Large, Easy to Grip Knobs, Legible Text and Icons, Practical Size, Deep, Wide Lid Lip, High Spin Cycle, Convenient Automatic Dispenser, All-Day Delay Start
Purchasing a washing machine is a large investment. You hope they’ll last more than 10 years, keep your clothes clean and mildew-free, and not cause your water and energy bills to skyrocket. If you can achieve these three things then your investment has undoubtedly paid off.
If you happen to be an older homeowner, however, there may be even more features that can increase your washer’s value exponentially. For starters, top-loading machines are far easier on the back than front-loaders. They are also less expensive and more dependable than front-loading machines, but they do use more energy.
What to Look For in a Washing Machine:
Many of today’s washing machines are equipped with touch-pad controls. They make look sleeker than clunky knobs and push buttons, but they can be difficult to activate, expensive to repair and hard to tell apart.
If you’ve got sight or hand-eye coordination problems you’ll definitely want to skip this feature altogether. Knobs may not be the most futuristic feature ever, but at least you’ll know you didn’t accidentally set your machine to wash silk.
Opt for a model that has large, round knobs. They’re easier to grip, and their large sizes won’t leave you guessing as to whether or not the knob turned to your desired setting.
Danby Portable Top-Load Washer
This washer comes with four knobs, all of which are labeled with bold, dark-colored print that makes them easy to read. The knobs are large, and although they’re the same color as the washing machine they’re still easy to locate because of the text and icons that surround them.
There is a great irony to washing machines: they are very large in size but feature numbers, hash marks and icons that are very small in print. Part of this is due to the numerous setting, including water levels and temperature controls, that must be displayed on the machine. While one solution may be to strip the washer down, offering less settings and returning back to the basics. However, this is rather dramatic reaction to small-sized text.
Instead, simply look for a model that has found a way to strategically space and display its text in large, readable and color contrasting fonts.
Whirlpool : WTW5100VQ 27in Top-Load Washer with 3.2 cu. ft. Capacity White
It can be really tough to find a washer with large, legible labels, which is why this Whirlpool is such a diamond in the rough. The categories, such as load size and temperature, contain the largest text, which is displayed in red. The settings, such as small, medium, heavy and cold, warm and hot, are bold and in black, with hash marks extending from the base of the knob to the writing.
All washing machines are bulky, so it’s difficult to cut down on the size of your model. However, you can reduce its capacity, which will impact price and energy usage. A smaller washer will also mean you can use less energy doing laundry because the load sizes are smaller. This decreases the amount of weight you’ll have to lift when loading the machine and unloading the machine – at which time clothes are significantly heavier because they’re wet.
If you live alone or with only one other person you don’t need a huge model designed for families. You can buy a 24-inch compact washing machine that can still handle up to eight pounds of laundry per load. By comparison, traditional-sized models are three inches wider and wash up to 11 pounds at a time.
Haier HLP23E Electronic 1-1/2-Cubic-Foot Touch Pulsator Top-Loading Portable Washing Machine
This 20-inch machine can wash a little less than four pounds of clothes, which should be perfect for those living alone or couples who wash a few times a week. This machine is small, weighing only 65 pounds, so it may not withstand frequent major use, but it should be fine for clothes and towels. Bedspreads, shoes and other objects may need to be washed somewhere else.
After much research we’ve discovered that no one makes an ergonomically friendly washing machine lid. Some do, however, make lids with dramatic lips, which provide ample room for fingers to grip. Being that a good grip is essential to successfully opening and closing the washer’s lid without injury or damage, an easy-to-grip lip is key for anyone who has trouble with their hands. Plus, the deeper and wider the lip is, the easier it will be to see and locate for those with vision problems. The lip should be thick with the finger grip rounded.
Haier GWT700AW 3.5-Cu-Ft Washer, White
Just one look at this Haier and you can tell this lid’s easy to lift. That’s because it has a large lip that allows fingers to slide under it, gripping it securely. Those who may still have trouble lifting the lid can easily slide a butter knife underneath it, a common trick of the trade when it comes to unfastening lids.
If you’ve ever had your spin cycle malfunction on you, you know that your clothes will come out of the washer soaking wet – that is if you can even lift them out of the washer with all that extra water weight. Even when the spin cycle doesn’t malfunction a significant amount of water can still be left in the clothes if this mechanism doesn’t spin efficiently.
This can leave you laboring and straining to remove your clothes from the washer. On top of that, you’re likely to get yourself, your floor and even your cat wet. This excess water may also put extra stress on your dryer since it will have to work exponentially harder to dry your clothes.
Most top-loading washers have spin cycles that run from 500 rpms to 1,300 rpms. Naturally, the faster the spin cycle the more water it will be able to remove from the clothes. A spin cycle that boasts more than 1,000 rpms should remove a sufficient amount of water from clothes, leaving them light and easy to maneuver, with minimal risk of back, leg, hip or arm injury.
Cabrio – 27” High Efficiency Top Load
Even with an extra rinse cycle this machine will leave your clothes reasonably dry when you go to remove them from the washer. It’s got a 1,000-rpm spin cycle and a glass lid, which actually lets you see the water flying off the clothes.
VI. Convenient Automatic Dispenser
If you’re a fan of extras, such as bleach and fabric softener, you’ll want to purchase a model with an automatic dispenser. This allows you to add these extras at the beginning of the cycle so you don’t have to worry about dispensing them at the right time. This job is left to the machine. An automatic dispenser is a particularly nice feature if you’re forgetful, as they allow you to set the washer and forget about it until clothes are done.
Kenmore Elite Oasis HE 4.7 cu. ft. Capacity Top-Load Washer – 2806
Fabric softener, bleach and detergent are all released at the proper intervals thanks to Kenmore’s Triple Smart dispenser system. Simply fill the compartments you wish to use at the beginning of the cycle and walk away.
Speaking of forgetfulness, if you always intend to use your washer at night when utilities cost less to run but don’t traditionally do your laundry at night then delay start the feature for you. You can still load your clothes at your normal washing time, be that 9 a.m. or 3 p.m., but with time delay the cycle won’t start until it reaches its pre-programmed time.
Aside from saving energy and money on bills, this is also an ideal setting for grandparents who babysit frequently. Anyone who’s had young grandchildren knows that naptime is when you get all your chores done. However, washing machines can be loud, awakening young grandkids. With time delay you can still load your clothes while the little angels are sleeping, simply program your washer to start an hour or so after they’re due to wake up.
Whirlpool WTW6800WL 5.0 cu. ft. Cabrio Top Loader Washer
If laundry’s on your to-do list but you don’t have time to dry and fold the clothes before wrinkles set in then set this Whirlpool on delayed start and walk away. This machine can delay the start time by up to 10 hours.
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