Loving My Washer

I know, I know…you are all so disappointed that this isn’t a post about Hawaii with lots of pictures…I will get there one of these days!

I’ve been meaning to blog about my new washing machine for a while now, so I’ll get this done first.  When we bought our townhome, we got a nice dryer but the previous owners took the washing machine with them.  We left our old washer/dryer for our buyer (who has since replaced them…haha) and we were super excited to pick out something brand new, just what we wanted.  We went back and forth between a front-loader/stackable and a particular top loader that we liked, and this is what we decided on:

This is a Fisher & Paykel 3.7 cu. ft. Intuitive Eco Washing Machine, and it’s amazing!  Fisher & Paykel Appliances was founded in New Zealand in 1934 and has been making appliances since then.  They put all of their money into researching ways to make their appliances more reliable and energy efficient.  The machine is designed to have as few moving parts as possible, making it last longer and reducing repair costs.  It comes with a two year warranty for defects, covering parts and labor.

This machine is like no other washing machine I’ve ever used.  It doesn’t even sound like a washing machine!  It’s very quiet, and it has no dials…just buttons that make little beeping sounds.  It has a technology in it that senses the exact water level needed for the amount of clothing in the load, so you never waste water.  It has several wash modes to select, and has a programmable “favorite” cycle for the one you use most often.

My clothes have come out clean and nearly dry every time.  The spin cycle works so well that I’ve never had to lengthen the time of my dryer cycle…they come out completely dry the first time (even jeans and towels!).  The machine will also automatically stop and beep if it gets off balance, or if there is too much or not enough detergent…etc.  This list goes on and on.  It’s just an amazing piece of technology.

The only thing I don’t like about it is that it has no hand wash cycle.  However, you can adjust the agitation on any load, and it also has a “soak only” mode, so I can get away with most hand washables ok.  Oh, and you also have to clean out the fabric softener dispenser after every load (or two) to keep it from getting all gunky (is that a word?).  Other than that, I have no other complaints so far.  The best part about this machine is that it’s affordable!  At under $500, it’s a steal compared to front loaders that cost $600-$1200!  And it’s still energy efficient!