For the young professional living on his own for the first time, there are so many challenges that he will have to face. And one of those challenges is laundry. Okay, you may say it’s such a mundane problem, but believe me, if you’ve been there, you know what I mean. Finding time to do the laundry amidst your busy schedule is already a challenge. Bringing your dirty clothes to a laundry shop is not an option if you’re trying to save money. Finding the space in your apartment building to hang and dry your washed clothes is the next challenge. And then of course, there’s the added problem of waiting for your clothes to dry and wondering if you have enough clothes to last you the next day.

That’s why the invention of the combo washer dryer is one of the best inventions for the modern yuppie on the go. The basic technology is that the machine condenses the water vapor produced during drying, avoiding the need for an external vent. But in layman’s terms, it’s a lifesaver. It doesn’t require much space since you don’t have to hang clothes for drying and it saves time since you do your laundry in one go

The challenge now is to find which kind is best suited for your needs. The washer dryer with steam is one of the newest technologies for this product. The added benefit as claimed by manufacturers is that it boosts cleaning, sanitizes fabrics and reduces wrinkles. Disadvantages are it’s expensive and since it’s a new technology, it still has unproven features

Combination machines have a washer on the bottom and either an electric or gas dryer on the top. This machine is perfect for handling large loads of laundry. Unfortunately, it also uses far too much water and energy

Front loading machines on the other hand are gentler on fabrics and cause less wear and tear since it cleans by tumbling, not agitation. Also, it uses less energy, water and detergent. One disadvantage is that the machine shakes a lot more than a top loader and you have to leave the door open after washing. Otherwise, it will smell like mildew.

The two main types of washer dryers are the stacked units and the all-in-one. Stacked units require you to physically move your clothes from the washer to the dryer. All-in-ones do both washing and drying in the same place but is obviously more expensive than the stacked units.

I guess your choice of what to purchase boils down on what is your priority: convenience or expense. Helping save the environment is also a factor in choosing to get one that requires less energy and water. Some additional features are useful like auto temperature control gives you consistent water temperature and wash performance on a given setting. Automatic dispensers release detergent, bleach, or softener when needed. Extended-spin cycles don't extract much additional water.

But if what you’re looking for is a basic machine that will just wash and dry your clothes in the shortest and most convenient span of time, then it shouldn’t be such a difficult decision

Andrew Washington can help you to prices and specification on laundry appliances including tumble dryers and dishwashers from different manufacturers and high street stores online.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 9:24 pm and is filed under Consumer Electronics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.