Talk To Me About Washing Machines...

[chely7425]

So, we are moving at the beginning of June and need to order a new washer/dryer before then so I can schedule it to be delivered like, the day after we get there... Anyway, I don't really know what kind of washer to get, and I am trying to budget for all the things we will need to purchase with the move.  Our wants/needs with a washer are:

- HE in some way, need to keep utililty bills down

- Works with cloth diapers, but I don't mind trouble shooting to find a good wash routine

- Has the option to do a warm rinse, not just cold

- Can fit a comforter in it (this one might be negotiable, but depends on the other features)

So.. what washers would you look at?

[texmati]

just a bump-- I came here to post the exact same question. our washing machine committed suicide yesterday, spinning so fast that the agitator broke off the machine and into two pieces. I'm going to have this baby any day now, and need a machine!

[chely7425]

Originally Posted by texmati 

just a bump-- I came here to post the exact same question. our washing machine committed suicide yesterday, spinning so fast that the agitator broke off the machine and into two pieces. I'm going to have this baby any day now, and need a machine!

Your machine certainly went out with style!

[texmati]

I know! My brother joked that it didn't want to deal with another newborn. lol!

[Smithie]

Mine was given the terminal verdict by a repairman today. So glad I paid $80 to hear that I need to go spend a lot more. 

Anyhow, who bought a washer in the past year and just loves it? I have a Kenmore for loader dryer, so I should probably get a front-loading washer so they kind of match. To be completely honest, I care more about superb cleaning ability than I do about energy and water efficiency. I do a lot of laundry, including toddler dipes and many large towels and king-sized linens. 

[chely7425]

Originally Posted by Smithie 

Mine was given the terminal verdict by a repairman today. So glad I paid $80 to hear that I need to go spend a lot more. 

Anyhow, who bought a washer in the past year and just loves it? I have a Kenmore for loader dryer, so I should probably get a front-loading washer so they kind of match. To be completely honest, I care more about superb cleaning ability than I do about energy and water efficiency. I do a lot of laundry, including toddler dipes and many large towels and king-sized linens. 

Yeah, I totally agree with this.  Number 1 priority is that it gets things clean and does large loads (I have 3 kids in cloth diapers) but if it was energy/water efficient that would be a plus :)

[texmati]

OK...well I've spent the entire evening looking online; and it looks like you can get 'budget' front loaders for the same price as toploaders. (>500).

I've never used a front loader (outside of the laundramat) so I'm wondering if they are practical. Reviews seem to say they get clothes cleaner, and are more gentle on clothes. I'm still wondering about how I'll adjust to the longer cycle times, leaving the door open, and inability to soak/use bleach.

[chely7425]

I have friends with front loaders, they all use bleach?  You can't soak (I don't think) but I would guess you could soak elsewhere then put it in the wash.  For some reason DH really wants a front loader, I just don't know anyone who has one with cloth diapers.  We use mostly PFs and by the time we buy a washer should only have 2 years left with diapers, but I don't want washing them to be totally impossible.

[bezark]

I have an LG front loading set (bought in June from Best Buy) and I can definitely use bleach and my model does allow for soaking. I just run a quick wash with extra water and no spin.

We've had a LOT of washers/dryers over the years between moving a few times and replacing dead/dying sets, and this is by far the best set I've ever used.

I don't remember the exact capacity, but these babies hold a ton. If you're familiar with Ikea's big blue shopping bags, one load of laundry, folded, fills one of those.

I think mine might be this one, but maybe not because I know we paid a bit less than this sale price.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/LG+-+4.2+Cu.+Ft.+9-Cycle+Ultra+Capacity+Washer+-+White/9283429.p?id=1218074326277&skuId=9283429

ETA: Also, we use cloth diapers and they wash perfectly well in this set and the Kenmore set we had previously. They require a longer cycle (about 90 minutes) but it does the job.

[NikonMama]

Sorry to butt in...we are in the process of moving and will be leaving our current washer and dryer behind when we go.  I would LOVE to get a front loader but have heard from many people that they don't get cloth diapers as clean as top loaders do.  We don't have anyone in diapers right now, DH and I have been TTC for 10 years, but if we ever do have another baby or we adopt or foster, I'd like to use cloth diapers.  I don't want to get a machine that is totally worthless when it comes to that.  Then again, I don't want to base our decision on something that may not ever happen.  Are their certain front loaders that do okay, and others that don't??

[chely7425]

That LG one looks really nice!  I bookmarked it so I remember when we are closer to ordering it :)

[MsFortune]

We have the LG front loader and I have mixed feelings.  We use cloth diapers, it does well with them, and it will do really big loads.  It's also HE.

What I do not like is the musty thing.  Since the washer is all sealed up, it never dries out between loads if you keep it closed and starts to smell mustly.  So we have to leave the door open between loads so it dries out.  Which is a pain in the rear.  I could probably combat that smell with bleach rather than dry it out, but I'm not a fan of bleach.

