Undoubtedly, the washing machine has become an indispensable appliance in the lives of most practical-minded families and / or do not have much time to wash hand-by-hand garments.
With that in mind, are there currently a lot of washer options on the market? from the simplest to the most complete ones (such as those that besides washing also dry the pieces). The goal is to meet the different needs of each family.
However, choosing the ideal washing machine for a home, unlike many people thinks, is no easy task!
This is because the consumer must think far beyond the question of value: must research every detail of the product taking into account the particularities of the family, the space available in the laundry, among other points.
The Different Types of Washing Machines
Below you will find good guidelines on how to choose the ideal washing machine for your home. But before that, it is essential to know the different types of products available today in the market, as well as their advantages and disadvantages:
1. Automatic
The automatic washing machines allow the programming of a complete cycle: from filling the water to spinning. "Some models even dose the amount of soap and fabric softener according to the amount of clothing," says Fábio Marques, Service Engineering Manager at Whirlpool Latin America.
Advantage and indication: They are practical and easy to use. For all these reasons, they are well suited for people who have the daily routine.
Disadvantage: Automatic washers are more expensive compared to semi-automatic machines.
2. Semi-automatic
Fábio Marques explains that semi-automatic machines have manual level selection, which must be adjusted according to the volume of clothing.
Advantage and indication: Semi-automatic washers are, on average, cheaper. Thus, they are great choice for people who have some time to follow up the wash. In addition, they are more economical in water and energy consumption.
Disadvantage: Semi-automatic washers require more attention as they do not do all the work on their own (as in the case of automatic washers).
3. Six Pack
Tanks are similar to semiautomatic machines, but often come with a scrubber similar to traditional service area tanks, according to Fábio Marques.
Advantage and indication: Six packs are lower value products. Thus they are suitable for people / families who do not want to spend much at the time of purchase and who have some time to follow the washing of clothes.
Disadvantage: Six packs are less valuable because in general they require consumer intervention to open and / or close the tap during water inlet and to drain at the end of the wash, and usually do not have a centrifuge system.
4. Washes and dries
Fábio Marques points out that Lava and Seca machines can be used for both washing clothes and drying them. "They often offer a variety of functions to meet different needs regarding quantity and type of part," he adds.
Advantage and indication: The Lava e Seca machine is ideal for smaller laundries as it is a? two in one? and take up little space. So good choice for people who live in small apartments, for example. The Lava and Seca machines are still practical as there is no need to remove the laundry from the washer basket and transfer it to the dryer basket. In addition, they usually have advanced technology that allows you to save energy and avoid wasting water.
Disadvantage: Lava and Seca washers are among the most expensive on the market. In addition, because they are state-of-the-art machines, they feature digital controls that require at least some privacy with technology.
5. Dryer
Fábio Marques explains that the dryers perform the function of accelerating the drying process of the pieces, through hot or cold air.
"Cold air is poorly known, but in addition to being used to dry heat-sensitive items, it can be used at the end of hot-air drying for 10 minutes, leaving the fabrics soft and pleasing to the touch," he adds. Service Engineering Manager at Whirlpool.
Fabio also points out that there are dryers that use gas to heat the air that will dry the clothes; other models use electrical resistance. "Gas dryers are bigger products and suitable for large families and with a good space in the laundry," he says.
Advantage and indication: Depending on the fabric, some clothes do not need to be ironed after drying. Gas dryers, in particular, are large and suitable for large families.
Disadvantage: To install the dryer, you need a service area with space, since the consumer who has it needs to have yet another product? the washer in the case.
6. Centrifuge
Fábio explains that centrifuge is a product with high spin of your basket, and can have a spin up to three times greater than a washer.
Advantage and indication: The clothes come out with very little humidity and the drying time decreases a lot. The centrifuge is a very useful product especially for apartment dwellers and has little laundry room to dry clothes.
Disadvantage: Few pieces of clothing fit inside the centrifuge at a time, so it is not such a product for large families and / or those who wear / dirty a lot of clothes.
7. Mini Washers
? Mini-washers, such as Brastemp Eggo, for example, are suitable for underwear and / or delicate laundry, have a capacity of around 1 kg of clothes and can be installed even in the bathroom. It has low water and energy consumption ?, explains Fábio Marques.
