What to look for when delivering a washing machine. The best washing machine. Roskontrol test

When buying household appliances, we strive to make the right choice - we read reviews, carefully peer at reviews on specialized resources, and consult with friends and acquaintances. Some particularly meticulous buyers are guided by the reliability of washing machines, getting acquainted with the ratings built by service centers.

Many repair shops keep statistics, noting the frequency of appearance in the repair of machines from certain brands. Based on these data, you can try to make your choice.

It should be noted that the reliability rating of washing machines for 2017 will not differ much from the same rating for 2016. Assembly equipment uses the same thing; some materials become cheaper and others become more expensive. As a result of this, the reliability rating practically does not undergo any special changes from year to year.

To find out which washing machines are the best, let's try to figure out what the approximate reliability rating of washing machines looks like and decide which washing machine is better. At the same time, we will take into account the most popular brands, leaving the premium segment for people who frankly do not care about reviews and ratings - such expensive cars are bought according to completely different criteria.

The leader in service centers for testing washing machines, and among people, is the Bosch brand. Many craftsmen rightly call these units the most reliable automatic washing machines. True, many models have long been manufactured not in Germany, but in Poland, but this is almost not reflected in reliability, which is confirmed by numerous reviews of Bosch washing machines.

Behind Bosch there is no less famous brand Siemens in Russia and in the world. Once this brand was known for its mobile phones, but in the future this area completely stalled, and production was closed.
But Siemens produces magnificent high-speed trains, heavy equipment and much more, including washing machines. Buying a “washer” from Siemens, you can be sure that it will last a long time. The probability of equipment from this brand getting into marriage is extremely small.

A good level of reliability can boast of such a well-known brand as Electrolux. Yes, the prices for equipment from this brand bite, but you have to pay for quality - every consumer knows this. If you do not want to overpay, you should look in the direction of other, less expensive brands. As for the Electrolux washing machines, they will become a truly worthy choice for every buyer.

Such well-known brands as Samsung and LG took a decent middle in the ranking. Breakdowns among washing machines of these brands are manifested much less frequently, therefore, they can be preferred when choosing a technique.
  As for LG, the cars of this brand bribe people with a reliable engine and direct drive. The manufacturer gives a ten-year warranty on engines and positions machines with engines such as exceptionally reliable and durable equipment. It is a pity that in addition to the engine, there are other equally important components in the cars that are not distinguished by such impressive reliability.

Oddly enough, but Ariston and Indesit are located in the ranking line below the brands LG and Samsung. Why this happens is completely incomprehensible, but the fact remains. Ariston and Indesit washing machines appear in service centers more often than their less expensive rivals.

You can complete the reliability rating of washing machines with BEKO appliances. Nobody argues - the equipment from BEKO boasts excellent functionality and excellent appearance. But the reliability level of washing machines from this brand is quite low. We can say that they are frequent guests within the walls of service centers. But they differ at a more affordable price - this is their most important advantage.

The fact that the brand you have chosen at the top of the rating does not guarantee that the purchased device will serve perfectly - factory marriages and accidental failures (including those arising from the fault of users) have not been canceled. Keep this in mind when analyzing ratings and reading reviews.

  If we consider the ratings of front-loading washing machines, then we can note that here the first places are occupied by models from Indesit, Bosch and LG. The German Bosch wins due to the reliability of technology, LG draws out due to the average price and direct drive, and Indesit owes its popularity to simplicity.

Washing machines from other brands are at lower levels of rating. More you can on our website.

  As for the rating of top-loading washing machines, Electorlux is located here instead of LG, next to Bosch and Zanussi. The LG brand is absent for the reason that it practically does not produce cars with vertical loading. If you look at the lineup of LG washing machines, then the predominant number of front models will catch the eye.

  It is very difficult to rank washing machines by the quality of the wash, since the pollution and powders are different for everyone. Also, the hardness of the water affects the quality of the wash. In addition, very often people make conclusions about poor-quality washing in the washing machine because of their own ignorance of the rules for operating the machine. Such cases include situations when, after installing a new machine, the incorrect initial start of the washing machine is performed.

It can be easily stated that almost all washing machines from famous brands can boast the highest quality of washing. But a public opinion poll puts on first places Bosch, Hotpoint-Ariston, Indesit and LG   - The expected chain of leaders.

Do not save on washing powder, soberly assess the contaminants and their properties, do pre-soaking - and then any washing machine will give you clean and fresh linen.