[chely7425]

I think any front loader is going to get musty smelling if you leave it shut all the time... my top loader even got a little musty smelling if it was closed all the time...

[bezark]

Originally Posted by chely7425 

I think any front loader is going to get musty smelling if you leave it shut all the time... my top loader even got a little musty smelling if it was closed all the time...

yea, that. My washer's manual specifically says to leave the door open a bit between loads. It doesn't have to be wide open, just not sealed and latched.

[mirlee]

I have a Bosch front loader.  It's the third washer we have had in the 11 years in this house.  Avoid Maytag like the plague. They used to be good, but the last two repairmen we had prior to replacing the unfixable washer both said that they have had nothing but problems with them.  Seems all the stuff that used to be metal components is now plastic or nylon.

I love my Bosch.  We didn't get the really top of the line one.  I can fit my whole comforter in.  I think it is far easier on clothing and other items.  I haven't had any issues with things not being clean.  You do need to watch how you load it and how much soap is used. To much soap and you have a bubble bath.  I can only add about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of Woolite when doing a delicate load or else it is bubble city. The amount actually does get things clean.  I think the washer is far more efficient than my old Maytag and the at-the-time 20 year old Whirlpool before that. A friend has an LG and loves it. I notice that the LG has a prewash cycle.  My bottom of the line Bosch does not, but I have use the extra sanitary rinse or the eco action to enhance the washing process.  

My best suggestion is to go to the local home store and really look at them. That way you can get a feel for capacity and options.  It's a tough call.  I wish I could have gone one step up with our washer because there are a couple of options I would have liked, but the price was not in the budget at the time because we were doing the dryer as well.  Our dryer, which matched the 20+ year old washer, wasn't broken, we were just nervous that it wasn't going to survive much longer and it wasn't drying as well as it used to.

[Shantimama]

 I have a Maytag front loader and as well as a quick cycle that I use for most every day laundry it has a super-soak cycle, one for whites and one called "sanitary." Those cycles take a couple of hours to run instead of 30 minutes and they do a fantastic job.

Leaving the door slightly open between cycles took a little getting used to but it isn't a big deal and it moving wet laundry out of a front loader is much easier on my back than the top loader was!

[dbsam]

We purchased a new frontload LG washer/dryer with pedestals 17 months ago and paid $2040.  The store we purchased from delivered the next day which was great (I believe they deliver nationwide.).  I don’t know about diapers, but here is my review:

Washer - LG WM2301HR:

Pros:

• It is huge!  Can wash a comforter and more in one load
• I can still use the Bi-O-Kleen I love but use even less per load
• Has a sanitary cycle which is really nice  for all our cloth (napkins, paper towels, cleaning clothes) - (although might not be too energy efficient)
• It broke down two weeks ago (not a plus; but the repair man said it is not a problem he normally sees).  The 100% warranty was up after 12 months but LG agreed to extend the warranty and pay for the repair in full

Cons:

• I can no longer use baking soda in the wash
• It takes up more room than my top loader; especially since I keep the door open

Dryer – LG DLG2302R

The only positive is that it is huge.  The sensor dry (which I always depended on with my old dryer) is useless.  I like to dry on low heat but even though there are many settings in reality there seem to be two...really hot or no heat.  I hang dry most of our clothing anyway but like to dry towels, undies, etc.  I had the repair man out the first week I purchased and he said in this model the sensors are useless and I s/h purchased the more expensive model.  (This is even more frustrating to me because my old, not very old, Maytag dryer still worked perfectly when my husband gave it away on Craigslist.  He didn’t want an unmatched washer/dryer.)

[Smithie]

I just put down $2200 for a Whirlpool Duet set. (My DH also wanted the matched set, so my sister-in-law-in-law is coming to pick up my perfectly good dryer this afternoon. Whatever). 

For me, the supreme test is diapers, and I won't have a load until this evening. But the sanitary cycle cleaning rags came out great, the bleach was clearly OK since there is a little cup that says "Bleach" to pour it into, and leaving the door open just seems obvious to me. I always left me top loader open, so it had a chance to dry out! 

[chely7425]

Originally Posted by Smithie 

I just put down $2200 for a Whirlpool Duet set. (My DH also wanted the matched set, so my sister-in-law-in-law is coming to pick up my perfectly good dryer this afternoon. Whatever). 

For me, the supreme test is diapers, and I won't have a load until this evening. But the sanitary cycle cleaning rags came out great, the bleach was clearly OK since there is a little cup that says "Bleach" to pour it into, and leaving the door open just seems obvious to me. I always left me top loader open, so it had a chance to dry out! 

You will have to come back and give us a review!!  I also left my top loader open as well...

[Smithie]

Well, the "Eco Dry" setting doesn't actually get clothes dry. But I think we all saw that coming...