How To Choose A Washing Machine?

Published on: 09 January 2020 Last Updated on: 29 October 2024

Not all washing machines are the same. They may all look identical but no two machines are equal in terms of capabilities, features, price, and suitability for your needs. In this article, you will know how to choose a washing machine.

When looking for a washing machine, it really pays to do your homework. From machine type to efficiency, make sure you have in-depth information about a prospective machine before buying one.

Basic things to know when buying a washing machine

For you to buy the right clothes washer, you first have to know your needs. Advance planning is crucial as it can help you choose a unit that is responsive to your requirements. Of course, you don’t want to spend on an ‘over-sized’ machine. Or, you also don’t want to buy one that isn’t able to meet your laundry needs.

Some of the essential questions to ask: How frequently you do the laundry, how dirty your clothes are, how many users are there, and what type of washing you prefer? Other considerations to look into including your space availability, energy efficiency, and preferred features.

To help you better choose the right washer and dryer; let’s check out some of the most basic considerations.

Capacity

How many will use the unit? What is the average volume of clothes needs to be washed in a day or week? Will draperies, linens, bedsheets, or comforters be cleaned in the washer?

The capacity of a clothes washer refers to the size of the washtub. It ranges from 1 cubic foot to 6 cubic feet. To give you an idea, a 5-cubic feet washer is capable of washing up to 30 bath towels of regular thickness and size. So, if you are likely to accumulate this amount of dirty clothes, then you should get a unit with a capacity no smaller than 5-cubic feet. On the other hand, if you hardly have any clothes to wash, you can opt for the smaller units.

Furthermore, if you expect to wash large items frequently, then you should opt for large-capacity washers. Take note that the size of a washing machine doesn’t define its energy requirements. Likewise, larger units don’t automatically mean they have the best features, spin speed, wash cycles, and capabilities.

Efficiency

An average American household washes about 300 loads of laundry every year. This household chore comprises a large portion of our energy and water bills. Hence, energy efficiency should be among your top concerns when choosing a clothes washer.

Make sure to check the average power and water consumption of a unit. Check if it is ENERGY STAR certified and is compliant with the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE). These two proofs guarantee that your clothes washer consumes less water and energy costs. All major brands sell units, both top- and front-load types, which bear this rating.

Available space

According to a repair technician from Tampaappliancerepair.services, improper installation due to lack of space is a major cause of washing machine troubles. So, when choosing a washing machine, space availability should be considered.

There has to be enough room for the units to open the doors completely. If you have limited space, there are combination washer/dryer and stackable models available. Front-load units require adequate clearance both in front (to allow the doors to open fully) and at the back (for the external fittings, hoses, and drain).

It is best to measure the floor area of the location before visiting the appliance store. But don’t worry as there are plenty of washing machine models (of varying dimensions) available to you.

Cleaning requirements

Every household or individual user has a unique cleaning challenge or laundry habits. Some prefer to get their clothes cleaned up perfectly. Meanwhile, others just want quick cycles so they can get on with other tasks.

Fortunately, washing machines nowadays come with a range of wash cycles and features designed to meet unique washing requirements and conditions. Aside from the generic cycle, there are units with delicate cycle intended for fabrics or specialized clothes. Some machines are even equipped with steam cleaning. Be sure to read about the unit’s features to know if they fit your needs.

Noise

Washing machines, especially the large ones, are major noise contributors. If your washing machine is located nearby the sleeping area or the living room, you want to get a quiet unit.

Be sure to check if the unit has sound dampening features such as additional insulation, vibration reduction, or improved suspension. Normally, high-speed units will come equipped with these features as they produce the most noise.

Once you’ve decided on all these basic points, you can confidently walk to the appliance store to look for an appropriate unit for your home. Of course, you still have to decide on other considerations like your budget, the color of the unit, the material used by the unit, the brand, etc.

Read Also:

