What would your dream laundry appliance be like?

[funguy10]

If Mr. Unimatic1140 is living his dream of actually building his dream machine, the rest of us can at least talk about what ours would be like. Here you can decribe what your dream washer, dryer, or dishwasher would have. just use the the following label system to introduce what kind of appliance you are talking about:

TL:Top-Load washer
FL:Front-Load washer
HATL:Horizontal-Axis Top-Load washer
Dryer
DWishwasher

 

[washerfanatic]

TL: Anti-Unbalancing Technology, no more hassling with going to the machine and redistibute you laaundry. Center Dial, like the old maytags. NO ATC. You just can't wash anything in very hot water. Lifetime quality on parts instead of 5-year limit.

FL: Adjustable water level, high spins every time, no balance protocol, antique letters and aqua, pink and yellow colors.

DW: Knobs and Pushbuttons to prevent power surges in a lightning storm. KA quality racks, as in Hobart Construction quality before WP screwed up big time.

I'll think of more later.

 

[washerfanatic]

Oh yeah, several things. How about hot/warm button on both top/front loaders that many people on here crave? How about a window on FL to see the drama in the machine?

DW: If electronics is your game, how about time left display on the FRONT and wash/rinse/dry/water heat status light on the front. No guessing game like the hidden models. A big pump to blast water all over your dishes. No wimpy sprays like most DW today. 10-14 gal. of water for every cycle instead of 5-7 like most.

 

[volvoguy87]

Mine...

Washer: TL, See: Frigidaire Unimatic WCI-58. Must have a large window in the lid and a large viewing window on the front. Must have a Suds Saver, and a 1st rinse saver, like the GE AW6. Lighted tub and cabinet are required, as are an actual (clean it yourself) lint filter.

Dryer: Classic WP/KM with the lint filter on top. Must have a drum light that can run during the cycle, and a window in the door.

DW: The looks of a Kitchenaid KD-10 or 12. Internal water heater and heated, fan-forced drying are required. The cleaning ability and racking flexability of my family's MAytag Jet Clean, vintage 1998.

That's it for now,
Dave

 

[compactc9]

Even though it would be very fimsy, a TL with all clear plastic housings, cabinet, and tubs would be fun. Seeing all the parts moving inside can be very interesting.

 

[tomturbomatic]

A washer/dryer that washes, dries, irons and either folds or puts clothes on hangers.

A dishwasher that unloads itself.

I guess I just need a people instead of dream appliances.

 

[revvinkevin]

Mine too....

I don't know if this is necessarily my "dream laundry" but is certainly a start.

It would be a larger front load machine (about 4.0 cu ft.) with fully customizable electronically controlled wash programs, not unlike Roberts Super Unimatic 2.0.

Meaning fully customizable:
1. Standard preprogrammed cycles (a place to start)
2. Cycle specifically for "towels" (thanks Golittlesport!)
3. Wash and rinse temps
4. Water levels for wash and rinse
5. Low speed spin spray rinse
6. Variable extraction (spin) speeds and duration

A display that shows the precise amount of detergent, bleach, fabric softener or other additive to add, based on the load, cycle chosen (and water hardness). Or automatic injection pumps for same, like the commercial units (below).

Also either a through-the-door fill/spray rinse OR a well designed, inside fill/spray rinse flume.

Of course that would include a matching, but not as complex, dryer too. As long as it has a much higher air flow (CFM), some sort of moisture sensing and an automatic "set it and forget it" mode, I am good with that.

I'm sure I forgot something, but there you have it.

(A friend of mine used to own a dry cleaners & shirt laundry and had a machine very similar to the one in this link. Nice machine!)

Industrial washers and dryers from UniMac®

UniMac® is the industry leader in industrial washers and dryers. Ease-of-use and heavy-duty quality combine to give you lasting performancefor relentless loads.

www.uniwash.com

 

[Bearpeter]

Pete's point of view

FL - for wash quality without having to pre treat...
Fully variable:-
Wash temp
Wash level
Wash time?soil level
Rinse level
variable rinses
Spin speed
Spin time
In all a machine that I can determine every step of the process would be good.
There are many great aspects of many manufacturers machines that I would love to personalise into one machine

Peter

 

[bingwsguy]

A front loader of Miele quality with 20lb capacity, 200 degree wash temps, 7 rinses, and 2000 rpm spin with no cabinet vibration. Oh....and all of that for an affordable price.