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Brandt WT 128 DSE washing machine test: it even erased stone from the Black Sea

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Trials are always the moment of truth. When everything is secret - it becomes apparent!
  Which washing machine is better can only be said by the results of their comparative tests. One day, one of the journalists, observing the procedure for connecting the tested washing machine to electric sensors, exclaimed: “Yes, this is the most lie detector!” Of course, to the taste of the testers, such a comparison is too literary, but in principle - quite true.
  Trials reveal vices deeply hidden in time. In order to look into the future and establish how long the washing machine and its individual components will live, how efficiently it will perform its functions “in life”, one must be able to model its life cycle under real loads.
What are these loads? For an average family, this is 3-4 washings per week. This means that over 10 years (such a lifetime of washers, as a rule, their manufacturers promise), 1840 washing cycles will run. “Squeeze the time” to several months is possible round-the-clock operation of the machine. With one technical break for half an hour. Per day! It is in this mode that testing of washing machines in Rostest-Moscow is carried out. Such laboratory tests help extrapolation methods to predict in which year of operation which unit will fail and what negative consequences this will lead to.

What are the tests

• Research tests (study of certain properties of an object)
• Comparative (rating) tests of machines similar in characteristics
• Safety Certification Tests
• Reliability tests (MTBF)
• Functional test
• Energy Efficiency Tests. Confirmation by the results of independent tests of the energy efficiency class and other parameters declared by the manufacturer in the energy label is an indispensable condition for the realization of the right of consumers to complete and reliable information about the products they purchase and an effective tool for implementing an energy-saving policy. Energy efficiency test results for washing machines are displayed on its energy label.

What is an energy label

The energy label is a business card of the washing machine. It should provide in a standardized form the information necessary and sufficient for the consumer to make a meaningful decision on the purchase of a washing machine.
  Energy labels appeared relatively recently. In the last quarter of the 20th century. In response to growing consumer concern over rising electricity prices. In these conditions, consumers became compelled, making a purchase decision, to think more and more about whether the payment for using purchased household appliances would be too burdensome for them. In terms of payment for the energy spent on washing this machine?
  The first energy labels informed consumers only about the energy consumption class that is assigned to samples of household appliances, depending on the energy consumption measured in laboratory conditions.
But over time, the information format of the energy label has expanded significantly. This was the result of the realization that only household appliances in which energy efficiency is combined with characteristics such as safety, functionality and reliability are truly high-quality. But it is not achieved to the detriment of them!
  The energy label of the washing machine, along with the energy saving class, began to provide such important information for the future user as the washing efficiency class and the spin efficiency class, which are also determined as a result of qualified tests. A consumer who has information about these characteristics has the opportunity to choose a washing machine, taking into account the upcoming costs of electricity and the most optimal in terms of the ratio of its functional efficiency and price.

New Energy Label

Relatively recently, the energy label has undergone serious and fundamental changes. Directive 92/75 / EC of May 23, 1995 was replaced by directive 2010 / 30EC of September 28, 2010 and the European Commission Regulation supplementing it, which sharply increased the requirements for the functionality and efficiency of household washing machines.
  Since April 2012, this regulation in the EU area should be fully applied.
  Accordingly, the type and content of the energy label have changed.

What information does the energy label carry?

In accordance with the new European approach, the requirements for energy saving have significantly increased. Now only those washing machines that meet the requirements of class A +++ (and earlier “A”, as before) can be recognized as the most economical.
  The same washing machines that were marked in the previous label with classes E, F, G generally lost their right to exist. Class D washing machines, which in the previous classification were considered “middle peasants,” fell into the category of the most wasteful.

The label of the new edition should contain the following information: I. name of supplier or brand name;   II. vendor model identifier (alphanumeric code that distinguishes this model of the washing machine from other models of the same brand or from the same supplier);   III. energy saving class;   IV. annual energy consumption;   V. annual volume of water consumption;   VI. nominal productivity, in kg, for the standard program for washing cotton at a temperature of 60 ° C and full load or for the standard program for washing cotton at a temperature of 40 ° C and full load; VII. spin class;   Viii. level of noise pollution during the washing and spinning process, for a standard program for washing cotton at a temperature of 60 ° C and a full load.

Washability class: “A”. And not lower!

