Launderess,
Don't commercial laundries also resort to a lot more alkaline detergents and additives that are then neutralized with a laundry sour?
Also, their incoming water temperature is significantly higher than what most households have to offer, I assume.
It doesn't seem fair to compare those two significantly different methods of laundering.
Earthling,
I didn't even notice they removed the pre-wash option from their new line.
Truth be told, never used it on my Elux 60 since it would fill with tap cold, tumble for 10 mins and then drain, no spin. Meaning lowered main wash temperature and plenty of left-over detergent.
For pre-wash I'd set the machine to normal, warm and let it agitate, then switch to rinse/spin.
Empiratory,
Mieles are fantastic but once I became Americanized through association they're just too small. There's only two of us and two shedding pets, so technically it *would* be possible to get away with a smaller machine, but collecting laundry and running larger loads is preferred here - especially whites and sheets. I think if a baby's on its way larger capacity would be beneficial as well. Especially considering cycle times of any FL, large or small, are similar.