Ideal Home guide to buying a washing machine

Make sure your purchase is trouble-free and does all you need

Need to know:
1 The latest washing machines can hold up to 10kg – but bear in mind that most tumble dryers hold a maximum of 6kg.

2 The highest spin speed is 2,000rpm but 1,600rpm is more than sufficient. The drier the machine gets your clothes, the less time you'll have the tumble dryer on.

3 Some machines have wider doors than others and some have tilted drums, making it easier to load, unload and see what's inside.

4 Generally, the bigger its capacity, the more water a machine will use on standard programmes. Choose a model with sensor washing, as this enables it to use exactly the amount of water needed to wash your clothes.

5 Check the dimensions BEFORE YOU BUY. Not all family-sized machines are designed to fit under the worktop.


Features to look for:

Easy iron This cycle uses a lower spin speed to reduce creasing.

Mixed fabric wash Lets you wash colour-fast synthetics in the same wash as cottons.

Half load/mini load Uses less energy and water, so you can run a half-full machine.

Intensive/heavy soiling Tackles really dirty laundry with a pre-wash or extra soak.

Eco wash Programmes that use less water and energy than regular cycles.

Refresh An ultra-short cycle for freshening up very lightly soiled items such as once-worn shirts.

Anti-bacterial Tiny silver particles in the drum react with the water to kill germs on clothes.

Stop & add Allows you to stop the machine at certain points in the cycle to add forgotten items.

Customise Lets you create your own wash cycles and store them for future use.

Time-saving Knocks up to 50% off the time it takes to get through the chosen programme.

Sensor washing/fuzzy logic Decides how dirty the load is and how much water to use.

Child lock Prevents the machine being easily opened by little fingers.

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