Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

Theres only one thing for it…

I’m gonna have to buy a washing machine. No more handwash.

Now, I’ve been looking (a bit) over the last few weeks and they all seem rather overspecified for what I need of them – I just want a door I put dirty clothes in and remove clean clothes from, and, maybe, a button to say ‘go’. They all do rather more than that (probably for some very good technical reasons that I’ll never understand as a mere consumer – where is Iestyn when I need him?), so figure any of them would do the job I need. So – what do you /dislike/ about your washing machine? What should I avoid?


Categories: Memories.

/ 6 Comments

6 comments

  1. incy

    I use onyl a fraction of the fucnbtionality of mine. (probably the washing machine equicalent of the IT 80/20) mix. But go for one with a good economny rating. You probably need 40 degrees for normal clothes and a 60 degree wash for towels (avoid the ones that sya they can do colours and whites together, you still get bleed issues). Avoid condesening machines or any other dual type tumble dryer thing. The trade off is not worth it.

    That is about it, only get one that allows you to assign it an IP address if you really must :)

    Reply
  2. hsb

    Things to look for: cold fill machine if you have limited hot water, and a front filter allows you to clear it out regularly, preventing blockages. A faster spin will speed up drying times. It is also worth getting an economical machine – they have ratings like all the other appliances.

    Don’t get a washer dryer, most of them don’t dry as much as they wash, so they cost a fortune to use and you have to split the wash to dry it.

    H

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  3. ex_lark_asc

    40 for normal stuff, 60 for towels/sheets, if you’re me you’ll also want a “hand wash” setting for all your Daft, Delicate, Tie-Dyed or otherwise Impractical Clothes, but I don’t know how many of same you own :)

    Get one with a handy key to what the different wash programs are printed on the front. They make life a lot easier.

    Reply
    • ex_lark_asc

      Oh yeah, and I’m told washer/driers break down a lot; you can also only dry half as much as you wash because they work differently. We have a condenser tumble drier sitting in the garage unused that we’d be willing to loan you if you want – I find it works fine even if it does turn the place into a bit of a sauna :)

      Reply
  4. ingaborg

    We have a Miele washing machine. It has worked fine so far (couple of years). It doesn’t do anything really clever (like tell you how long it has to run) but it does wash clothes, and it doesn’t have a completely stupid number of options.

    Reply

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