Washing Machines

Are you looking for a washing machine or a washer/dryer? Washing machines just do the washing so the laundry will be wet when you take it out. Washer/dryers combine the functionality of a washing machine and a tumble dryer so you can use the machine in either mode or both. If you want a washer/dryer then go to our washer/dryer section.

The first decision to make when choosing a washing machine is whether you want one which is Front Loading or Top Loading. Front Loading washing machines (the ones that have a port-hole door so you can see the laundry going round) can be Free Standing or Built-in and can handle laundry loads from 5kg to 9kg depending on the particular model. Top Loading washing machines cannot be built-in, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to access the lid, but they are lighter and slimmer so they are a good option if you are short on space. Top Loading machines normally handle loads of 5kg or less.

Washing machines come with a host of different features. Here are some of the most common which you might want to consider:

All washing machines spin the laundry to remove water. The spin speed, measured in revolutions per minute, varies from 800rpm to 2499rpm. This will make a huge difference to how wet the laundry is when you take it out of the machine. Quite frankly, anything less than 1000rpm leaves the laundry pretty wet so this would be not be recommended if your drying space or facilities are limited. If this is the case then consider a machine which spins at around 1500 rpm or more.

There are a number of different control type features available nowadays:

A Delayed Start Timer lets you programme the machine to come on at night to take advantage of cheaper electricity.
A Digital Display gives you comprehensive information which is easy to read.
A Spin Speed Selector lets you vary the spin speed which is a good idea for delicate fabrics.
A Remaining Time Indicator shows how much longer the machine has still to run.
Fuzzy logic is a feature that enables the washing machine to adjust its programme for different conditions, for example using more or less water depending on the size of the load, increasing or decreasing the number of rinses depending on how much detergent is in the water and rebalancing the load when spinning. Fuzzy logic will therefore make your machine more economical and protect it from too much wear and tear.
Anti flooding devices are self explanatory and prevent your kitchen from turning into a swimming pool if the machine starts to leak.