Best Practices That Extend The Life Of Your Appliances

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

6 Interior Design Tips to Make Your House a Home

Decorations don’t necessarily make your house a home. However, certain interior design tips can help make your space cozier. When your home feels lived-in, it feels more like you belong there! Here are just a few tips for making your house feel more like home. 1. Lighting is Everything Comfortable lighting is one of the most important elements of interior design, and it’s one of the quickest ways to make your new home feel like home. Try indirect lighting for a gentle glow. If you’re going to be doing more than watching movies in your living room, consider task lighting. Make sure you can see to read or craft if you plan to spend a lot of time doing those things in your living space. Where there isn’t natural light, provide warm light with different types of lamps, different lampshades, and more. Mix it up with recessed lighting, chandeliers, and other different fixtures to bring out the coziness of your home. 2. Dress it Up with Art Bare walls can make your home feel empty and soulless. Even beautifully painted walls need to be decorated, and art is a great way to make your home feel closer and more lived-in. Choose art that you already know and love, but choose a frame that works best with your current design ideas. Make sure to hang the art correctly and display it where it fits best. Using art can be a great way to tie a room together! If you can’t find art that you like enough for a certain room, trying substituting a classy mirror instead! 3. Family Photos are Key All of those family photos need a place, so why not put them where you can see them? Nothing makes you feel more at home than your family and friends. You can display your photos in frames on the wall or your surfaces. You can also get canvas prints made of your favorite family photos and hang them up for all to see! Your house starts to feel like home once it’s full. Even if you don’t live with your family, being able to see their faces and recall great memories with them can help you feel more at ease. 4. Personal Space If you don’t live alone, chances are you share all of your spaces with at least one other person. However, choosing to set aside a room or corner of a room just for you is important. Make sure that you have your personal space with your favorite things, including books, personal decorations, gifts from friends, and your favorite blanket. Make a cozy space just for you! It can help your home feel more welcoming. 5. Your Style Rules One of the greatest things about your home is that you can decorate it however you want. The urge to make your room look like a showroom or a picture from a magazine is tempting, but adding your style can be incredibly worthwhile. Use the colorful pillows that you like, you can easily buy this product online and hang those custom pieces you’ve found throughout your life where you can see them, and choose wall colors that compliment your uniqueness. The only way to make your home feel completely yours is to put yourself into it wherever you can. Use your style to create a space you’ll enjoy living in. 6. Plants Add Life Finally, plants can make all the difference. Use small succulents or other plants on your shelves and surfaces to add color and life. Large plants go great in corners while hanging plants can be placed near windows to liven up your living room. Wherever you choose to place them, make sure you care for your plants properly to keep them alive as long as possible. If you don’t want to care for living plants, there are also synthetic options that add a great look without needing any care at all! Conclusion Even a well-decorated house can feel comfortable. Make sure that you dress up your existing style with things that make you feel as if space is uniquely yours. If you don’t love spending time there, it just isn’t worth it! If you need to make your house a home in the Atlanta area, call on the expertise of interior designers in Atlanta, GA. Read Also: Modern Home design ideas for crowded families How to Make Your Home Look Like You Hired An Interior Designer Outstanding Design Advice If Your Home Is Really Small How to Make your Home Look Beautiful in the Upcoming Holidays Top 5 Interior Designers from Singapore

