why 10kg loads/ big capacity washers. this is my answer

[whichwasher2007]

i want people to respond with their reasons with why they don't get why people need a big capacity, or weather you like haveing a big capacity machine

i for love haveing a big capacity machine, as both towel loads in my current samsung are done every 4 days, and dark loads build up quickly too
i still manage to do 12 loads a week, even with only 3 people in the house, frankly a 5kg machine would be on 18 times a week. lol
i also love big capacity machine with easy of washing double duvets (all winter rated ones)
i can understand those who live on their own or those family's who wear clothes for several days and use towels before washing having a smaller capacity

i would though when i do live on my own eventually or with a female companion (one day, i hope...) to have a 5 - 6kg machine, with all the programs and gadgets of the top of the range spec,

caus it's apparent to me, if you want top of the range, you also get the biggest capacity

 

[qualin]

You know, it's funny... North Americans have a completely different definition of what they consider to be "Big Capacity".

We have a modestly sized front loader at home and it is an 8 kg machine with a 3.3 cu.ft drum. Between my Wife and I, we probably average about 2 full loads in it a week.

In comparison, we once had a top loader with a 5 kg capacity and we probably did about double the amount of loads in that washer than we do with our 8 kg.

Higher capacity machines here reach tub sizes up to 6.0 cu.ft. In comparison, Euro style front loaders rarely go past 2.2 cu.ft. (Unless they are LG, in which case, they are completely nuts.) As for weight capacity, I have no idea.

As the drum capacity gets larger, everything inside of the machine has to get beefed up. It has to have heavier suspension, stronger motor, etc. A lot of manufacturers are notorious for cutting corners on larger machines so they can market that ever larger tub while keeping the price down.

I'd say for two people, a 5 kg machine is adequate. (Although, for the longest time, Americans and Canadians used 5 kg top loaders for medium sized families.) An 8 kg machine is better for a small family. Anything more is overkill.

When I was growing up, we had a 5 kg top loader. That machine probably did at least one load of laundry a day.

 

[dave886]

Some people need a big machine, depending on there life style, i own a 12kg Samsung, why? we are an extremely busy family, and the only free time we have will be on a weekends and the washing definitely piles up for us as for i have sensitive skin that alone just increases the amount even more. life now, than in the 90s has changed, a typical 5kg machine wouldn't even cope on what we would throw at it. I must say the drum on my Samsung is very deep, you need to double check the drum before u put in a next load.

 

[dave886]

Some people need a big machine, depending on there life style, i own a 12kg Samsung, why? we are an extremely busy family, and the only free time we have will be on a weekends and the washing definitely piles up for us as for i have sensitive skin that alone just increases the amount even more. life now, than in the 90s has changed, a typical 5kg machine wouldn't even cope on what we would throw at it. I must say the drum on my Samsung is very deep, you need to double check the drum before u put in a next load.

 

[mattywashboy]

We have the 8kg Electrolux front loader and I got that so I would never have to cram the machine full to get everything I wanted in. The only time i get close to filling it to capacity is the towel load at the end of the fortnight, we have a billion towels so I wash these all together with the bath mats after about 12 days.

Every other load is separated enough so I only ever fill the machine just about half way. I separate my t-shirts from my jeans and my duvet cover from my mattress and pillow linen so yeah nothing other than the towels really fills the machine.

I like this because then the clothes tumble and splash in the water, not just moving around in a circle barely moving. I know thats still washing the clothes but not 'properly' in my mind.

So in summary for two people I could get away with a 5/6kg machine and I have in the past, I CHOOSE to have the larger machine because it in my opinion washes my clothes better based on my seperating habits

Ciao!

Matty xxx

 

[fido]

I think in UK it is largely market led. One manufacturer comes out with a bigger capacity machine and the rest follow suit to maintain their market share. Customers then look round the showroom and notice that some of the models claim to take a bigger load so that's what they buy. I did have a few customers who said they bought a big capacity machine to take a double duvet, something they probably only wash about once a year. A lot of modern machines seem to have very long wash times so you can lose the benefit of a bigger drum. The old 95 and WM series Hotpoints may have only had small drums but you could get through a lot more loads in a day. This meant you didn't have to mix loads so much. You could perhaps do a load of towels then a load of whites then colours, all at different temperatures. Now the temptation will be to chuck everything in together.

