Thread Number: 44699
Why are old dishwasher racks turquoise?
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Post# 656061   1/26/2013 at 15:49 (4,079 days old) by maytaga806 (Howell, Michigan)        

I see older dishwashers and the racks are a mint color. Why is that? why didnt they just make the racks white?






Post# 656070 , Reply# 1   1/26/2013 at 16:17 (4,078 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)        
Blues:

danemodsandy's profile picture
Are a color with associations of cleanliness, of water and washing and flushing dirt away. There was a time when such nuances were important to manufacturers; the bean-counters didn't rule the way they do now.

By tinting the vinyl blue, a subconscious message was sent: This is an appliance that creates cleanliness. Everything touching your dishes is clean. Things washed in it will be really, really clean.

White also has associations of cleanliness, but I think too much of it makes things look "blah" - a point you can prove to yourself with a single visit to a big-box store carrying new appliances. You can hardly tell the BOL stuff from the so-called "best."

To give you an idea of how powerful the subliminal message of blue was, look back at '50s dishwashers, many of which had racks in other colors, like pink and red. By the '60s, nearly every manufacturer had moved over to blue or a variation. The message obviously had great sales value.


Post# 656071 , Reply# 2   1/26/2013 at 16:18 (4,078 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        

combo52's profile picture

Turquoise is prettier, LOL.

 

But really it is easier to see when loading against the usually white interiors that were used, also Blue looks cleaner than white as the plastic coated racks can discolor. Many newer DWs with SS interiors have dark gray racks and they are a pain in the neck to see what you are doing against the dark SS interior.


Post# 656075 , Reply# 3   1/26/2013 at 16:30 (4,078 days old) by maytaga806 (Howell, Michigan)        

Oh Alright that makes sense. I just had no clue why they did that.

Post# 656089 , Reply# 4   1/26/2013 at 17:23 (4,078 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

There were pink racks, too, as well as pink Plastisol and porcelain interiors to appeal to women (and little appliance boys) but vinyl racks in colors tended to show fewer stains and in the days before chlorinated home dishwashing detergents, stains could build up. Turquoise was just one of the popular kitchen colors of the time so there were turquoise dishwasher racks in some machines.

Post# 656128 , Reply# 5   1/26/2013 at 20:05 (4,078 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        

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I loved all the colors!!!!!! But the blues, especially the turquoise and aqua (which connote "clear sky reflected in clean water" on the way to cleanliness).

 

I check appliance stores periodically(SO depressing) in antipation of the day (and nothing is as constant in fashion and life as pendulum swing changes) that color returns to dishwashers. One of the reasons I love my Mobile Maids is that I found opening that machine and finding those riotous colors of coral and GE petal pink always, alsyays delightful. I will admit that I was never that crazy about GE's "celery" and "avocado" color scheme of the 1970's but it was a hell of a lot better than the relentless monochrome offerings in the current market. Don't they realize that the sight of that blue vinyl against the shiny stainless steel tub of the KDSS-16 and 17 is what makes a dishwasher look like it means business?


Post# 656130 , Reply# 6   1/26/2013 at 20:18 (4,078 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

@bajaspuma, I also thought of the celery green interiors and green racks. In the 1970's it was common to see "complete General Electric kitchens" on the for rent sign in huge apartment complexes.  All the appliances were avocado or harvest gold, with shag carpet to match. alr



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