Design your Kitchen According to Your Budget and Work in Organized Manner

Indian kitchens have changed considerably over time. It is no longer the space at the corner of the house, dingy lit and oils all over. With the advancement of technology and the change of taste, kitchens are becoming smart to work in an organized manner. Another factor to have an organized kitchen is the space crunch as more and more people are living in multistoried apartments. The concept of having a house is changing fast. With a crisis in space and to work in an organized manner, people are planning the design of the kitchen to use it comfortably. One of the latest styles that people are following is making their kitchen modular. However, beautiful modular kitchen cost varies on many factors and let us discuss them so that you can stay within your budget and do not go overboard. Design your Kitchen According to Your Budget and Work in Organized Manner: The cost range: Modular kitchens are nothing but a well-organized kitchen having modules to hold the kitchen utensils, the grocery storing jars, the washing area of the tools, and many more. They also include accommodating the electrical kitchen appliances and gadgets to make the best use of them at the time of need. Modular kitchen cost starts at around 1.5 lakh and can go up to any limits. One can even spend about 20 lakhs to have a modular kitchen, and it depends on the financial capacity of the person and the taste. However, one should consider some of the essential factors that are difficult to avoid while determining the modular kitchen cost before venturing into the project. The cost determiners: 1. The area of the kitchen: The sink in the kitchen and the taps should be of the right size and design to fulfill specific purposes of use. One can have a porcelain sink, glass sink, or 27-inch stainless steel sink in different variety of shapes and sizes. The taps are available in many designs. They all add up to the cost of the modular kitchen. Modular kitchen cost grossly depends on the covered area of the kitchen. The price rises considerably if the kitchen area is significant. Again, the shape of the kitchen is another factor that influences the cost. Many people have an open kitchen, and the cost of making them modular increases considerably as visitors and guests can see them. These types of open kitchens, therefore, need to be specially designed and organized so that they look neat and clean and goes with other aesthetic designs of the interior. 2. The interior designer charges: It is almost impossible to have a modular kitchen without consulting an expert interior designer. It is the designer who measures the area, brainstorms with the user about the load on the kitchen and the style, suggests the right materials to do the modules, and chalks out the layout plan. They even graphically show the exact view of the kitchen after the final finish using special designing software. However, all these come with a charge, and one has to pay the designer. Gone are the days when one used to rely on the local mason, carpenter, and electricians to decorate and organize the home and the kitchen area. It is time to take trained professional help before designing or rebuilding your kitchen. 3. The quality of the material used: The quality of the material used to make a kitchen modular is another factor that comes into consideration for the cost. There are materials to fit every pocket and solely depend on the budget and the taste. For example, the tiles for use are available in various grades and shades, and prices. The tabletop can be of granite, marble, or any other alternative material. Each of these variables changes the cost of making the kitchen modular. 4. The appliances and the gadgets used: The instruments and the electrical devices used in the kitchen are part of making the kitchen modular. The type of chimney used the size of the refrigerator, the capacity of the microwave oven, the mixer grinders, and dishwashers add up to the modular kitchen cost. It depends on the personal taste of the user and the size of the family. The rich and affluent can spend many lakhs on them, whereas the middle class can do with the essential items. 5. The plumbing cost: One of the high costs of making the kitchen modular is the plumbing cost. The laying of pipelines for freshwater and the drainage should be correct so that there is no bottleneck for water flow. The sink in the kitchen and the taps should be of the right size and design to fulfill specific purposes of use. One can have a porcelain sink, glass sink, or 27-inch stainless steel sink in different variety of shapes and sizes. The taps are available in many designs. They all add up to the cost of the modular kitchen. 6. The cost of electrical wiring and lighting: Proper electrical wiring should be done in the kitchen to run all electrical appliances and light up the area. Sometimes the modules also need lights while using. So making electrical provisions is part of transferring the basic kitchen to modular. Overview: The cost of a modular kitchen cannot be ascertained. The above factors play a pivotal role in making the budget. However, one can have the simplest modular kitchen at a price of around 1.5 lakhs. There is no upper end of the cost, and it only depends on the financial capacity and taste of an individual. Read Also: The Best Countertops To Help Revamp Your Kitchen 3 Trendy Lighting Ideas For Your Kitchen Island How To Find The Best Wholesale Kitchen Cabinets 7 Unique Kitchen Design Ideas That Your Family Will Enjoy

How To Save Money On Your Air Conditioning Costs This Summer

For most people, summer is the most joyful of all seasons. There’s something precious about those warm evenings, whole days spent swimming, and enjoying the great outdoors. Unfortunately, summer’s not all sunshine and flowers. As a lot of homeowners know, during the summertime our bill tends to spike as our air conditioning costs keep piling up. But what if you could cut those costs by as much as half. In a lot of cases, high AC costs are the result of improper maintenance and malfunctioning AC systems. The experts at Howell’s were kind enough to share a few useful tips that can help you save this cooling season. Look For Leaks In The Ducts If your cooling bills unexpectedly start to spike, there could be a technical issue behind it. Central AC systems use ductwork to deliver any cooled air throughout your home. However, as they age ducts become more susceptible to tears and fissures. This not only makes the AC less efficient but demands more power to keep the required temperature levels in your home. This is usually the main reason behind increased energy bills. If you haven’t inspected your ductwork in a while and are paying more than usual, have a professional determine whether leaks in the ductwork are to blame. Replace Your Air Filter One of the things homeowners are most likely to forget about is the air filters in their AC systems. When is the last time you replaced or at least cleaned your filter? If your answer is “I don’t remember” now is the right time to do so. A clogged filter may make your air conditioner less effective as it struggles to push the cooled air through the filter. This will likely result in an increased energy bill, but poor air quality as well. If you want to keep your energy bill low, make a habit of replacing your air filter at least once every two months. If you are not sure how to do this, you can always hire a professional. Have A Professional Tune-Up Another often neglected part of owning an AC system is having regular inspections and tune-ups. With a professional tune-up at least twice a year you can be sure your AC will be up to standards and working properly. This way you won’t spend a cent more than you need to in order to enjoy the comfort in your home. A tune-up entails a professional testing every component of the system to make sure everything is working in harmony. If any part of the AC system is malfunctioning, professionals can detect this early and prevent expensive repairs down the line. Finally, they will clean the entire system, replace the filters, and offer valuable advice on proper AC maintenance. Having your AC system running at optimal conditions is perhaps the best way to ensure that you don’t end up spending more money on it than necessary. As the old adage goes, sometimes you gotta spend money to make money; well, in this case, save money. Read Also: Things to Consider Before Relocating the Outdoor AC Unit AC Repair Austin: Tips on How to Choose an AC Unit 13 Ways to Maintain the Coolness of Your Air Condition Unit

How To Choose A Washing Machine?