V-Zug Adora arrive in UK...!!!

[launderess]

Sorry about the mix up in washer capacity/size, must have gotten hold of a manual for a different model.

Must be some very hard water in V-Zug land as it makes so many references to water conditioners. Most laundry detergents sold in the EU/UK are more than capable of dealing with the often rock hard water in some areas. Though one can purchase either soda crystals or Calgon to soften water as well, but many washing machine repairmen say it is really not required if one is dosing detergent correctly.

Noticed the thing about dispensing "bleach" later in the cycle as well. For those in the USA note that when European washing machine makers and others refer to bleach, they most always mean oxygen type, not chlorine. One can purchase all and sundry sorts of oxygen bleaches to add to wash cycles in the EU/UK. Range goes from Vanish type stain removers to "FleckenSalz" to liquid hydrogen peroxide. The powders are mainly sodium percarbonate which is rapidly replacing sodium perborate in EU/UK for various reasons.

IIRC most TOL and even MOL laundry detergents in the EU/UK are still designed for long step cycle washes, even if the final wash temperature is less than "boiling". This is also possible with detergents labled designed for "quick washes".

Find when using Persil, things are normally clean long before the water reaches boiling, this is perhaps Henkel's push to promote cleaning in cold or cool water.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Water Hardness

Yes Laundress, Switzerland has all degres of water from Very hard in the North, Hard in the Mid Regions and Soft in the Southern regions, the instruction book even mentions a User Defined Setting for "Soft Water Regions" such as Ticino in the South of Switzerland...

SOFT WATER: This user defined setting gives a slightly reduced wash action to prevent excessive foaming, the amount of rinse water is increased by adding extra rinses and the water levels are higher....

Well it certainly covers all options, I think the user manual needs to have an addendum for country specific...although we use OxyAction type bleaches such as Vanish and softeners such as Calgon, these are promoted as adding it to the washpowder altogether...

So this is possibly the only household machine that could optimise these products...although for soft water washing with Soap based powder the water softener is added to pre-wash compartment and not main wash as we do now!!!

Ohh.. look out helpdesk!!!

 

[foraloysius]

In Germany and perhaps in some other German speaking countries you can find "Baukasten Waschmittel" in some stores. These detergents exist of separate components that you can buy as you need them. The components are:

1. basic detergent
2. water softener
3. oxygen bleach
4. scent

You add as much from each of them as you want. V-Zug is optimized for using these "Baukasten Waschmittel". My AEG Öko Lavamat 6450 has the possibility to ad water softener before the detergent.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Multi-Component Powder

Louis, very interesting, makes sense if water conditions are so different...

Would that break down further into synthetic powders and Soap based powders, I take it these are not mainstream Henkel type powders etc??

Nathan: Drum volume is 60ltrs, 1kg / 8kg capacity, does look huge even though the VAS balancing baffles are big!!!

Melvin: yes very solid and do weigh a ton,

Darren: Wetclean cycle will do later today!!am very pleased to say the only thing holding me back is the day job!!!

Chris: yes , and a lot longer I hope, have asked about computer updates for the next decade...LOL

 

[launderess]

Soap Based "Detergents"

Such as Le Chat's "Savon de Marseille" soap chips, are very popular in many parts of Europe. Products basically are mainly soap with some sort of water softener, and or chemical surfactants,scent and perhaps bluing.

Many Europeans think soap is better for laundering especially for fine linens and baby's things. Not to mention "tree huggers", and other "Greens" who avoid petro-chemicals where possible

Don't know if one can purchase STPP (phosphates) in Europe to use as a water softener. Many European/UK detergents contain lots of the stuff, but never have seen it on supermarket shelves.

Lux soap flakes used to be sold in the UK, but then they vanished. IIRC another company brought back soap flakes and has a decent consumer base.

Problem with soap in a front loader is that it creates scum and can promote mould if one is not careful. Though have tons of various laundry soaps, am pretty much giving up on the stuff after finding mould growing in the pump area. Never have that problem when using TOL detergents such as Persil. This even though Persil contains about 5% soap.

 

[electron1100]

Vzug

This machine seems to turn everything on its head, every aspect of washing clothes has been looked at and thought through and then a machine designed and built to carry out these tasks

When you look at mainstream machines they are a joke by comparison, absolutely amazing this one though.........a combination of superb build and high technology, which is how it should be.

It just shows how cheap electronics have ruined mainstream washing machines........just glitter boxes with no substance to them..........

I too was taken aback when i saw it had a stainless steel tub, though i did notice the decent size bearings ...........

Well done Mike and thanks for restoring my faith in modern designed machines.

