Ariston/Hotpoint Aqualtis Wool Platinum Care Wash.. Very interesting!

[MrX]

I just put my new Aqualtis onto a wool cycle and was rather amazed at what happened.

The machine started to rotate the drum up to distribution speed, i.e. the clothes adhered to the sides. It then started to fill with water + detergent and continued to spin, the clothes are forced through the water, without tumbling!

The machine continued this for a few mins, then stopped spinning. Added a lot of water, so the clothes soaked for a few mins.

After that it emptied and went into distribution spin again.

Increased speed to 600 rpm to squeeze clothes.
Dropped back to distribution speed
Added water (while spinning constantly)
continued to do this for a few mins.
Emptied and back up to 600rpm
(repeated for second rinse)

Then full spin at 600rpm

Results were AMAZINGLY good. My woolens came out spotlessly clean and smelling much better than usual and seem to be far less fluffed up / damaged than any previous machine's wool cycle!

Quite a cool wash action though .. foam and water flying everywhere!!

 

[2drumsallergy]

Platinum Woolmark Cycle

Hi Mrx,
Yes that's the Platinum Woolmark cycle, I think it gives vastly better cleaning performance and less risk of damage or shrinkage than conventional extra gentle tumbling.
The Superwash button also adds a similar distribution wash along with a higher water level to Cottons cycles.

Prolonged use of distribution speeds with high water levels is made possible thanks to the massive torque of the 3 Phase (Inverter) Induction Motor. Reliability, power and silence you gotta love the Inverter drive.

David

 

[hoovermatic]

What a contrast to the wool cycle on my Hotpoint h-axis TL. Wash performance poor, rinse performance poor. The more I hear about the Aqualtis, the more I want one!

 

[newwave1]

I have to agree the platinum wool cycle is the best wool programme i've ever used!

I'm really pleased with my hotpoint so far! I have to agree david, the torque on these inverter motors is phenominal! it reminds me of my servis quartz, how it can throw everything into distribution on the first tumble! Outstanding!

Darren

 

[newwave1]

Mrx,
Any chance of any pics or vids of your new machine?!

Thanks!

Darren

 

[foraloysius]

Interesting cycle indeed! How long does this take?

 

[MrX]

I have to say it's a very well designed machine (and I'm used to using Miele!!)

Impressive features:
1) Inverter motor: Silence, rapid move into distribution & spin, no tumbling around for ages. Very interesting wash action.
2) Door lock - seems extremely solid and sensible. It's a little like a good quality dishwasher door lock, but automatically locks when the machine starts (you hear a solenoid lock it as the machine starts). It's pretty hefty metal fitting too, looks extremely solid.
3) Hinges - both heavy solid metal
4) Rain system - the lifters pick up water as they rotate and shower it back on the clothes in the traditional Ariston "rain wash" system. I have always thought it's a more robust way of ensuring plenty of water flow through the clothes without resorting to recirculating pumps which can go wrong.
5) Detergent drawer design - Simple, yet robust looking and is largely self-cleaning.
6) Detergent saving system - when the machine fills it starts by running the rinse valve then when there's some water in the outer drum, it adds the detergent.
7) Controls - extremely logically laid out with a very nice user interface and multi line text display. Tells you how long's left to the end of the cycle, cycle name, gives you extra info in scrolling text if you press "i". You can add various options to the cycle at a single press : SuperWash, MiniLoad and Extra Rinse. Full delay start options etc. Also, you can adjust the wash temp or the spin speed for each cycle (like most machine it will lock it to a maximum though to prevent fabric damage). This model also has 4 memory keys in the middle of the dial. You can store your 4 favourite washes, including any modifications.
8) Pause / Start - You can pause the wash and open the door at anytime - provided the water level's below the door and the water's not dangerously hot (Same as Miele!)
9) Duvet cycle - It can handle any type of duvet using the combination of rain wash + distribution speed pulses it thoroughly cleans any duvets, pillows, quilts and is even safe on feather-filled items. The machine also came with a HUGE wash bag for very delicate quilts to avoid damage.
10) Suds are no issue for it at all - Normal detergents don't seem to oversud in it at all, but if you do run it with something like Woolite etc which foams a little more, it's no challenge to it at all. It seems to handle it without the slightest difficulty!

