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DH and I have just decided to get a new washing machine (we have an old-style top loader) before baby #2 comes along. We have a fine-tuned routine for our MEOS of cold rinse, hot wash with some Claudia's Choices detergent, and a cold rinse, or occasionally a hot one if it's a really big load or they're a bit smelly.
I don't want to mess with what works, but I'm dying to have a machine that I can pre-program to do all these cycles, as currently we run downstairs 3+ times to reset the machine every time for it's next cycle.
I don't know anything about "new" machines - does front-load mean high efficiency, or can you get top loader that are that too? What machine do you successfully use to wash your diapers, and would you recommend it for me? I don't know where to start, and I doubt the appliance salesperson will be able to have an informed conversation with me about things like, do I need to dump in extra water to fool the machine, and can I use my same natural detergent ... I know you girls have all the answers and more! I just want to dump them in, set the machine, and come back when they're ready for the drier (does your new machine mean less drier time? Ours takes 80 min at the moment for 2 days of dipes)
Thanks so much! |
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I have a Samsung. I can't tell you that it's better than x other machine, but I've been pleased with it. I got the model that has 1300 rpm spin speed, as that was one of the most important factors to me (didn't care about steam, etc) because I really do feel that a high spin speed cuts drying time dramatically. I line-dry almost everything, so can't offer specifics on dryer time, but know that when I use top-loaders, I now feel that the clothes are almost dripping when I take them out, compared to what I'm used to with my FL. I had a Bosch with a 1200 spin speed in our last house, and really liked that machine, too.
When I was washing full batches of diapers, I would set my machine for all sorts of different things, selecting level of soil, wash temps, etc.; I could also create a "my cycle" that it would remember, and then all of the options would appear at that setting without the extra button pushing. So I'd do a pre-wash, sanitize load (just because of my water heater), could have added an extra rinse in there, too. I think that most FLs let you program in different options, but it's possible that the base models aren't quite that fancy. The only thing I can't do is a hot rinse. There's a warm option, but no hot. Maybe some other machines let you customize that, too.
As far as high efficiency goes, I'm not sure how TL and FL compare in terms of electricity use (remember that your dryer use should be less because of the higher spins with a FL). You should be able to get that pretty easily on the tags at the store. For water, though, FLs typically use about 1/3 of the water of a TL. I believe that there is one TL model out (Fisker Paykel or something like that) there that claims to be nearly as water-efficient as a FL. I'm not sure how close it comes, and believe it's among the more expensive TLs.
Because FLs use so little water, that's where you tend to get into things like sometimes people want to fool the machine to use a little more water. Personally, I use a soggy pail (i.e. rinsing diapers and non-agressively wringing, but no addtional water added), and I think that's a happy place for my diapers, since the sog adds a bit of weight but not a ton. Even if you do end up fooling your machine to use more water on your diapers, your water use on your regular clothes will be a lot less.
Another benefit to a FL that I see is that you don't have a central agitator, so things can't get all wrapped up around it.
As to whether you can use your current detergent, that really depends on that detergent. The box/bottle will tell you if it is he compatible (often natural detergents are, and often their directions are just to use 1/2 the amount for a TL). It's also possible that they make a he version, or that one of their variants is he. This is pretty important, since if the load gets too sudsy the suds can escape the drum and get on the bearing, dissolving the oil and causing them to wear out prematurely.
Okay, so I'm sorry that I can't tell you precisely which machine to buy. KarenC had a thread about FLs a while back, and people wrote about their different machines a bit, so you could search that to get some different comments, too. |
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| I don't have much to add - just want to second the speed comment for a FL. My FL has a speed of 500, and it's awful! I can almost hand-ring water from towels and diapers. If you decide on a FL, I'd suggest getting one with at least 1000 rpm. Good luck! |
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I don't think there is such a thing as a front loader that's 'best' for cloth diapers. I suppose one that uses more water than others might be a good thing for cloth but I wouldn't know how to look for that (it's not something that I think most salespeople would know I think). And honestly I don't think I'd recomend buying one that used more water just because it *might* make washing diapers easier.
When we were looking for a washer I tried to do the good consumer thing and look up reviews and such. Honestly I just got more and more confused by doing that. One person will swear that machine x is wonderful while another will have had so many problems that they'll label the same machine a total lemon. Same for manufacturers, there doesn't seem to be any particular manufacturer that's 'better' than any others. The days of Maytag being the best are long gone and so are the days of Sears/Kenmore offering the best service.
I had heard good things about LG and about Samsung so I figured I'd start there. I knew how much I was willing to pay and which features I wanted. I think that's the best place to start, figure out how much you're willing to pay and what features are important to you. For us, the top things were size (I wanted at least 4 cu ft), spin speed (the higher the better, wasn't willing to go below 1000 rpm). I could swear there was something else but of course I can't remember now...
The only other thing I can think of that could possibly be useful for diapers are sanitizing cycles and perhaps the funky new silver-care line by Samsung. The silver care option kills germs in cold water by using silver ions (silver has been known for centuries as an extremely effective germ killer). Of course there is question about how good this would be for septic systems and what effect it would have on the environment if used by a lot of people, apparently they're studying this right now... As for the sanitizing cycle, it's far from a necessity but it's the only thing I can think of that may be useful for some people.
When I was looking for a washer I decided on features I wanted, my budget and then figured if that didn't help me narrow things down enough I would go for the one with the prettiest color! ;-)
Karen.
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| I don't know much about which machine is better but did hear good things about the LGs. We have an LG and it works pretty good but couldn't tell you the rpm or stats. It does have a sanitary cycle that I use maybe once or twice a month on the diapers (very hot water). Otherwise, I just use the normal cycle with hot water. It does have options for prewash and extra rinse but I couldn't really tell the difference so I just leave it on normal wash and 1/4 cup of ECOS detergent. I just follow ME guidelines where I think they say max of 12 diapers so I put around that much in the machine. Grab the mesh bag from the diaper pail and throw it into the machine. Add detergent and press the buttons and go. LOL about colour, Karen. We have the dark grey ones but I love all the fun colours! For drier time, I haven't been as happy b/c I'm not sure if there is an auto sensor or not. I have hit the dry button like 3 times and my bamboo dipes are still wet so I hang dry my dipes so that I don't have to assume they are done just b/c they've been in the machine when they are not. |
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| Meisiu: I suspect that some driers do a better job with the sensors than others (my Bosch wasn't as great, the Samsung usually does pretty well), but one thing that my Bosch manual recommened was to locate the sensors and wipe over them with a cloth moistened with vinegar, since over time the sensors can get coated with detergent or softener residue and thus not be as accurate. |
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