A machine that washes the clothes without any physical effort is called a washing machine. With the use of this, there is no need to rub the clothes with hands, and also, squeezing with hands is not needed to remove the water from the clothes. This machine enables automatic cleaning of the clothes without any supervision on its operation. For washing the clothes, you just need to put the clothes in the machine and select the wash mode. In this article, we are going to discuss the types of washing machines.
Among all the household appliances, a washing machine is the most required one and it is a task to select the right one for yourself. Before buying one for yourself, some factors and things should be considered. It is observed that there is a difference between the washing machines based on capacity, features, load, and function. Some unique features are also present in some washing machines like wash programs, child lock, quick wash, rat mesh for protection, hot wash & temperature control, and digital display.
Distinguishing factors of a washing machine
o Loading types of washing machine – Based on the loading type, the washing machine can be either front load or top load. The advantages and disadvantages are present in both of these.
o Function types of washing machine – It can be either semi-automatic or fully automatic. Selecting a washing machine among these two entirely depends on your needs and budget.
o Capacity – Washing machines can be of small or large capacity. Based on the size of the family and frequency of washing, it has to be selected.
Let us go through different types of washing machines and know about the features of each.
Types of Washing Machine
Washing machines can be divided into semi-automatic or fully automatic depending on their functions and amount of manual labor.
1. Semi-Automatic washing machine
This is known as the washing machine for entry-level washing. In general, two tubs are present in a semi-automatic washing machine, one tub is for washing and another one is for drying. Once the clothes are washed in the washing tub, it needs to be dried up and for this, clothes have to be transferred in the drying tub manually. Thus, it can be said that a lot much human intervention and manual work is required in washing clothes in a semi-automatic washing machine. But many people go for this washing machine as it is cheap and also, sorting of clothes for washing can be done easily.
2. Fully Automatic Washing Machine
With the use of a fully automatic washing machine, there is minimal human intervention as the washing process is fully automatic. There is only one tub that is used for both washing and drying. For getting your clothes clean, you just need to put the clothes in the washing machine, add detergent and start it. In this machine, water is not required to be poured into the tub for rinsing or washing the clothes, and also clothes are not required to be transferred from the washing tub to the drying tub. You just need to put the clothes in the machine and take them out after the completion of the wash cycle.
Depending on the area of putting the clothes into the machine, washing machines can be categorized into two types, these are:
1. Top load washing machine
In this type of washing machine, the tub lies vertically and so the clothes have to be loaded from the top.
Only one tub is present for washing and thus, it is not required to move the clothes from one tub to another.
There is a water inlet tap attached to the washing machine which is capable of controlling the entry of water. Through this inlet, the washing machine controls when to take the water or stop it so that the required level of water is maintained.
This kind of washing machine is user-friendly and thus, its usage is easy for cleaning clothes. Also, as compared to the front load washing machine, it is economical.
2. Front-load washing machine
In this kind of washing machine, the washing tub is horizontal and so, clothes are loaded from the front.
Advanced washing technology is used in this washing machine along with some advanced features like starting and stopping of the machine can be done by the presence of a timer.
It has the feature to soak very dirty clothes. For the safety of the children, the front load washing machine comes with the feature of an advanced child lock.
How to differentiate between Top loading washing machine and Front-loading washing machine?
Some of the advantages of using a front-load washing machine are better quality of wash, the number of wash programs, and many advanced features but at the same time, it is expensive. On the other hand, wash quality in the top-loading washing machine is good and there are few advanced features but at the same time, it is cheap as well.
Some of the differences between the two types of washing machines are –
o Front-load washing machine uses less electricity and water per load whereas, in the top load washing machine, there is the presence of deep-water setting and electricity consumption is little more.
o The dry times are shorter due to high spin speeds in front-load and in top load, the wash times are short in general.
o Space occupied by a front load washing machine is less as there is stacking and in a top-loading washing machine, there is no need to bend over for loading and unloading of clothes.
o Front-load washers are gentle with the clothes and can even wash larger items like comforters and pillows. On the other hand, top-load washers are rough with the clothes if the machine is overloaded. Also, larger items are washed with difficulty in a top-load machine.
o The spinning of clothes is faster in front-load machines due to which more water is removed from the clothes and drying is better as compared to a top-load washing machine.o The front-load washing machine required more maintenance as mold build-up around the rubber gasket of the door with time whereas this issue is not seen in the top-load washing machines.
Things to consider before buying a washing machine (Buyer’s Guide)
There are some features to be considered before buying a washing machine for home use. These are-
Material of the tub/drum
Stainless steel, plastic, or -porcelain- enamel is generally used in the tub. Enamel tubs have the capacity to chip and rust and so, their life is small. Plastic tubs stay longer but the best one is stainless steel tubs as they are long-lasting and can withstand high spin speeds.
Spin cycle
It denotes revolutions per minute for drying clothes. The clothes will be dried in better ways if the revolutions per minute are high.
Wash settings
In some of the washing machines, a feature of wash programs is present like alternatives for water level and gentle wash for frail clothes. Customization of the setting can be done with this feature and adjustments can be done by a touch screen, touchpad, or rotary controls.
Temperature control
This feature is present in the washing machines having an in-built heater. With this, the temperature of the water can be controlled which is quite helpful in washing during winters. Also, cleaning clothes is better with hot water. In some machines, even steam setting is available which is highly useful for cleaning tough stains and dirt.
Fuzzy logic
With this feature, there is an automatic selection of the best washing conditions. This depends on the quality of the clothes which are put to wash. The weight of the laundry is noted by the fuzzy logic feature and the time and water required to clean them is calculated. Thus, there is no need to do the setting of the washing machine with this feature.
Time delay
If you want to delay the washing process even after loading the clothes, it can be done with the feature of time delay.· Pre-soak feature – Sometimes clothes are very dirty and require pre-soaking. This can even be done in the washing machine with the feature of pre-soak. Under this, the clothes are soaked for some time and then the wash cycle starts automatically.
Conclusion
After going through the article, you will get to know about various types of washing machines. There is no doubt that fully automatic washing machines are a better option as compared to semi-automatic washing machines due to their very less manual intervention. But selection between top load and front-load machines is entirely based on your requirements. If you need something easy to handle, requires less maintenance, and is less expensive, go for a top-loading washing machine. On the other hand, if you need to have a washing machine with better performance, more features and efficiency, front-load will be suitable.
This is a complete information about various types of washing machines available in the market. By reading this article, I am sure, the reader will get to know a lot about washing machines. I am new in doing laundry and was confused in buying a washing machine as I did not know anything about them. It has helped me a lot.