Performance :

Wash - excellent (A+ rated) - while it doesn't use vast amounts of water, it really does get the clothes VERY wet very quickly through a combination of very intelligent top up filling, raining water from the lifters and the odd distribution speed run.
Produces very good results. Also, the washes don't seem ridiculously long either yet are very effective.

Rinse - It uses plenty of spin + ads water as it tumbles and distributes! The clothes get extremely wet very quickly. It follows that with a high speed spin.
I've found the rinse results outstanding. The water runs clear after 2 rinse!!! Even with really sudsy detergents. You can add a 3rd rinse, but it's hardly even necessary!

Spin : Huge drum, 1600 RPM spin - very silent. The clothes come out drier than I've experienced even with a 1600RPM Miele!

Design : The machine looks great.

Noise : Almost fully silent - you hear a slight splash when washing. Slight whir when spinning at 1600RPM with a full load!
Vibration - none!

This machine is very definitely not a Hotpoint by background it's a very high end Ariston. Merloni put >10 years R&D into Aqualtis and seem to really be aiming to take a chunk of the top end of the market.

Also, it's extremely energy and water efficient - e.g. it tops the Aussi environmental ratings and it's AAA rated in Europe (1600 RPM model) (A+ Rating)
Even though it's very water efficient, it seems to really use the water. The clothes look really like they're getting plenty of water put through them. I've seen plenty of machines to seem to spend hours tumbling clothes around in a tiny puddle of water. The Aqualtis approach is VERY different !!

Overall - I'm VERY impressed. I'll know how it goes in terms of reliability in a couple of years, but so far, I would highly recommend it.

The only down side was that the transit plugs / bolts were rather tricky to remove. But, you'd get over it

 

[funguy10]

Does anybody know if American Front-Loaders like the Whirlpool Duet operate thier Wool cycles the same way?

 

[MrX]

I'm not sure - it'd be interesting to find out though. It seems Merloni (Ariston/Hotpoint) have been innovating with these new washing methods...

I don't think the Aqualtis is sold over in the US, although I could see a market for it. It takes 8kg (17.6lbs) of washing in a single load, can cope with duvets/quilts/comforters/pillows with ease and does all that without being any bigger on the outside than a standard European washing machine unit.

Also, as it's really quiet, it's ideal for apartments!!

 

[MrX]

Only downside would be that without a 230V hook up you'd loose the profile wash (optimised enzyme action), the possibility of doing very hot washes and various other features.

Profile washing = heating the water to various set temps to maximise enzyme activity in the detergent. It's one of the ways that higher end European washers achieve excellent results.

The wash times on this aren't too long either. It seems to plough a full cotton cycle at 40C in a little over an hour. The time saving comes in at the end i.e. it's been spun at 1600rpm (and in a huge drum so huge G forces) so the time in the dryer / hanging up is enormously reduced.

 

[funguy10]

U.S.A. Front-Loaders do that on 120 volts though. Most of them have a "Sanitary" cycle that fills up with hot water and then heats it to being extra-hot.

 

[launderess]

Not the same thing really.

Profile washing involves taking cold, lukewarm or warm water and gradually heating it to hot or boiling. Purpose is to prevent setting stains by starting with too hot water, and give the enzymes time to work before they are killed off by wash temperatures above 140F or 120F. Profile washing also eliminates for the most part the need for pre-washing in cool or cold water, thus saving time, energy and water.

The above not withstanding, with the advent of newer enzymes and activated oxygen bleaching agents, or using sodium percarbonate instead of sodium perborate bleaching, means profile washing can be less important. With bleaching taking place at 100F or even 80F, and enzymes working at 100F to 140F (sweet spot is around 100F to 120F), unless one is doing a boil wash for other reasons, no one really uses high temperatures that much anymore.

Have left grossly soiled table linens soaking in cool water and a TOL detergent with bleach and enzymes such as Wisk tablets, Persil or Tide, and several hours later most if not all soils and stains were gone. Indeed wash all my fine table linens at 100F (saves wear) and they are quite clean.

L.

