Need help navigating washer & dryer choices

16 years ago

DH and I are getting ready to move and we must buy a washer and dryer for the first time ever. We've always had hand-me-downs. Needless to say, I'm flabbergasted at the options.

Here are the challenges I have:

1 - I HATE doing laundry. The fewer loads I do, the better (so the more it holds, the better). What size should I look for?

2 - We have king sized bedding, and lots of towels we typically wash all at once. It's gotta be great at sanitizing because we have dogs too, that sleep on our bed. That said, I'm worried about things like steam cleaning, for maintenance and ease-of-use reasons...

3 - We plan on having kids soon so it needs to be gentle enough for little baby stuff.

4 - I have lots of business shirts, slacks, etc, that I take to the cleaners now. Is there any washer/dryer that would help me do some of these things at home?

5 - I hate having to bend over and pull things out of a washer, then crouching down and shoving things into a dryer (Front Load w/ a pedestal maybe?)

6 - The laundry room is on the first floor, above a basement in which DH works from home and records music. Therfore, minimal vibrations and noise is a must. Suggestions?

7 - As I mentioned before, I hate doing laundry so anything that washes clothes quickly and dries them fast is the best!

8 - Budget - $2000 or so total for both washer & dryer. We're prepared to spend the money on a washer that'll make our lives easier!

Can anyone suggest a washer & dryer I should look into, and how they'll help address my laundry challenges?

Comments (4)

mc58
16 years ago
I would try to stay away from front loads, I had a tech tell me that they are the same size as top loads and should not try to do large loads as they claim, it will ruin the washers. I have had 2 fl and I dont think I will ever buy another, if you read my other posts you will see some of the problems that I have experienced, and Im not the only one.Good Luck!
Marie
cynic
16 years ago
How do you want things "sanitized"? If you want heated water to do it, obviously you'll need a machine with a heater which limits your choices and there's only a couple top loaders giving you that option. If you are happy with good cleaning, that's a different story.

One thing I think is important for you that most people ignore is the size of the dryer. Get the biggest dryer you can and it may mean it won't match the washer. The general guideline is to double the size of the washer for the dryer. A 7.4-7.5 cu. ft Whirlpool dryer will run about $500 or less quite often which leaves a good portion of your budget for a washer. If you get hung up on spending $800-$1000 for a dryer, you limit your washer options.

Sit down and make a list of things that are important and things that are not important. It'll help you sort through the myriad of washers available.

The other suggestion is to start reading the various threads and see what fits your needs.
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bethv
16 years ago
I have a Kenmore HE5 washer & dryer (front loading) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Laundry is a breeze with this duo. It washes large loads easily - even the dog beds. It has lots of settings and gets the clothes clean - REALLY clean. THere is a sanitize setting. THe dryer is great because you don't have to kiln-dry your clothes - many heat settings. I leave the washer door open over night after laundry day and I don't have any problems with smells.
jcrowley99
16 years ago
I have the Whirlpool Cabrio HE and it has halved the amount of laundry I do. Actually I should say the number of loads I do, I still do the same amount! I washes really well, rinses great (no rabbit hair left in the washer even after washing my bunny's bed), and does not have any vibration problems. It is very quite when washing. I have the 6600 model, I know there is a 6700 model now that uses less water, I would be a bit concered how well this would rinse, esp. if you are worried about getting pet hair out of bedding. I had a FLer briefly (it was a 3.8 cf, the Cabrio HE is 4.5 cf) and it held barely more than my old Kenmore TLer (which was top of the line and largest capacity 12 years ago), it did not get all the hair off of stuff, it did not rinse well, and even after several times being leveled it vibrated.
My laundry room is on the first floor between the kitchen and dinning rooms, near the family room, and above a finished basement. From the basement, most of the noise the Cabrio makes comes from the water entering and leaving the machine, not much you can do about that sound. I did not get the matching dryer because I did not like it, I got the Whirlpool Duet dryer which I love. I did use the Cabrio washer with my old dryer for the first nine months and the amount of water removed by the high speed spin made an obvious difference in drying time. I do wash my husbands work cloths (he is an executive director in an investment group so that means lots of dress shirts and slacks) and it does a better job than my old TLer with these, less wrinkles coming out of the dryer. There are some other washers similar to the Cabrio, though you might want to steer clear of the Oasis, sounds like a lot of people are unhappy with it, plus Sears can be very difficult to deal with. I would reccomend Lowes or Home Depot if you have them by you. They both have good return policies (got my washer at Lowes and they exchanged twice before I got the Cabrio) and have good customer service. The extended warranties are also reasonable, and if you get an HE machine you should get the warranty just to be safe. Be careful with Best Buy, they charge a restocking fee on appliances, although you may be able to talk your way out of that. Hope I was able to help.

Joanne

Need help navigating washer & dryer choices

Comments (4)

mc58

cynic

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bethv

jcrowley99

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