Advantage and indication: They are great for washing underwear and / or delicate and take up little space, so good choice for those who live in a small apartment. They also allow water and energy saving.
Disadvantage: Mini-washers are a type of clothes washer with reduced capacity, usually between 1kg and 3kg, so they are not suitable for large families or for those who usually have many clothes to wash.
Front opening vs. top opening
The machines on which clothes are placed on top, also known as? Top load? or simply because they contain an upper opening, they operate by agitation or swirling system (in the case of models without agitator).
Advantages of Top Opening Machines: offer the ability to stop washing at any time so that more items of clothing can be placed.
Do the front opening machines operate by tipping system? The washing takes place through the friction between the clothes when they are tipped by the movement of the basket.
Advantages of Front Opening Machines: have greater durability and less damage the clothes. However, they need more space in the laundry room as its opening is frontal. In addition, the system cannot be interrupted in the middle of the wash.
What to analyze when choosing the washing machine?
Fábio Marques highlights some points that should be analyzed when buying a washing machine:
- Consumers should consider the amount of household residents to get an idea of how much laundry they need to wash;
- You should also consider the type of laundry that will be most frequently washed (towels and comforters, for example, require larger capacity);
- How often the machine will be used (once or twice a week, for example);
- The features the product offers that can help you accomplish this task.
• For families with up to 3 people, for example, a washer up to 9 kg is sufficient. If the family is large, usually washing large pieces or a lot of clothes, should consider those over 10kg?, Exemplifies Fabio.
In addition, other factors should be considered at the time of choice, according to Whirlpool's Service Engineering manager. "Those who have children or perform activities that dirty the clothes, for example, can choose models with water heating, facilitating the removal of some types of dirt," he says.
In addition to the capacity and functionality of the washing machine, other points may be considered to help with the choice. Watch:
Value: stop and think about how much you can / are willing to spend on the washing machine. But of course, remember that the cheapest option is not always the best one for you. First choose a type of machine that will meet your home needs and then do a good research to see the price issue.
Water and energy consumption: It is no use saving much on the value of the washing machine purchase and forgetting that it will consume water and energy. Thus, it is very important to also research on models that are more economical in this regard.
Procel Stamp: Make sure the product you choose has the Procel seal, the letter? A? is the one that guarantees the greatest economy. The purpose of the seal is to guide the consumer when purchasing, indicating the products that have the best levels of energy efficiency within each category, thus providing savings in the electric bill.
Reuse of water: Some washers already have the function of? Economic Wash? which makes it possible to reuse the water used in the washer for use in other household tasks.This is another interesting point to consider when choosing the product.
Sterilization: There are currently washers with sterilization technology, this can be a good option for those who have children at home (and frequently washes baby clothes), for example.
Washing programs: There are machines that offer different programs that guarantee the most suitable washing for each type of clothes such as jeans, bed and bath, blanket, underwear etc. Consider whether this factor is important to you.
10 choices of washing machines
Check out some machine options to get a sense of the prices practiced by the market and to know the main models available:
Electrolux Washing Machine for R $ 829,90 at Americanas
Brastemp Activate Washer for R $ 1,199.90 at Americanas
Consul 8kg Washer for R $ 959 at Colombo
Latin Semi-Automatic Clothes Washer for R $ 304,20 at Walmart
Colormaq Semi-Automatic Washer for $ 150.00 at Walmart
Libell Premium Tank for R $ 197.10 at Magazine Luiza
Lava & Seca Brastemp Activate for R $ 3,049.90 at Americanas
Front Load 10.4Kg Samsung Clothes Dryer for $ 799.00 at Walmart
British Clothing Centrifuge for R $ 299 on Submarine
Praxis Petit Mini Washer for R $ 313,20 at Walmart
Now you know: there is no shortage of washing machine options on the market. The price issue is important, but not the only one that should be taken into account. Capacity, product quality, space it will take up inside the laundry room etc. are also very important.
So do a lot of research before you buy and you will be sure you have chosen a machine that will really fit your needs.
How to choose a right washing machine (April 2024)
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