 

[cbosch]

wool wash

The hotpoint wool wash is super although I have noticed that if you put things with gunk in (scone dough to be exact) it was still on at the end of the cycle. This may have been because there were five items in the drum with it but I suspect because of no tumbling it does not give the chance for the gunk to be rubbed off.
Not complaining though as it makes a pleasant change to see a wool wash that appears to actually freshen woolens rather than wet them and leave them smelling funny.

 

[dj-gabriele]

According to Hotpoint/Ariston the Aqualtis is the first ever machine to be ranked "platinum" in wool wash because of the innovative wash system. It sure sounds interesting but I'll continue to bring my woollens to the dry-cleaner's.

Funguy: My father had the European version of the duet, no the washing action is normal, it does turn left, stop, turn right and so on... but it doesn't it no more, the electronic board broke and it was replaced with a Candy machine, it broke just a few days out of the warranty...

 

[MrX]

Not much you can do with that kind of gunk

Unfortunately with woolens there isn't a lot you can do when it comes to big food stains other than remove them by hand. The cycle's really designed to deal with normal smells and body odours and clean the wool.

If you were to run a normal cycle with agitation and enzymes you'd destroy the garment.

You'd really be best advised to pretreat areas like that using a damp cloth before putting them into the machine.

 

[MrX]

Profile washing

The key with profile washing is that it uses a range of temps.

The machine takes in cold water and the detergent starts to work immediately - then you gradually warm it up and hold it at the 'sweet spot' temps to maximize the effect of he enzymes and the surfactants.

Other than for white washes, bleaching isn't really too important.

I find I do most of my laundry with Persil Colour powder / Ariel Colour Care. If I need to do whites, I chuck in a scoop of Vanish Crystal white. Most of the time even that's unnecessary.

 

[rudin1969]

First message here - I hail from Italy..
why do you think Which? (one of the most reliable consumer magazines) included the Aqualtis in its recent list of 'DON'T BUYs' (the other washer in the list was an Indesit)?
Andrea

 

[MrX]

I don't know, but I do know that I have used Which in recent months and found the advice very poor.

We'll see how this machine works anyway. It has an extended full 3 year warranty and a 5 year parts warranty so, fingers crossed it works out ok!

 

[hotpointwf220]

1000RPM final spin on Plantinum Wools that's fantastic.

I just realised my platinum care wools wash distributes during washing and rinsing but on final spin it now DOES 1000 rpm when i press wash enhance and press the spin button again through the wash or before.

 

[hotpointwf220]

and don't forget you get this from the Ultima WT960/5 only as far as i know

 

[chrisbsuk]

my aqualtis is emabrking on a big test at the moment - its now in a house of 4 lads, so its getting hammered with our normal clothes and does our team football and rugby kits twice a week (from matchday and training..)

guess only time will tell!

 

[northernmary]

Hummmmmmmmmmm! Did I hear right four lads Rugby and football kit’s sounds like northern Mary’s? Dreams come true!!!!! Sorry I was away with the fairies just then.

Northernmary x

 

[hotpoint9534]

My annoyance with the Aqualtis is that they have built in obsolescence. The machines have welded outer tubs, so what are you meant to do when the bearings eventually go? I don't think many people will pay out for a new tub when it's about the same price as a new machine.

At a time when we are supposed to have more concern for the environment and reduce wastage I think Merloni/Indesit should show a bit more concern.

5 years down the line many machines which are perfectly servicable apart from worn bearings will have to be thrown away! Complete and utter madness in my opinion.

Tom.

 

[launderess]

Over on WashertalkUK site they speak of the exact same thing!

Apparently while a great machine from a cycle point of view, these washers have a sealed tub which means once anything major like the bearings go, that is the end of that. However in Hotpoint's defence the machine does have a five year warranty.

Lots of people over on WashertalkUK, who happen to be repair persons/appliance hobbists like ourselves say the same thing. With all the noise about being "green" and protecting the planet and it's resources, what is the good of building appliances that will break down in about five or six years and require chucking out and replacement. To be fair, many UK and European countries now require appliances to be recycled, and even if not mandatory, many are; still.