In the new label you will not find more class of washability (washing efficiency). Not at all from the fact that he lost his meaning. On the contrary! The washability class (on the previous label it was 7 digits: from A to G) now, in principle, can not be lower than class A. For this reason, its marking has lost its meaning. In this way, the manufacturer is placed in rather severe conditions - strive for the product to be energy efficient, but not at the expense of reducing functional characteristics!
  The class of washing efficiency (washability) is determined by comparing the performance of this machine with the performance of the reference machine.
  How is the washing quality evaluated? Of course, not by eye. Without the help of "Aunt Asi" - once a popular character in the washing powder advertising campaign, in which she acted as a homegrown expert. How much lighter the fabric became after washing, experts determine by the reflection coefficient, measured on a spectrophotometer.
  The optical device captures, making "visible", those numerous color transitions that are not perceived by the human eye.

Spin speed

Spin is more effective, the higher the speed of this operation. In other words, the higher the car’s spin speed, the better and ... more expensive!
  This is understandable: a more powerful electric motor, increased reliability of the drum, shaft, bearing, pulley, shock absorber, spring suspensions are required .. The speed of the last spin of modern machines varies from 400 to 1800 rpm. In our opinion, you should buy a car with a spin speed of at least 1000 rpm.
  The optimal speed, while correlating the quality of the spin cycle and the price is about 1000–1200 rpm.
  True, there are pleasant exceptions when, at a lower spin speed, the machine demonstrates its higher efficiency.

Spin efficiency class

  The laundry should be wrung out well. In this case, “on a rope” it dries faster, and when using a drying machine, respectively, reduced energy costs.

HOW THE TESTS ARE PASSED

Equal to the standard!

To find out which car is better, you need a Standard. Reference washing machine. It is in comparison with it (and not directly among themselves) that it turns out which of the tested machines is more efficient, reliable, more economical.
Often, testers are asked, and where would we buy a reference car for the house? People believe that a kind of miracle machine that erases better than everyone else acts as the reference. This is fundamentally not the case. Its difference is not this. The Wascator machine (used as a reference in Rostest-Moscow) erases as usual, and its spin speed is not a record one, but only up to 1100 rpm.
  The trick is that Wascator erases the same every time, all the results of its work are perfectly reproduced. It is a standard because, unlike conventional machines, while working simultaneously with them, it always gives a stable result with which you can correctly compare the result shown by the tested machine. It is an insignificant spread of indicators that makes the Wascator a reference point for the rest of the machines. The standard! The reproducibility of its results is truly unique: four significant numbers coincide, this is accuracy in hundredths of a percent!
  Before each test, a careful calibration of the machine is carried out - during this procedure you can not only lean on the machine, but even put a piece of paper on its “body”: the ultra-precise mechanics of the reference machine will immediately feel this load and it will affect the result of the work. Therefore, it is installed on a special concrete pedestal. Before starting work, a magnetic card is inserted into the slot on the control panel of the Wascator machine with a standard washing program recorded on it that complies with EU standards. The machine does not allow any amateurish interventions in the course of this program.

In order for the test results of washing machines to be comparable and not dependent on random factors that could affect their accuracy and reproducibility, the standards require equal working conditions for all test participants:

• Supply voltage must be maintained at 230 V ± 1%
• Power frequency - at the level of 50Hz ± 1%
• Total water hardness (2.5 ± 0.2) mmol / L.
• Laboratory water temperature (15 ± 2) ° С
• Static (relative) pressure of water at the inlet to each tested washing machine - (240 ± 50) kPa
• Ambient temperature in the testing laboratory (23 ± 2) ° С.

