Hmmm
Personally, I am not a fan of the "Bells, Whistles and Singing" approach that the Koreans seem to think is necessary with their products.
I also believe these "Sanitise," "Steam" and "Allergen" cycles are really just misnomers for some variation to a Cottons cycle.
The other day, I washed, waxed and polished one of the cars. It created a lot of dirty microfibre cloths.
Granted, they were pre-rinsed (lest I get the Miele full of polishing compounds), but were treated with a completely stock "Cottons 60º" on the Miele (Set to "European" function).
Cycle was supposed to be almost 3hrs, but was cut back 45mins at the start after load sensing.
I used about 2.5 scoops of "Omo" HE detergent; knowing the greasy polishing compound is pretty heavy stuff, and needs a good HOT wash and plenty of soap to get it out.
After the time had elapsed, perfectly clean cloths came out. Yes, the FL smelt a touch like polish, but I doubt even an SQ washer wouldn't after a load like that - full of water or not (Since you cannot really clean the outer tub).
The results of this load were quite spectacular; I wish I had taken photos of the results. Yes, about 4x longer than an SQ, but results were accomplished without much water or electricity.
Getting back to where I was; I feel that American FL's need to head towards a European stance in regards to cycles, where there is a simple selection to cater for everyday cloths, and slightly more speciality items (which have differing tumble patterns and water levels and spinning patterns).
I feel "Sanitise," "Steam" and "Allergen" can be replaced with a single "Cottons" cycle, with temperatures up to boiling, from tempered cold, and a selection for more water/extra rinse. Problem solved.
Anyone complaining about their heating and cooling costs might care to consider that Australians have to put up with weather hotter than most other countries in the West; with Summer temperatures reaching almost 50ºC (122ºF) on occasion.
Our house, with low ceilings, is fitted with a prehistoric A/C unit. We cannot keep the house cooler than 27ºC (80ºF) in the Summer, since the cost simply becomes too great - thankfully, our electricity is about 3 c/kWh cheaper now that our silly "Carbon Pricing" scheme; which does squat for the climate (Since business just pass on the costs, which therefore increases the costs of Australian goods, meaning even more jobs go offshore). was scrapped. Still, our summer powerbill is almost $1000, and the ones before and after still get to about $500-$600.*
*Before ANYONE suggests replacing the dinosaur ducted A/C unit, we've considered this. We dislike the idea of mini-splits, as they don't have the option of a cycling fan, reducing humidity control. They are also introduce a very perceptible draft that makes the room uncomfortable, unlike the central air, which is "draftless" cooling.
Even with the savings of a mini-split, (inverter) or new ducted unit, we're still looking at about 15-20 years to pay back the huge investment for either style of unit - Which is cost-prohibitive, especially when you consider we could move within the next 5 years! (Perhaps we should just suck it up, and stay more comfortable?)
But I digress:
My recommendation would be an SQ if you are time-strapped, and really want no-nonsense washing.
HOWEVER, as Bob highlighted, (and others), an FL can save large amounts of money and deliver acceptable or better results, provided people UNDERSTAND their machines have cycles that are tailored to meet "Government Mandates," and will those cycles are therefore effectively useless for everyday usage.
And I've said it before, and I'll say it again: There is ZERO need to run "Clean Washer" cycles, with special 'Cleaning products,' if people USED THEIR MACHINES CORRECTLY. This means:
~ Adequate detergent dosage to meet the soil level of the objects being washed
~ Adequate water temperature (This means using cycles that actually engage the heater; U.S. machines get this from "Sanitise," "Steam" and "Allergen" cycles/options)
~ Leaving the door ajar after use.
If people bothered to take care of their machines, and stopped believing that "Hot" = HOT on today's machines (Or stopped believing the Cold Water Washing hype), there wouldn't be a need for this. If you live in an area with hard water, using Vinegar as a fabric softener or citric acid in loads of "Shop Rags" should help alleviate the problem.