Washing Machine Buying Guide – How to Select the Right Washing Machine? (2022)
Introduction
The washing machine is one of the significant and widely-used appliances in Indian households today. It considerably saves the time and effort required to wash, rinse, and dry clothes. Gone are the days, when washing machines were only available in semi-automatic designs which need a fair amount of human intervention. Today, there are fully automatic machines that require little to no human intervention and come with a rich suite of wash cycles, features, and better capacities.
With so many options flooding the market, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose a washing machine.
In this detailed buying guide, we are going to see the factors one must consider before buying a washing machine.
Read on.
Semi Automatic vs Top Load Fully Automatic vs Front Load Fully Automatic
| Type of Washing Machine | Features | Perfect for | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-Automatic |
|
|
Rs.5000 to Rs.12000 |
| Top-Load Fully Automatic |
|
|
Rs.12000 to Rs.25000 |
| Front-Load Fully Automatic |
|
|
Rs.25000 and above |
Factors to Consider before buying a Washing Machine
Type
Depending on the number of wash programs and human intervention required, washing machines can be classed into two main categories:
-
Semi-Automatic:
These are entry-level units that require a lot of human intervention. You need to pour an adequate amount of water, add soap, drain the dirty water once the wash cycle finishes, and unload wet laundry into the dryer. Basically, you have to keep an eye on the wash cycle the entire time. Such types of machines have two different tubs: one for washing and one for drying. These units are budget-friendly and perfect for those who want to save energy.
You can check the best semi-automatic washing machine below 12000 in India here.
2. Fully Automatic:
Fully Automatic Machines can be divided into two types: Top-Load and Front-Load. As the name suggests, the top load machine is vertical and the clothes are loaded/unloaded from the top. Whereas the front load machine sits horizontally and clothes are loaded/unloaded from the front.
Fully Automatic machines only require you to turn ON the unit, add soap and select the ideal wash cycle. That’s it. The rest of the function is fully automatic. These units will automatically wash, rinse and dry the clothes in a single tub. With a continuous water supply, the water flows in and out automatically as per the requirement.
You can check the top 5 best fully automatic washing machines in India here.
Capacity
It is the weight of load a washing machine can bear and it is measured in ‘Kgs’. Larger the capacity, the more the number of clothes the machine can hold per wash cycle.
Washing machines are available from 4 kg to 10 kg load capacities per wash cycle. Depending on the number of people in your home and the amount of laundry load you have on a daily basis will decide what capacity is best for you.
An important thing to note is that the higher the capacity of the washing machine, the more will be the amount of water and power it consumes.
| Capacity | Number of Clothes | Ideal Family Size |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kg – 6.5 kg |
|
Couple or Bachelor |
| 7 kg |
|
3-4 members |
| 8 kg |
|
4-5 members |
| 10 kg+ |
|
5+ members
|
Size
The dimension of washing machines varies greatly as per their design. Always check the height, length, and width of the machine against the area you’re planning to install it in. Leave at least 16cm of clearance at the back to install piping. For semi-automatic machines, leave a minimum space of 1 inch between both tubs if they’re placed side-by-side.
Drum Materials
Depending on the price range, each washing machine may use different materials for its drums. Some may have plastic drums that are lightweight, inexpensive, and durable. Porcelain-enamel drums are easy to clean but not as durable as they can rust and chip away.
High-end washing machines come with a stainless steel drum that is highly durable, heavyweight, and rust-resistant. These can easily endure faster spin speeds. Typically, these drums are equipped with holes to allow the water in and out.
RPM Choice
RPM stands for revolutions per minute, which is the speed at which the drum spins. The higher the RPM, the better the machine is at draining the water from the clothes. This reduces the drying time of the clothes. Some units allow you to select the RPM as per the load- you can choose 400-600 RPM for light to medium loads. And, you can go as high as 1000-1200 RPM for heavy loads.