The Wascator always loads 5 kg of the reference load, and, unlike most household washing machines, it weighs it in the most direct sense - the reference unit is equipped with a load weighing system.
Other initial data of the machine are also unchanged: the wash lasts exactly 79 minutes, the water heats up to 60 ° C during washing (this condition is stipulated in the energy label of the washing machine, or rather, in the EU directives).
  As we have already said, the test conditions require that the water used for washing has strictly defined parameters: temperature 15 ± 2 ° C, carbonate hardness 2.5 + 0.2 mmol / l. The maintenance of these parameters during the tests is ensured by the installation of a water treatment system.
  In such a serious matter as testing washing machines, there are no trifles. Like water, the powder is also strictly regulated.
  The washing powder is poured exactly 180 g into the reference machine, and the composition of this powder is also strictly stipulated: this is a mixture of three components - the main detergent, soda and bleach. When preparing a portion of the powder, each component is weighed on an electronic balance with an accuracy of hundredths of a gram, and the finished mixture can be stored for no more than one week.
  Now about the “experimental” underwear. We disappoint those who suggest that testers have a happy opportunity to combine business with pleasure, washing things brought from home during the testing process. There is a so-called download for this.
  Preparing the wash object (load) for testing is a science. Before washing something in a standard way, it is necessary to pollute this “something” in a standard way, otherwise how to compare the results of washing different machines? Pollution, too ... "reference."
  There are companies (EMRA in Switzerland and WFK in Germany) that specialize in the production of standard stains: they are strips of fabric (strips) of six sequentially stitched squares 12 × 12 cm in size. One of the strips for an example is placed on the photo: its first square - clean, the second is contaminated with sebum, the third is soot with mineral oil, the fourth is blood, the fifth is cocoa with milk, the sixth is red wine. The strips are loaded into the test machine along with a load of cotton fabric. If 5 kg of laundry is washed, then five strips are put in the drum, if 6 kg of laundry - then six.
  Underwear for testing is also undergoing serious training. It must undergo a preliminary “aging”. A set of reference linen is made up of cotton sheets, pillowcases and towels.
This kit consists of four parts. The first part of the kit is new, the second is stretched 20 times, the third 40 times, the fourth 60 times. After the fourth part is stretched 80 times, it leaves the kit and is replaced by a new one.
  In the intervals between tests, the linen is conditioned for at least 24 hours in a special room with a strictly defined climate: temperature 20 ° C, humidity 65%. A humidifier works in the room to maintain a constant level of humidity. But now, finally, the linen with the standard contaminated strips is ready to be loaded into the machine. Its laying in the drum is also carried out according to certain rules: if, say, one towel is laid with a fold forward, then the next with a fold to the hatch.
  The energy consumption of each of the machines is continuously measured directly. When the machines finish their work and its integral value is calculated, it will become clear what color the strip (which determines the class) to be on the energy sticker of the machine.
  But to determine the class of washability, you will have to work with the laundry removed from the drum. First, the strips are separated from the textile. Then the textiles are additionally squeezed in a centrifuge, and after analyzing the composition of the water squeezed out of it, it is established how well the machine rinsed the laundry.
  "Rinse class" is not included in the list of mandatory indicators of the washing machine, although this is an important characteristic: the presence of residues of washing powder in the fabric can cause discomfort in people prone to allergies.
  Next, strips of reference contaminated fabric are dried and then ironed with an ironing machine. And then comes the “moment of truth”: the samples are examined by a spectrophotometer - an optical device that can measure their reflection coefficient, that is, determine how much lighter each square of the strip has become after washing. It is impossible for the human eye to distinguish, say, the washing efficiency class A from class B. This can only be done with the help of a measuring complex, which, in addition to the spectrophotometer itself, includes a computer with appropriate software.

WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION WHEN PURCHASING

Marketers have such a sign of consumer perception of the product: a novel at first glance. This is what the buyer primarily pays attention to and what plays a decisive role in shaping consumer preferences.

The simpler the better

If we are talking about washing machines, then the main “detail" in them is the control panel. Marketers have noticed that consumers are primarily attracted to washing machines with a “no troubles” control system. Simple and intuitive. Just a glance at the panel, overloaded with keys and symbols, can completely scare away a potential buyer. And, on the contrary, with the “elementary” control panel that love often begins at first sight.
  And marketers conclude: controlling the washing machine should be ... foolproof. We will not blame them for cynicism and lack of respect for users of the technology they create. In this not very correct, frankly, not very polite definition, there is a servile truth: well, not for that we spend money on a smart machine to soar over the instruction manual, to read and understand its wisdom, to learn various algorithms of actions ... I want the machine was understandable and started without any persuasion to do their job, as they say, by a wave of the hand. To make it easy to touch a single button.
  Already there are cars, by pressing only the button of which you can start the 30-degree washing mode. This temperature is sufficient for not very soiled cotton and synthetics. It is clear that this program is displayed “on the button” not by accident: it is such linen - made of cotton and synthetics - that is most often erased “for life”. But in order to use other modes, you still have to strain your brains. But for now. The trend for the button is obvious.
  Before making the final decision to purchase a washing machine, make sure that you understand and convenient the controls for the functions and displays on the control panel. It is wiser to pick up a car with his wife: most often, after all, it is women who do the laundry. If the user has something incomprehensible or inconvenient, then washing will turn into a burden. The ingenuity of the machine is fraught with the fact that another woman, and even a man, will not even approach her. Others, less cautious, as it turns out, were not allowed to enter the car at all! And it’s hardly worth paying for functions that you will not be in demand.
  The simpler the machine and its management, the more convenient it is more practical and more reliable!

