Ideal Washer Control Panel

[Chetlaham]

How do you imagine your ideal washer control panel if you could have anything you asked for or wanted built to perfection with no strings attached? How many knobs? What cycles? What options? Few settings or many? Lights? Indicators? Buzzers? Color scheme? Chrome? Folding panels? Piano keys? 

 

There are no limits, as little or as much as you desire. 

 

 

Personally I am an extreme ludite. The washer I imagine would have only have the bare basics I use, pre-wash, wash, rinse and spin. A fabric knob based on the sorted load I am washing. Variable water level for all load sizes. White on black with grey. 5 colored indicator lights run-soak-wash-rinse-spin. Easy grip rubber knobs, deep satisfying clicks, sturdy clunk-clunk-clunk EM timer. Metal fascia with glossy scratch resistant coating. Embossed company emblem.     

 

 

Ok, maybe I'd prefer chrome trim with turquoise, bright colors, lighted console, metal knobs and a mid century look. But it wouldn't match my current color scheme going on through out the house hence the bland vanilla. My apologies for fantasizing about to opposite extremes lol.      

 

 

 

 

[pierreandreply4]

this would be my ideal controls for a washer

this would be my ideal control panel no lid lock for the lid side opening lid with a glass to see or check on the wash when needed all brands with wash rinse speed selector depending on fabric

 

[Chetlaham]

I like your tastes. I think Kenmore had the best control panel designs since the 60s. Every decade had something eye catching to them but in their own unique way.  

 

[gelaundry4ever]

control panel

first would be buttons consisting of sturdy cottons at the top, wrinkle free for the middle, and the bottom button would be for delicate nits. The second knob will be for load size, and the third would for temp. the fourth one would be for the actual cycles.

 

[Chetlaham]

Nice. I love GE's chrome push buttons, they're like the frosting on a cake.

 

[mrstickball]

Pierre has my answer. Kenmore Elite 80 series top. I'd consider replacing the knobs with something like a stainless steel, or the Whirlpool ebony/stainless VMW knobs they used between (I think) 2013-2016.

I would then integrate the lid of a WT8400CB from LG - its sleek, stylish, and looks pretty nifty.

 

[me]

My favourite control panel is still the Hotpoint Microtronic X2000 my mum got in about 1980. I liked the nice sized, clearly labelled, tactile buttons, particularly the non latching centre 4 buttons that interfaced to the MCU. The programme numbers 1 - 8 corresponded to the numbers on standard British clothing care labels of the time, which were ordered by wash action, then temperature, so if doing a mixed wash, you'd just select the highest care label number from the labels for the programme number. Programme selection was a bit clunky, eg no back button, likely due to the very basic 4-bit microcontroller with very little memory. (A Texas Instruments chip, if I recall correctly), it was only the second or third microprocessor controlled washing machine on the UK market. The button to pop open the door was also quite neat, it was the old mechanical cable operated sort with a sprung "pecker" that pressed on the belt over the pulley so it would be flipped out of the way and the door wouldn't open while the drum was turning, the cable also passed through a mechanical linkage for water level, so it wouldn't open once it was at the door level.

If I was designing one myself, I would have separate buttons to select the Cotton cycle, Synthetic, Wool/acrylic, and one for speciality washes, with RGB illuminated borders, which would turn green to show which wash is selected. It would have a button to step through the temperature options, one for spin speeds, one for extra rinse(s), and a start/cancel button. The display would show the fill water temperature and level while it is filling, the wash water temp. while heating and the spin rpm while spinning along with the chosen temperature and remaining time.

When you press a button to select the wash type it would automatically select the temperature and spin speed and other options you most commonly used for that cycle, unless you'd already pressed the temperature button to select the temperature in the prior minute or so, and same for other options. Press one twice and it would select your alternate settings you'd stored. Press the extra rinse button without a wash cycle selected to select rinse(s) on its own, followed by a spin, similar for the spin button.