Gary

 

[rolls_rapide]

ECOVER Washing Powder + ECOVER Bleach Powder

A few years ago, you could buy Ecover's washing powder and a packet of Ecover oxygen bleach powder.

Could this be the reason for that cycle?

 

[logixx]

www.skip.de

Skip is one of these German multi-component detergents. Basic detergent for colors and delicates, bleach for stains and whites and water softener.

 

[favorit]

Household wetcleaning cycles

To be honest it isn't a TRUE wetclean cycle, as wetcleaning baths are never done with PURE water. Even interim rinse(s) is (are) done with a sour to protect fabrics.
So it can be performed only by those machines that have detergents/sours supplied by pumps

Miele has similar cycles, named "wool/handwash" and silk/handwash on household machines and standard Little Giants. Very low levels (wet, not "old school" soaked) no tumbling but very delicate motion

They call these cycles "wetcleaning cycle" only on those Little Giants / bigger professional washers equipped with dispensing pumps, so that all baths can be run with the proper sours

Anyway since ten years ago when we got the W844 with the wool/handwash cycle we rarely take any items to the drycleaner. Dry clean only woolens/cashmere even last longer if they were drycleaned, the same is for raincoats.

I have a Loden jacket (boiled wool - dry clean only item) that has been "wetcleaned" more than 10 times. Each time it comes out of the 1200 rpm spin without a wrinkle. A couple of hours on a hanger and it is ready for use

Mike have you already "played" with the step-skip feature ?
I'd go crazy for it. Press the rapid advance button once and it makes the whole rinse routine. Press it twice and it makes the last rinse only .... wow, it's like going back to timers )

Are you using it on euro mode or with those supersonic Swiss wash times that could be a battlehorse in the US ?

 

[favorit]

Water softener then detergent like Lavamats

As Louis wrote this feature was common on late 80's A.E.G. Lavamats. The first five minutes of the wash bath are run only with Calgon/Calfort to soften water. Then the detergent is added by a further fill in the same bath.
As the water is softened it is possible to use far less detergent
A.E.G. claimed this system was OEKO (ECO) : oeko-nomical and oeko-logical.
Alongside with the ball valve in the drain it was very effective to save lots of powder

 

[ronhic]

I gather the Euro mode has longer standard times and the Swiss have US style times?

Given the requirement of mechanical action v's water consumption, does it use more water on the Swiss settings?

 

[favorit]

swiss mode = higher water level

After reading the manuals I guess so, it's a bit like those "sloshy washes" of vintage mieles that ran a boilwash within an hour. The load saturates faster so it is washed/rinsed faster ... but the bills are higher. The Swiss don't care, they've plenty of banks, while we've plenty of -river-banks *LOL*

It's just the same idea on those dishwashers with Turbo and Variospeed feature : more water = more pressure = less time, but a bit higher bill

 

[favorit]

"Drum volume is 60ltrs"

So it is a 6 kg machine, not 8 IMHO

All the producers are kidding : Miele says its new 60 ltrs drum holds 7 kg .... Candy/Hoover says even 9 kg ....

Commercial machines keep on using the 1:10 ratio (ten cubic decimetres/litres per each kg of load). Not a case

 

[ronhic]

Give me a 60-75min 40c cycle with wash water 3cm up the door over a 120min wash with no visible water anyday...

...and hang the minor increase in electricity cost

The Swiss really do ROCK!

 

[ronhic]

When it comes to capacity and capability here, Choice will test the machine at it's stated capacity to ensure that the playing field is level.....

...I've seen pictures and read articles where the machine can not physically hold the stated capacity (American manufacturers being particularly guilty)...so it will be interesting to see how it performs here at the stated capacity on a normal cycle with a cold water (yuck) wash....

Which I would completely ignore and wash at 40c anyway!

 

[foraloysius]

Not totally by coincidence I was in a German supermarket yesterday and saw the Skip products there.

This capacity overrating is a hype that should be dealt with as soon as possible by the European consumer organisations. I think a test with a standard load of laundry should do it. Weigh it and try to stuff it in! I'm sorry that V-Zug is going with this stupid hype.

BTW, now I have seen these washer and dryer next to eachother I noticed that they are not completely matching. The design of the bottom part of the front is different. It's actually just like GE with the Filter Flo machines. The front panel of the washer ends at the bottom while the dryer has an extra panel and a small baseboard.

 

[spiralator60]

Machine Control Panels

Mike,

Congratulations on the machines! They look fantastic.

I see that the control panels on the washer and dryer tilt out and up from the vertical position. How far does the panel rotate? Is this something that happens when the power is turned on or a button is pressed, like the door to the CD-ROM drive on a computer?

Darryl