 

[laundryshark]

ore than Just a Washer...

One that has an MP3 player, radio, TV receiver for listening to music while laundering. Also, a machine with a smooth, stainless steel tub, combination long-stroke, surgilator type agitator, 2-minute spray rinse, spin speed of at least 1,000 RPM, simple program cycles, but customizable to my liking. Most of all, needs to be accessible with center dial and push buttons. If the machine lacks any dials, then a Playstation quality sound chip with talking interface is a definite necesity.--Laundry Shark

 

[laundryshark]

More than Just a Washer or Dryer...

The dryer should do its job without any excess heat (or the lack thereof) with a smooth rustproof drum. The filter, motor, and cabinet assembly should be designed for easy access for cleaning and maintenance. Same holds true for the afore-mentioned dream machine washer.--Laundry Shark

 

[laundryshark]

And What About My Dishwasher?...

And while I'm at it: I'll accept a dishwasher with a 10,000 whirling sprays per minute spray tube that reaches every cubic inch of space in the tub. Of course, what good is the unit if the water does not remain of a disinfecting quality hot temperature? Silverware and smaller kitchen utensil type wash bins that keep items from being tossed all over the inside of the machine, but still allowing every item to be thoroughly dishwashed.--Laundry Shark

 

[dj-gabriele]

Dream washing appliance, uh?!
That's called dry-cleaner... give them dirty clothes, get back clean clothes, plus they're ironed and if they get damaged you get a refound.

For my home i'd like a sleek looking horizontal axis, front loading machine with a big fashionable window (like SMEG) with at least the following characteristics:

- minumum water consumption
- dual water inlet (so hard to find in Italy!)
- 2000rpm variable spin (like Gorenje)
- 7kg capacity
- drying of laundry (full 7 kg, just like Candy 5+5)
- a memory for the most frequently used programmes (one button does it all like the so mis-talked Indesit Moon)
- possibility of programming the cycle
- automatic detergent & softner dispenser
- quiet
- tub light

Of course i'm not taking into account things that are "granted" to the typical washer like stainless steel interior, heating element, off-balance sensor and over-foaming sensor, ecc...

Also a self cleaning pump filter would be nice... but since i never cleaned my filter in... err...10 years... who really cares?

 

[dj-gabriele]

For a dryer (don't really feel the need for one but...) here's my idea:

- energy efficient heat pump (ventelss condensor)
- fast drying time
- low heat
- glass window in the front
- tub light
- parfume dispenser
- self cleaning filter
- one button does it all feature (again like the Moon, i hate programming the washer!)

 

[miele4848]

to revvinkevin

In Germany we have a Miele washer that might be after your fancy. It has a load sensor and automatically adds the right ammount of liquid detegent:

 

[miele4848]

My Dreamwasher

My dreamwasher should have the following features:

-Various waterlevel settings
-high spin speed (1800 rpm)
-push and start
-load sensor

surprise, here it is:

Miele Kitchen Appliances | Miele UK

Live life and enjoy your kitchen with Miele: a full range of appliances with outstanding performance, for design and cooking aficionados.

www.miele.co.uk

 

[lightedcontrols]

My dream laundry!

Let's start with a solid tub Kelvinator agitatior washer in a Frigidaire 1-18 size with a row of small holes in the bottom of the tub, that serves as sediment ejectors, and for recirculation (aka lint filter) purposes. We'll use a center dial time line control that lights up in different colors depending on the cycle chosen. Cycles will include up to a 14 minute regular wash, a 14 minute perm press, a 14 minute delicate, and a 20 minute heavy cycle. We'll also add the option of up to a 2 hour soak cycle that can be added to any of the above cycles that will begin in the middle of any of the wash portion of any of the cycles listed. As an option the user may also choose an extra rinse in addition to the overflow rinse/cool down of all cycles. Water temps will be Hot, warm, cool, & cold in any combination the user chooses. The speeds will be infinate at the users discression or programed into an automatic cycle. The washer tub is lighted by means of fiber optics and the lid is a solid piece of glass.
The dryer will have a large solid drum much like the Frigidaire 1-18. Heat will enter at the front bottom of the dryer drum and vent out the lower part of the back of the drum. The lint filter is accessed from the top of the cabinet like a Whirlpool. The controls for drying will match the washer. Heat settings are infinate. The user will have the versatility of using an automatic cycle or a timed cycle. The dryer drum is lighted and has a sun-e-day lamp! The door is a flat piece of glass.