Size and its meaning

In the trade are presented washing machines of several standard sizes: large-sized, compact, narrow, especially narrow, wall-mounted.
Without claiming to be a sensation, we note: size in our case matters. In the vast majority of cases, our homes are not spacious. And the “choice without choice” of more compact machines is programmed with realities. You might think that they should be “by definition” cheaper than large machines. But this is not so. We will choose them, we repeat, not because of cheapness and, especially, not because of a more developed functionality, but being, as they say, cornered. In the literal and figurative sense. That is, those living conditions when a “normal” car simply cannot be squeezed.

If you have nowhere to turn

Homeowners who can afford not to think about the optimal use of the apartment footage and even ready to take a separate room for laundry are negligible.
Therefore, small-sized washing machines are in steady demand. But here we need a measure. If there is “nowhere to turn around”, then this is not a reason for incredible efforts to manage to squeeze the washing machine into the “corner” intended for it. This is an occasion with meticulous meticulousness to choose a car that meets the dimensions of the possibilities for its placement. Options are possible, since the gradation of machines into large-sized, compact and narrow ones is rather arbitrary. Different manufacturers offer models, albeit not by much, but in one direction or another, differing in size from standard ones. But these "little" just might solve the problem.
  It should be borne in mind that manufacturers indicate dimensions, not taking into account protruding parts of the case (say, control knobs). To us, choosing a car for cramped conditions, we must not lose sight of these “trifles”.
  It makes sense to consider the option of a front-loading washing machine (front, front) only when you can cut a “patch” of at least a square meter in front of the machine. Otherwise, the user will not be able to turn around and the manipulation of the laundry will become very difficult. And the loading hatch should open wide open (180 degrees), and not 90. If there are no such conditions, then the solution is to purchase a machine with vertical loading (top), for which enough working space of about half a "square" is enough.
  Do not push the machine close to walls and furniture. If you do not leave a technological gap of the order of 10 cm, then the machine without air exchange will begin to overheat, which is fraught with its accelerated failure.
When purchasing a small washing machine, be prepared for increased vibration. And she is a scourge for technology. This is a fee for the compactness of the unit. Moreover, the smaller the area occupied by the machine, the stronger the vile vibration. And, accordingly, noise. Such an inversely proportional relationship. Several dampens the vile vibration of the mass of the machine. From this point of view, increased massiveness is not a minus, but a plus.

If there is, where to turn around

“Solid” full-size washing machines are more stable than narrow and compact ones, and therefore are less susceptible to destructive vibration and, therefore, last longer.
  Now about the functionality. The natural desire of users is to “wash at once” as much laundry as possible. It is not only convenient, but also beneficial from the point of view of saving energy and water costs. High loading is the main advantage of full-size washing machines with a capacious drum. And large things, say, a plaid, can be washed only in a full-sized washing machine.
  This implies the undoubted advantage of the maximum capacious loading tank, but its increase is possible only with a corresponding increase in the size of the machine body. Which is limited by common sense and established dimensional parameters.
  But the desire of the business to make the product more and more competitive encourages manufacturers to non-stop search for other ways that would allow, while maintaining the standard size of the “washer,” to increase its load, that is, the amount (strictly speaking, the mass) of the laundry that it contains. And thereby make the car ... more economical!

WHEN ONE DRUM IS LOW

With the situation when one drum is not enough "for life", each user of the washing machine faced. The point is not at all the insufficient capacity of the drum. The problem is that many types of laundry are incompatible during washing. Say, it is not recommended to wash together white and colored items, adults and children’s, wool and cotton, ordinary and delicate ... So you have to do the laundry in two steps, spending extra time on this, which, as they say, is more expensive than money.
If you encounter these problems, we inform you: washing machines with two drums are no longer fantasy, but reality. Moreover, based on your needs, you can pick up a machine with drums of different capacities: 10 and 2 kg, 8 and 2 kg ... In the larger one, load ordinary things, and in the second (smaller) - children’s or delicate ones, and wash using for each kind of thing the programs corresponding to them. Both washing quality and time saving are ensured.
There is one more plus. Since the drums can work both simultaneously and separately, this provides the opportunity to use one or the other drum, depending on the volume of loading, saving with a small amount of linen on water consumption.
Despite two drums, such machines have one inlet hose, so additional communications will not be required.
The only thing that can create inconvenience (taking into account the constraint of city apartments) is the height dimensions of the “two-story” washing machines. But manufacturers are looking for solutions here too. Let's say there are models in which one drum has front loading, and the second (retractable) has top loading. This solution allows you to slightly reduce the "growth" of the column.

Fast doesn’t mean better ...

