Wash and dry

By Alex Brooks

Buying  a washing machine is really quite easy: water efficiency plus energy efficiency plus recyclability at the end of lifespan equals a top buy.

You see, a washing machine today is a sophisticated machine that can take the sheerest delicates or the hardiest of overalls yet it's not the washpower alone that indicates its quality. A good washing machine should last for 10 years, yet  plenty of old busted machines litter street clean ups and end up as scrap rather than being repurposed carefully.

Most of us forget the long term costs of running an appliance such as a washing machine, which can be used every day in larger households. And as for tumble dryers, the electricity costs alone can mount up to more than $100 a year. Add in detergent costs, water costs and any future repair bills and you can see that upfront retail price isn't the best measure of buying a big appliance. So where do you start? 

1. Top loader or front?

Most machines still force us to make a basic choice between a more water efficient front loader or the cheaper top loader. Those who favour front loaders espouse the virtues of the water-saving and the gentle washing action. A top loader will help your clothes last longer, as the wash action is similar to hand washing rather than mechanically agitated.

Top loaders have their virtues, too. More models are being created to be water efficient - check the ratings on the label at the retailer. Also, a top loader has an insatiable appetite for more and can take large loads without damaging the machine.

On the plus side, though, front loaders have good stain removal ability and less shrinkage as water is usually heated through a wash cycle rather than what happens in a typical top loader where hot suds squirt directly on the clothes. Mind you, any good launderer knows that cold water works just as well with modern laundry detergents.

On the energy-guzzling front, top-loaders typically aren't as efficient as front loaders, but check the star ratings. In hip pocket terms, a daily two-hour warm wash cycle with a front loader could cost around 15 per cent of the cost of running a top loader. But check out the higher end brands, with many European brands working hard to create better energy efficiency.

The drying cycle of a washing machine is also important, especially if you are pairing it with a dryer. So check the spin speed you can attain. A high spin speed means more water is removed from clothes before they hit the clothes line or dryer. If a front loader can spin at 1000 to 1800 revolutions per minute while a top loader can only do 1000, then it's easy to work out which type of machine makes a dryer work harder and longer to achieve its task.

Drum capacity is important and it's usually specified in kilos. A 5kg machine suits two people, 6-7kg suits a four-person household while an 8kg or more is best for families with lots of kids. It's worth planning ahead with a washing machine purchase, so you don't buy a 5kg machine just before you give birth to triplets. 

Oh, and laundries can be small places so measure the machine before buying it. Can it fit through all the doors and entry points before getting to the laundry? And will you need a plumber to install any special fittings, or can the delivery person install the machine?

And no matter how great the machine, it still needs humans to intervene to load and unload them. But the day they invent a self-washing machine is the day we all trade in our old machines for something better.