How To Choose The Best Washing Machine

!±8± How To Choose The Best Washing Machine

Ah, the washing machine. This may be one of the group of appliances which are bought at a rather high price, gives us service, but we tend to take for granted. The washing machine either ends up at the basement or outside our backyards, where it is left alone, broken, cold, accumulated dust and all...

Thank you for taking time to read my dramatics. Seriously, the laundry machine is one of our primary investments when we are building a home. Most families tend to buy a washer before any other appliances and furniture for their house because indeed, it serves an important purpose. Unless you are willing to lug your laundry each and every day to the Laundromat for some expensive washing.

Since the laundry appliance could be considered as an important investment specially for growing families, it is only proper that we know what we need. Not all washing machines are the same and not each model is perfect for you and your family's lifestyle. So before you head out the door to buy a washer, you should first know what washer is best for you.

Here are some of the important factors you need to consider in choosing the best washing machine.

Size matters

The biggest laundry appliance may also look like the meanest one, not to mention the most durable and modern. Not to mention the most expensive (your friends will surely look at your laundry machine with envy!). Not to mention that it will surely take up all the space in your house! Oops?

If I were you, before I go to the department and start my quest for the perfect washing machine, I would do myself a favor and measure up the available space I have in my house. Laundry machines, like any other appliances, come in a wide variety of sizes. If you're living in a condominium or renting an apartment, please don't buy the mammoth one.

Then again, if you know you have plenty of space, then go ahead! Nothing is stopping you. A clothes washer with a big capacity is also very helpful for bigger families with tons of laundry each week. This lessens the number of batches to be done so it conserves energy. However, if you are living alone, even if you do have a lot of space in your house, it would be better if you go with the smaller one - just enough to handle your own laundry.

Front loader or top loader?

This is a very important decision to make before buying a washing machine. Debated for so long, the modern front loader seemed to recently gain much more popularity than its traditional cousin, the top load machine. So what should you get?

If you have back problems or if you have difficulties bending down, I would recommend that you get a top loader. You may also get a top loader if you are the kind of person who is fond of adding additional clothes to the laundry batch already being washed.

However, if that is not much of an issue, a front loader is better. It conserves water and energy (a front loader uses just about a third of what a top loader uses), it is not as space consuming, and because it doesn't use a central agitator, it lessens wear and tear on clothes. A front loader is more expensive than a top loader but you can save up on operational costs. Also, you will encounter less motor problems with a front load machine.

Energy efficiency

An Energy Star label is one of the most important things tat you should check when choosing a new washer. In the past ten years, modern washing machines have already been designed especially to conserve not only energy but also water. When you buy an energy efficient washing machine (or any other appliance for that matter), you are not only helping your bills; you are also helping nature.

Look for one that has a good rating. It may also help if you buy a model from the trusted brands. This is because some smaller companies have put fake Energy Star seals on their own models to increase sales. A truly energy efficient washing machine may cost you more but trust me, you will see your savings once you see significant decrease on your bills. Just look at it as an important investment, something you'll not regret over time.