reviewer
tabbycat
Coraopolis, PA

It's like beating clothes against a rock, but easier!

4 star rating

looking for durability, brand loyal
Pros

    Uses little water, stylish, does a double load every time, easy to operate

Cons
    confusing to stop cycle, bleach is added at end of wash cycle, cycles are extremely long

NOV
15
2007
My Maytag washer quit on me after only 3 years and instead of repairing it I replaced it with a Whirlpool Duet front loader.  This washer is so stylish and looks European in design.  I love the fact that it uses much less water than the traditional top-loading washer.  The clothes splash around in there and it reminds me of the frontier woman beating her clothes on a rock at the river, except, of course, it is much easier on me!  You only need a small amount of detergent, in fact, if you add too much it creates too many suds and the cycle takes longer to complete.  One thing I don't like is that the bleach doesn't get added until AFTER the wash cycle, which doesn't make sense to me.  So I start the washer and let the clothes get wet, then I mix a third cup of bleach with 2 cups of water and add it slowly to the washer during the wash cycle.  Sometimes I think the washer doesn't spin out enough of the water from the clothes, but you can do another spin cycle if you want.  Also, I don't know if this type of machine would wash very greasy clothes too well.  For those I think I would prefer a top loading washer where the clothes could soak in very hot water. There is a pedestal you can purchase separately but it is way too expensive for what you get.  Now I wish my Maytag dryer would quit so I could get the matching dryer!

Last edited on Nov 15, 2007



I_thumb_up Whirlpool Duet - Washer Dryer is recommended by tabbycat

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I_comment_shdw24 Comments about tabbycat’s Review

 


suenewuser wrote on Mar 8, 2008 at 4:53PM

In response to tabbycat's comment from Feb 29, 2008 at 8:57AM:

No, most top loading washers also have a bleach dispenser that adds the bleach at the end of the wash cycle the same way that the front loading machines do. The bleach is automatically diluted with water and added to the washer at the end of the wash cycle. The washers are designed to do that.

Here are the instructions for adding bleach to a washer from the Clorox company:
http://www.clorox.com/products/usage.php?prod_id=clb
"The easiest way:

Pour Clorox® Regular-Bleach (scented or regular) into your bleach dispenser. If you don't have a dispenser, simply pour in Clorox® Regular-Bleach (scented or regular) along with your detergent as your washing machine fills with water. Use ¾ cup for a standard washer, 1 ¼ cup for an extra large washer. Add clothes after agitation has begun.

For best results:

Add detergent as washer fills.

Then add clothes.
After clothes are thoroughly wet and machine has agitated for 5 minutes, add bleach that's been diluted with one quart of water.
Avoid pouring solution directly onto fabric.
Adding diluted bleach after detergent has dissolved delivers a slightly brighter wash load."

Since it's not possible to add diluted bleach after a top loading machine has begun, it's best to use the built in bleach dispenser.

tabbycat wrote on Feb 29, 2008 at 8:57AM

In response to suenewuser's comment from Feb 22, 2008 at 10:35PM:

Thank you, suenewuser, for the info. But, isn't that how the usual top-loading machine works? The bleach and detergent are added at the same time. I didn't like adding the bleach at the end of the cycle because I thought it would not mix right and just hit the clothing randomly and it seems like a strange time to actually do any good - after the washing process. But thanks again!

suenewuser wrote on Feb 22, 2008 at 10:35PM

Laundry detergents have enzymes in them that actually help to dissolve the soil in the laundry. Adding bleach during the beginning of the wash cycle kills the enzymes and keep the detergent from working properly. That's why the machine adds the bleach automatically at the end of the wash cycle.

joyjoy wrote on Nov 16, 2007 at 10:45AM

Any washing machine that lasts only three years is a pretty lousy machine.

5 star rating
"The best Duet ever"
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4 star rating
"Washes a ton, and gets it all clean"



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