 

[launderess]

Sorry

Site is Washerhelp,not Washertalk

http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=209

 

[MrX]

Just be warned : you need to activate the 5 year parts warranty by calling the number listed for the UK or Republic of Ireland! It's free to activate, but they register your name, DOB and the machine's model no, cost, etc

I took an optional extended warranty with the store too. They cover all repairs and replacement of the machine with a new equivalent should the repair value exceed its value.

Also, under Irish consumer protection law, you're entitled to a lot more than a 12 month statutory guarantee. Any product is expect, by law, to have a reasonable life span. 12 months would more than likely be considered too short for a pricy washing machine. So, if the manufacturer / retailer fails to provide service you can take them to small claims court for the full cost of the repairs / machine.

 

[launderess]

Just to be fair, it has been disucssed over on Washerhelp as here; laundry appliance makers are caught between a rock and a hard place. If they build them "like they used to", consumers balk at the costs, and look to lower priced machines. If they try to give away the store, their stock price gets hammered and heads roll. Either way not a pretty picture.

As I've often said, many of the appliance greats saw the writing on the wall from the late 1960's or so: major appliances were moving towards, and indeed probably have reached a mature stage in the market cycle. No longer are washing machines, dishwashers, dryers, etc a luxury; but a comfort that everyone can afford (thanks to easy credit). There simply isn't a point from many appliance maker's point of view to knock themselves out on quality when regardless of how the thing is built, it will probably be chucked out or otherwise disposed of within 10 years as people want something "new" or move.

Commercial laundry appliances, for the most part have held standards, but then again they have to, don't they? No laundry owner is going to plunk down several thousands for a machine that will constantly break down and or end up as rubbish within five years.

L.

 

[hotpoint9534]

It is my opinion that it is peoples' attitudes that need to change when it comes to choosing to repair or replace. But how can these attitudes change if the manufacturers aren't prepared to be proactive and make the things repairable? The whole thing is a vicious circle.

Fair enough there's the fact that many appliances are now recycled, but it still requires alot of energy and resources to manufacture and transport the things in the first place does it not?

I'm not sure that the wanting something 'new' aspect is always commonplace, I know plenty of people who would still have older machines repaired if it was economical to do so.

Finally, putting a few bolts on a tub to allow bearing replacement would cost only a few pounds more than welding the thing together at the most. Any manufacturer who still takes pride in making a quality product over profits will realise this.

Certain Italian manufacturers in particular seem far more concerned with profit and design than actually turning out a quality product, have they no shame at all? Money isn't everything is it?!

Tom

 

[Bearpeter]

MrX

I have an Indesit still under warranty and the most basic model (not through my choice).
My issue is the rinsing.
Whist it uses water up to one third on the porthole, it only does 2 rinses. Even with a half load of cottons, I have to put the load through a second set of 2 rinses to achieve a decent result.
If I have done a large load of whites, (not even the machines 5KG maximum) I sometimes have to do 6 rinses in all!
My 4 year old AEG washer dryer can deal much better with less water over 4 rinses and high spins on cottons than the indesit.
IN my opinion.... not impressed with Indesit unless you do an extra rinse cycle with 2 rinses almost every time. This way, I get the result I would expect.

As far as Miele is concerned.
I had a commercial Miele WS5425 (i think).
On the wool cycle it filled with about 2 inches showing at the bottom of the drum on both the wash cycle and rinse cycles. It then would turn the drum full circle once per minute and that rythm would carry on throughout the programme. Not good at rinsing, which in my opinion is pretty important for woolies. They should be washed gently and rinsed quickly and thoroughly. The programme was very inadequate, sorry

Peter

 

[2drumsallergy]

Miele

Hi Peter,
I have a Miele W3985WPS which is Miele's current top of the line washer it cost me £1300. By default it only does two low level rinses on cottons cycles and to be honest does not rinse at all well unless Water-plus with extra rinse is selected. I have also selected maximum water level rinses in the service menu, this makes the machine fill one third up the door glass during all rinses. I live in a very soft water area so rinsing is much more of a problem here.

I found my Aqualtis (Sadly no longer with me) good at rinsing only needing the extra rinse option on large loads of towels.

It is very unusual to find modern machines that do three rinses, I suppose its European legislation that forces manufacturers hands.

David