Guide
Of mountains of laundry and missing hands: 10 insights from a mother of two
by Katja Fischer
Washing + Drying
When buying a washing machine or a tumble dryer, several important purchase criteria should be considered. First, there is the question of what type of washing machine you need. These can be divided into so-called washing machines front loader, washing machines top loader or so-called washer-dryer. A front-loading washing machine is loaded frontally, as the name suggests. In the top-loading washing machine, on the other hand, the laundry is loaded into the washing machine through an opening at the top of the machine. Washer-dryers are special appliances that can do both washing and drying. Washer-dryers thus combine the functions of the washing machine and the tumble dryer in one appliance. If you want two separate machines, i.e. a washing machine and a tumble dryer, the question is whether you want to stack them together to form a washing tower or whether you prefer to place them next to each other as freestanding units. If you have very little space available (for example in a bathroom), a space-saving top-loading washing machine is recommended. Top-loading machines are usually only 40 cm wide, while ordinary front-loading washing machines are 60 cm wide. In a tower washer, the washing machine and the tumble dryer are stacked on top of each other to form a column using an intermediate kit. Other important criteria when buying a washing machine are the number of wash programmes, or convenience features such as LED drum lighting, start time preselection function or automated detergent dispensing function. When it comes to the load capacity of the washing machine, the optimum drum size can be determined relatively easily. For households of up to five people, a machine with a 6-8 kg load capacity is recommended. For larger households, the drum volume should be 9-12 kg. If in doubt, it is recommended to buy a slightly larger machine, as this allows more laundry to be washed in one wash cycle, thus saving both water and energy. This is especially true since modern washing machines have a so-called automatic quantity function. Thus, a machine can actually no longer be too big. The energy efficiency class also usually plays an important role when buying these appliances. The EU energy label indicates the energy efficiency class of a machine. The different classes range from D (poor) to A+++ (good). Nowadays, however, only appliances in classes A+ to A+++ are commercially available. Nevertheless, it is good to know that appliances within the same energy efficiency class sometimes differ by up to 15% in terms of annual consumption, which is definitely reflected in the electricity bill. The energy label also shows the water consumption of the washing machine. It shows both the annual consumption and the water consumption for the standard 60°C cotton programme with a full load. This information makes it very easy to compare appliances with the same load. Another important indicator is the spin efficiency class, which is also shown on the energy label. It is particularly influenced by the maximum spin speed of the washing machine. Depending on how much residual moisture is still present after the spin cycle, washing machines are divided into classes A, B and C. Class A means a higher spin cycle efficiency than class B. Class C means a lower spin cycle efficiency. Class A means a spin speed of 1400-1600 and a residual moisture below 45%. In class B the spin speed is 1200-1400 and the residual moisture is between 45% and 54%. In the third spin efficiency class C, the spin speed is between 1000 and 1200 and the residual moisture is 54% to 63%.
