouch may get stretched, with the result appetite may return and result in some patients' regaining 10 to 30 pounds of lost weight.

Since the operation causes food to bypass areas of the small intestine that are responsible for absorbing protein, calcium, and certain vitamins, nutritional deficiencies may occur. In addition, less iron is absorbed because of the small size of the new stomach pouch. So you will need to take daily vitamin and mineral supplements everyday for the rest of your life, including a multivitamin, calcium, vitamin B12, and iron. You will also need to increase the proportion of protein in your diet, since you'll be eating less food overall. Blood tests must be performed every three months for the first year to check your nutritional status.

Revision surgery is required in about 10 to 20 percent of patients, usually to correct abdominal hernias or pouch stretching and narrowing. Though technically reversing the surgery is possible, it is advised only under exceptional circumstances. The complications of gastric bypass surgery must be carefully weighed in consultation with the doctors before making the decision to undergo surgery.

Once the decision has been made, simultaneously build up the determination to follow the doctor's recommendation regarding diet and exercise. Yes, you can shed the extra pounds. And the low self image.

Uma Shankari is a Bangalore-based freelance journalist. She is passionate about writing. She writes regularly on development issues, health and fitness, yoga/meditation, life and relationships. Read some her articles on Here