An important characteristic that largely determines the quality of the result is the speed of rotation of the drums during washing. But the speed should not be prohibitive: at too high a speed, centrifugal forces press the laundry to the drum, and it “hangs” and is not erased. The optimal speed of rotation of the drum with its diameter of 420 mm is 50-60 rpm for washing and rinsing cycles. When the drum rotates in one direction, the laundry is twisted into a lump. This defect is deprived of a machine with a reverse washing and rinsing regime, that is, with a variable (after a pause) change in the direction of rotation of the drum. Things are better washed, less rubbed in folds.

And less does not mean more economical!

It is a very common misconception that less loading the machine with washable laundry leads to energy and water savings. Misconception! More economical, on the contrary, full load. This is the main reason why manufacturers are trying in every possible way to maximize the capacity of the drum.
However, experts believe that with existing standards for the dimensions of washing machines, manufacturers have already reached the technically possible limit of their capacity: 12 kg of dry laundry. And even this norm is achieved by scrupulous work on technological gaps, tolerances and landings. But the thought cannot be stopped and, perhaps, innovative productive solutions will be found that we do not even suspect about.

Lossless quality savings

Profitability is the main trend of today's development of household appliances. Including, of course, washing machines. And manufacturers, according to advertising, in this matter day by day in this regard
  succeed more and more. But testers and experts are concerned about the price that consumers sometimes pay for the cost-effectiveness they promised.
  Let’s explain. Up to 85–90% of the electricity goes to heating the water! It is clear that manufacturers seek to save on this resource. How? By reducing the temperature of the wash. Obviously, in this case, less energy is spent on heating. There you have it!

Cold wash

There are machines with the “Cold wash” mode at temperatures up to 20 and even 15 degrees, which, according to the manufacturers' declaration, allows you to preserve the color and shape of clothes being washed, and plus this provides significant energy savings. Well, wash and save, but, experts warn, remember: at a lower temperature of the washing solution, the degree of textile disinfection is critically reduced. Therefore, such savings, as they say, will come sideways if the family has problems with fungal and intestinal infections.
  But we are talking about a car whose manufacturers directly report the possibility of using a more economical mode. There are no contraindications - wash and save. All honestly. It’s bad when manufacturers do not in fact provide them with the promised temperature, which the user naturally relies on.
  Tests at the Federal State Institution “Rostest-Moscow” indicate that instead of the declared 60 degrees, the maximum temperature in fact can reach only 50 and even 45 degrees. But the user does not even suspect this. It’s good if there are no patients in the house.

Quick wash

Consumers should be more careful about manufacturers' declarations about the effectiveness of “quick (short) washing”. You need to be sure that speed is achieved not at the expense of disinfection and quality. Some manufacturers at least explain by what innovations the remarkable effect of “rate of fire” is achieved. Others simply attract buyers (“who value time”) with the possibility of a quick and full wash, without complicating themselves with an explanation of what the trick is (in the sense of innovation), and this alone gives rise to doubts about the quality of the result.

About the number of programs

The basis is 4 groups, combining several programs for different temperature conditions:

• For linen and cotton fabrics. The temperature is usually 30, 40, 60 and 90 ° C.
• For mixed fabrics. Temperature 30, 40 and 60 ° С;
• For synthetic fabrics (such programs are called “thin underwear”). Temperature 30, 40 ° С and without heating.
• For woolen fabrics. Temperature 30, 40 ° С and without heating.

  Many machines have the following options:

• pre-wash phase for heavily soiled laundry
• short (fast) or daily wash (refreshing linen)
• stain wash with enhanced detergent
• half load (for a small amount of linen with saving energy, washing products, water, time)
• increased water level
• soak
• spin selection
• spin "under the iron" and at maximum speed to "super dry"
• “Easy ironing” (anti-crease mode)
• gentle washing (for expensive linen)
• and many others (more than 50 variations).

  Many people use the program of boiling linen from cotton fabrics at 60 ° C. Cotton is less commonly used at 40 ° C, while in Europe this program is most often used. Manufacturers are currently working on programs that take full advantage of the energy-saving features provided by the latest washing products that work efficiently at low temperatures. The developers are also focusing on programs for mixed products, which would simultaneously wash products from cotton and synthetic fabrics.