Fuzzy Logic
‘Fuzzy Logic’ is a modern-day feature found in many cutting-edge washing machines today. It is like an AI (Artificial Intelligence) program that uses sensors and logical thinking to automatically program the wash cycle. Based on the weight of the load, it will decide the wash duration, water intake, water temperature, etc. automatically. Different brands may brand this feature differently in their machines; some may call it “iSensoric”, “6th Sense” or other names.
Wash Programs you must know about
- Regular/ Cotton/ Normal: This is a cold wash cycle that is perfect for regular loads. It removes dirt and light stains from your everyday clothes such as jeans, shirts, cotton, linens, bed sheets, undergarments, towels, etc.
- Cotton 40°/60°: It is meant for your everyday cotton and linen loads that are moderately soiled or have light to medium stains.
- Cotton 90°: This cycle uses the highest water temperature to wash your heavily soiled whites. It is meant to clean tough stains and dirt from your white clothing made from linens or cotton.
- Gentle Handwash/Delicate Silk: It is meant for clothes that have a ‘Gentle wash’ label on them. It gently cleans the dirt from your delicate fabrics such as silk, georgette, chiffons, or any other kind.
- Super Quick Wash: It is a short cycle that can quickly wash a small load of lightly soiled clothes. It generally is a 15 min-20 min cycle with a fast spinning speed for quick washes. It is even perfect for when you just quickly want to rinse newly purchased clothes.
- Cold Wool Cycle: This cycle, as the name suggests, is meant for your woollen clothes. Typically, the load for this cycle is light and it gently washes the fabric with cold water at a slow spinning speed to avoid damage.
- Kids Wash: This cycle is meant for thorough cleaning of heavily soiled kids’ clothing. Longer wash cycles ensure no detergent is left on the clothes to keep them bacteria and odour free.
- Mix: It is meant for gentle washing of regular loads that have mixed fabric types including cotton, linens, polyester, rayon, etc. The cycle typically uses a warm water temperature for the wash.
- Synthetic: It is perfect for synthetic fabrics that are a little more delicate than cottons such as polyester or viscose. It uses a warm water temperature and low spinning speed than cotton cycles.
- Monsoon/Super Clean: This cycle is designed for the monsoon season when clothes take a longer time to dry. It gives your clothes a hot rinse and faster spin, so they dry quickly during rainy seasons. It also provides super clean wash quality as it uses hot water to deep clean the clothes.
- Hygiene/Anti-allergen: This wash cycle uses high water temperature meant to deep clean clothes that may have allergens, pet hair, viruses or bacteria. It is perfect for when you have a patient in your home and you want to clean their clothing or bedsheets.
Advanced Features to look for:
- Digital Display: Some hi-tech washing machines come with an intuitive digital LED/LCD display that displays wash cycle information such as time left, ongoing wash stage, etc.
- Time delay: It is a feature which you can use to schedule your wash cycle from 0 to 24 hours. This is perfect for people heading out of their home often.
- Pre-soak: It is a feature that pre-soaks your clothes in water to loosen up tough stains before the wash cycle begins.
- Drum Clean: It is a built-in cleaning cycle that deeply cleans the drum to ensure better maintenance and efficient performance of the machine in the long run.
- Foam Wash or Bubble Wash: A bubble wash mode will create tiny bubbles that go deep into the fabric for a deep clean. Different brands name this feature differently, some call it “Active Foam”, and others name it “Eco Bubble” and so on.
Warranty
Make sure your best-suited washing machine comes with an optimal warranty period and good after-sales service.
- Check if the warranty covers malfunctions and defects
- See if the brand provides at-home service by a pro technician
Conclusion
With this, we conclude our comprehensive washing machine buying guide for 2022. We hope you find the detailed post insightful to make an informed decision. Before making the purchase, make sure to check the wash programs, capacity, and all features of the machine. Depending on your budget, you can choose the one that best suits your washing needs.