 

[dj-gabriele]

I think in UK it is largely market led.

Same goes for all the other countries!

I refuse to believe that a family of 4 (just to say it) will generate more than 5 kg of dirty laundry per day even changing daily!
It's just a trend of getting always bigger machines and using them to a fraction of their capacity.
Also the excuse of washing duvets is just plain stupid, you will save money and time (and have it washed better) in a professional laundry compared to using a big underloaded machine all the time than a properly sized one correctly!

Also machines over 8-9 kg in standard cabinets are jokes! If one calculates load size with the old formula of 1kg = 10 litres, the machine with the biggest drum on the market would only be 8 kg and is rated at 11! The Asians are even worse! They push 12 kg of laundry in drums smaller than the ones of the 11 kg machine. (I'm leaving out the names on purpose!) You could push 1 kg = 9 litres of volume and still get good results but anything smaller than that and you'll have compressed laundry that needs double time to clean properly and that's why the bigger the capacity the longest must the cycle time be!

 

[launderess]

At Least In The American Market - Bigger Is Better

In general our homes, furnishing and increasingly bodies are large and thus a perceived need for a washing machine that can keep up.

Consider how popular the king sized bed is on this side of the pond. And if that wasn't enough the average width/depth of bed linen in all sizes has increased to compensate for American's using deeper mattresses and piling feather beds/pillow pad and so forth on top. Depending upon type of material and or construction one can get one or maybe two sets of king sized bedding into the Miele (each set being two sheets, two pillow slips). But consider also lots of Americans sleep with four or more pillows especially on larger beds and you are talking about perhaps running separate loads for each change of bedding.

The real culprit behind the need for larger machines (or at least why consumers here think they are required) is American housewives and others still cling to the "old" way of thinking; that is allowing laundry to build up then having one big wash day. This in turn having come from using top loaders historically they also want done quickly. Given how modern front loaders sold here can take >1.5 hours for a load you've got to make some choices. Either spend a good part of a day doing laundry, or obtain a large or uber-large machine that can hold al that washing to get things over with.

The number one reason older Miele washers are chucked out homes purchased by new owners is their "small" capacity. Then there is the fact what would do say when the household was just a single man or woman changes when they marry and have children. Most simply consider a 5kg washer too "small" and the Miele or similar units are kicked to the curb in favour of something larger.

 

[dj-gabriele]

Launderess, or anybody else with "king sized" bedding can weigh each piece for me?
I'm curious to find out how much weight difference there is with standard Italian bedding. I read that "king size" is 190x200 cm only 30 wider than our "matrimoniale" standard bed (160x200), so that can't really make a huge difference!

Thanks!

 

[foraloysius]

My bed is 180 x 220. I can easily fit the duvet cover (240 x 220), three pillow slips and a fitted sheet in my Miele and still have space for other things.

 

[launderess]

General Standard American Mattress & Sheet Sizes

Mind you it is hard to determine load size by weight as different weaves will vary.

For instance many percale sheets today sold in the USA are *VERY* crisp to the point of being almost water resistant. These do not compact down during the wash so regardless of their weight you cannot fit as many into a front loader as one normally might. Well you *could* but they won't come clean, and likely to emerge a wrinkled/creased mess.

OTHO sateen sheets do compact down but also vary in weight by vendor. The heavy end of the spectrum means again you cannot "cram" more than one should into the machine. Many linen makers will advise not crowding the washer as the abrasion caused by cramped quarters can cause excessive textile wear.[this post was last edited: 9/17/2012-03:50]

Bedroom Design Tips & Ideas

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interiordec.about.com

 

[foraloysius]

Link

"Acces denied".

 

[hoover1100]

Large capacity washers

Personally I don't see any need for them. When I lived with my parents there were 4 of us, my Dad and brother both played football and rugby most days of the week, as well as going to the gym and going running on evenings and weekends. This meant a lot of sports kit, school uniform, football and rugby strips, as well as cat bedding for 2 cats, 3 beds to strip, all those towels from the many showers they took after exercising and the normal washing on top of that.