Program duration

Different washing programs vary in duration. Consider the program "Washing cotton and linen without a preliminary phase at 60 ° C." It takes from 50 to 135 minutes and consists of the following cycles:

• The main wash, in which the laundry is washed under the influence of thermal, mechanical and chemical influences. Its duration depends on the selected washing temperature, the temperature of the water being poured and the features of the machine.
• Rinsing. An important operation, especially if there are babies and allergies in the house. As a rule, these are two or three cycles with a possible intermediate spin for better removal of detergents from the laundry. The last rinse can be used for starching, conditioning, etc. As a rule, it lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.
• The last spin. The duration of the spin may depend on how quickly the machine distributes the laundry in the drum. This applies, as a rule, to “smart” cars with modern electronics. Usually lasts no more than 15-20 minutes.

Washing process control

The first automatic washing machines and modern low-cost models use an electromechanical command device that closes and opens the control circuits of the heater, electric motors, sensors and controls the washing time. Over time, they began to produce the so-called hybrid circuits, where the electrical circuits are switched by an electromechanical command device, and the electronics command the washing ... with the user's guiding and guiding role.
  To make it work, you need to set the goals and ways to achieve it through a step-by-step algorithm of actions through the menu: the user must be able to choose the water temperature for this type of linen, depending on the load weight, set the optimal intensity of washing, rinsing, spinning, and much more.
  Someone copes with this easily and with pleasure, but someone needs to work a lot on himself in order to be understood by a smart machine. There is even a joke: a laundress who is able to cope with the management of the washing machine, can cope with the management of the state.
For those who do not pretend to be a government, there were washing machines with an electronic control system for the washing process. All that such a machine needs is to report the type of laundry. The electronic control system for the washing process itself will determine its mass and, depending on this, set the time, the amount of water to be poured, the number of rinses needed, the rotation speed of the drum, the spin time, in short, all that is needed. Moreover, the "brain center" not only gives the machine instructions for execution, but also carries out subsequent monitoring of the process and, if necessary, even takes corrective actions (for example, if an imbalance occurs with an uneven distribution of linen in the drum). Such a washing machine is not afraid of power failures: the electronics remembers the last step taken so that it can continue washing from it as soon as the power supply is restored. But for now, this is only possible for the cotton washing program and is optimized for a temperature of 60 ° C.
And what does it give ?!
So the question is - what does it give? - we ask ourselves when we hear about certain innovations that seem to revolutionize household appliances. Let us dwell on some features of modern washing machines, which consumers often ask Rostest-Moscow experts to explain.

“Flexible logic”

We said above that incomplete downloads are inefficient in terms of saving resources. But such savings are already becoming possible. There were machines equipped with electronic "brains" and the functions of setting programs for loading, allowing full-sized washing machines to wash clothes when not fully loaded with the corresponding savings. This is for those who do not like to accumulate dirty laundry in the volumes required for a full load. This effect is achieved by the optimal ratio of load and expendable resources. The machine itself weighs the mass of items to be washed and, depending on the input parameters, builds up the duty cycle, setting the amount of water needed for washing, the duration of washing and the number of rinses, the time of individual phases and the entire cycle, and turns off the machine when washing is complete. So, thanks to the “flexible logic”, both water and electricity are saved.

Direct drive

The direct drive washing machine (manufactured by LG) passed functional tests in Rostest-Moscow. Here we can speak with good reason: the manufacturer due to this solution really managed to increase the reliability of the engine and, therefore, the life of the washing machine, to ensure high quality washing with economical energy consumption

Whirlpool effect

So advertise washing machines with a modernized drum, the shape of the holes in which and their layout give reason to compare the processing of linen with the work of a whirlpool bathtub of the "jacuzzi" type.
The effect of asymmetric grips
In washing machines with this feature, the laundry moves during washing in “three dimensions”, which avoids partial washing and excessive wear.

Night wash

This is a mode that promises the washing machine to operate at a low noise level. Achieved reduced noise due to damping systems in one or another damping vibration, as well as the effect that special seals give.

Steam generators

Steaming improves the quality of the wash. Effectively removes odors. It should be noted and profitability, because the production of this "tool" takes less water, as well as electricity compared to conventional washing.

Surge Protection

Low quality electricity is a scourge of household appliances. With such a protection system, you can be sure about the safety of the washing machine: it is not afraid of very critical power surges, and even if they are exceeded, the washing machine will be switched off on time and without any consequences for its health.
  It would be nice if the promising and encouraging prudent user declarations were backed up by independent testing and voluntary certification. But the majority of manufacturers are limited to safety and resource tests. As for the functionality, they believe that we, consumers, should trust them in word. And this will be until we make it a rule to require certificates from them that confirm the reliability of the declared quality indicators, thereby prompting manufacturers to voluntary certification procedures.

HOW TO CARE FOR WASHING MACHINES

That scary word is vibration.