 

[norgeman]

Re: building the perfect washer

I would like to see the design of a Westy Laundromat with a 4.5cub.tub and stainless steel drum and baffles. Infanite waterlevel control which the user adjust to their liking and a timer dial that has at lest 3 different cycles like, (normal, permante press, and delicate.) and wash times to match the cycle like 15min. for normal, and 8min. for per.press, and 6min. for delicate. Temps would range hot/warm, hot/cold, warm/warm, warm/cold, and cold/cold. Getting back to the water level on full/or max it would bring water half way up the window or theres abouts. And last but not lest a tempered glass window big enough for easy viewing. All in a cabinet desgin of that of the 1957 Westinghouse Laundromat and the dryer would have an 8cbu. ft drum stainless steel with a 21in. steel fan in the back of the drum to blow the air through the drum instead of sucking the air through giving the clothes room to circulate and billow dry. All with a timed and automatic cycles and different heat settings and no heat and a stop and dry feature that allowes you to dry things like sweaters and maybe a soggie newspaper flat, and both come with optional pedestals to move them up for easy access for loading and unloading.

 

[bongobro]

The perfect appliances for your real-life world...

Hey, tomturbomatic: People hug you...appliances can't!

(;-<)

Now to bongobro's dream appliances:

TL: Porcelain top (not that cheap painted crap!); lighted backsplash (those high-efficiency fluorescent bulbs would be cool...full (tempered safety) glass lid; flexibility in wash/rinse temperature options (H/W, H/C, W/W, W/C, C/C), wash/spin speeds (N/N, N/S, S/N, S/S) and water levels; Filter-Flo style lint filter on top of the agitator (really old school, but it would serve as a powder-detergent dispenser and remind you to clean the lint filter regularly!); capability to automatically dispense liquid detergent, fabric softener, and bleach like the old Norge Dispensomats; (old) Maytag-style transmission; stainless steel perforated tub; spray and deep rinses...and none of this quirky electronic stuff that can go haywire in a power surge...

Oh, and of course a full range of colors: Petal Pink, Canary Yellow, Turquoise Blue, Coppertone Brown, Mint Green, Charcoal Gray and Snowcrest White (a cross between GE Mix and Match and 50s Frigidaire colors); and WTF, let's add Poppy Red (Frigidaire), Marina Blue (bright blue cribbed from the '66 Corvette), and the old Whirlpool shades of Platinum and Toast...but NO AVOCADO GREEN!

FL: Unique slant-front design with wide drop-down doors (a bit of Westy here, guys)...same temperature flexibility as the TL; built-in pedestals (none of this extra-cost crap!) to make both washers and dryers easier to load; spray rinse as well as regular rinses...porcelain top with the controls on a panel at the top front, rather than crammed all together in a little space on the front of the machine (okay, there goes the Space-Mates stacking, but with the control panel up and the units raised, no probs there)...same color choices as TLS...

HATL...Not very economically feasible, but as long as we're dreaming, just take the top from the TL and adapt it to the FL (only it would have to be a straight-front cabinet with TL-style controls...)

D: Pedestals for all models whether matching TL, FL, or HATL washers; same provision for porcelain tops, lighted controls, etc.; dual filtration system that filters the air as it comes into the dryer (a Westy-type steel fan would be great) as well as filtering out the lint. Stainless steel drum...

DW: A pedestal to raise loading height to realistic levels so you can access ALL dishes easily; pedestal could be used to store infrequently used pots and pans, as a storage drawer on a stove is....will have to give the DW further thought...