All this was washed in a 4.5kg machine. It usually ran once a day, being turned on before we went to bed, and unloaded in the morning before school/work and hung out to dry (weather permitting), so on average 7 loads a week. These loads were almost always full, but never overloaded. Very rarely did we have a situation where there was more than enough of one type of load to make a full load and never once did we have to mix loads that would be better off being washed separately. Both my parents work full time, yet running a load a day in this manner was never a problem and would have been preferred to taking out a whole day on the weekend dedicated to just running load after load of washing!

Now there are only 3 of them in the house with a 6kg Miele and despite still having cats and my Dad and brother being as active as ever, my Mum often struggles to fill the machine before they run out of the necessary clothes and has to run it at less than capacity.

None of us ever wear clothes that are dirty, clothes were put in the wash as soon as they smelled or looked anything less than clean. Bath towels and bath mats went a week before washing, hand towels and cloths were changed as necessary and beds were stripped once a fortnight (a routine I still stick to). Personally I think the amount of washing some households generate is absurd, not to mention wasteful! If I had a machine with a drum volume greater than 50l, I'd have to either buy a lot more clothes so I didn't run out (which wouldn't fit in the wardrobe) or I'd have to run the machine with less than a full load (which I really hate doing).

Again there is also the argument that although it may be physically possible to cram 12kg into some of these machines, the wash times have to be insanely long to get them clean, not to mention the wear and tear to fabrics and the excessive creasing. Taking these things into account I believe the largest standard cabinet size machines on the European market can manage about 7-8kg of washing at a time (78l drum).

The other thing that bugs me is that a lot of these enormous machines may fit into a standard cabinet size, but they are deeper than 60cm to accommodate those enormous drums. Personally I think you can make a machine as stylish as you like, but if it sticks out of the cabinets it won't look particularly sleek in your kitchen!

I can see why people would want the option of washing massive 15tog super king duvets (Super king size beds being 7ft x 7ft) at home, but since these are rarely washed more than once a year, to me it would be a bit like owning a removal lorry and driving it round as your daily car just so that you don't have to hire a lorry when you move house!

Those are my feelings on it anyway.

Matt[this post was last edited: 9/17/2012-05:57]

 

[fido]

I agree with every word, Matt.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Personal preference...

at the end of the day.  I have got a new machine which has a bigger drum than my last one and I have to say I do like having the extra space, it is a lot more versatile.  I would never have the need myself for a 10kg machine, but feel that having a larger drum now I probably wouldn't go back to 5kg.

 

However, like I said at the end of the day it all boils down to personal preference and if somebody wants an 11kg machine then so be it if it's what they want, equally for those who want a 5kg machine.  After all that's why there is such variety on the market .

 

Jon

 

[paulinroyton]

Large Capacity Machines.

I to agree with Matt and Fido.

I had a 9kg LG washing machine. It was a good machine but if I only had a small load in it would take ages to balance or not even spin. In the end I sold the machine and now have a few vintage machines that don't have any problems with balancing issues.

Not only that the time it takes to complete a load is unreal. In my Miele W754 S a full load is done in just over 45 mins or so.

Cheers

Paul

 

[donprohel]

Habits

A duvet cover of mine weights 2.4 kg.

I strip the bed once a week.

I wash duvet covers every three weeks.

That's why I need the 63 litres drum of a 8 kg washing machine.

And no, I don't want to run the washing machine every day.

 

[qualin]

Don, it's funny you mention that you have an 8 kg machine with a 63 litre capacity. I think the marketing people in the UK are a little over enthusiastic.

My Huebsch is an 8 kg machine and it has a 94 litre drum capacity. Using that logic, I actually have a 12 kg machine, at least to UK standards anyway...

Here is the thread I posted when I got the machine...

Huebsch ZFN50R Arrived Today!!!!

Hello everyone. My Huebsch ZFN50R finally arrived today. The final price for it was $1896 (In Canadian Dollars) including shipping, delivery and installation. I ordered it on September 26, but the wait was worth it. This is considered to be a "Non-Core" item because of the rear control panel...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[donprohel]

Here in Europe washing machines are... enthusiastic

I agree with you, qualin, but I am afraid that the marketing people here smoke strange stuff when it comes to washing machines capacity.

The matter has already been discussed here on Automaticwasher: the rated weight capacity is pure fantasy (with 94 litres, here you could even have a 16 kg machine, if you give the right stuff to smoke to the marketing people!) and probably this is also the reason why the drum volume is not usually given (I wrote to the customer support to know it).