Vibration is the main destroyer of the washing machine. In the fight against it, hydraulic and pneumatic shock absorbers, spring suspensions, inertial loads are used ... Crafted fastenings and devices are constructed in which the vibration of the tank would not be transmitted to the body. Rotation algorithms are being developed to reduce laundry imbalance in the drum and various methods for measuring vibration and imbalance. Solving the problem of vibration, the designers separate the vibrating tank and the body, as a result of which vibration is practically not transmitted to the body.
  Massive, high stability machines with a large drum and a low center of gravity are less susceptible to vibration. The narrower the washing machine, the more difficult it is to organize effective vibration suppression, since a reduction in size leads to a decrease in the area of \u200b\u200bsupport, an increase in the center of gravity, and as a result, the machine becomes more susceptible to vibration.
  Vibration increases many times if the machine body has not very strong connections.
  Think ahead to the installation location: the machine must be exposed on a flat and hard surface!
  When buying a washing machine, make sure that there are vertical recesses on the side walls, which are not at all decorative, but functional - the recesses give the walls greater rigidity.
  Keep in mind that during the spin cycle an imbalance results in an uneven distribution of laundry in the drum: the machine starts to make noise, twitch, as they say, to walk with a shaker.
  In terms of the destructiveness of the impact on the washing machine, hard and contaminated with mechanical impurities rivals water.

About water

Hard water and contaminated with mechanical impurities can destroy the device for several years of intensive use. Unfortunately, our littered water is not an annoying exception, but rather a rule. The reason for this is that back in Soviet times, they served their own, rusted pipelines.
  Do not ruin the car for the joy that “They gave water!”: After preventive maintenance or shutdown, wait until the agitated impurities settle. And yet, without installing on water pipe   filter with a replaceable cartridge can not do.
  But you cannot solve the problem of water hardness with a mechanical filter: you should regularly add descaling agents to the powder.
But "chemistry" heals one, and the other cripples, corroding rubber seals, oxidizing adversely affecting automation. The most radical means are filtering systems, but they are expensive, and even in a typical apartment of an “improved layout” it’s quite difficult to find a place for them.

About electrical wiring

In a new house with electric stoves, one does not have to wait for any special difficulties. There is good wiring and a ground loop.
  In your own house, standing "on the ground", there is also no problem with grounding.
  Another thing is old, apartment buildings, where the Euro socket with the so-called zero wire is fake. Many buildings still have aluminum wiring. And if copper, then the cross section is not enough for a powerful unit. With a cross section up to 1 mm square. and a circuit breaker up to 6.3 A, in no case should you install a machine with a power of more than 2–2.2 kW and designed for a “machine” of 10 A.
  For a house with old, low-current communications, it is better to buy a car with an indication of the operating mode of the heating element, so that the signal reminds the consumer of the load on the network and the undesirability of turning on other energy-intensive appliances (electric kettles, microwave ovens, etc.) during this period.

About plum

Sewer systems are worn out no less than water supply and from year to year more and more threaten with blockages. Better than others, residents of lower floors know this. Woven pile and fibers, regularly falling into the drain, can become that drop that will overfill the decrepit sewer. Imported cars are equipped only with a catcher of buttons and other small items. “There” the sewage system works properly, and manufacturers do not see the need to overload the units with unnecessary devices and thereby perplex users with their maintenance. In our realities, it is definitely better to install and clean the strainer from time to time, than to eliminate clogging in the drain pipe. Ideally, it would be nice to equip the drain line with a non-return valve that protects the machine itself from accidental sewage emissions.

Power supply

In rural areas and regions with increased consumer load on the electrical system, the voltage varies in the range 190–245V. There are practically no surge protectors in home use. And in emergency situations, jumps are possible. If this is about you, then we recommend buying an electromechanical control unit. Electronics can not do without a voltage stabilizer, but such a washing machine with a power of 2 kW costs almost as much as the machine itself.

About detergents

First of all, beware of fakes. But not only counterfeit is dangerous. When using cheap, not enough high-quality detergents, scale forms on the heater. If you cannot afford high-quality powders, at least do not save on descaling powder. High-quality washing powders give a good result even at low temperatures: they can be washed with such at 40 ° C, and boiling can be replaced by washing at 60 ° C. So the costs of the best powder, even if in part, are actually offset by the fact that in direct proportion to the decrease in water heating, the scale formation intensity decreases, the machine does not wear out so much, energy is saved. The powder requirement is calculated based on the mass and degree of soiling of the laundry, as well as the hardness of the water. If you do not know this characteristic, then you will not be able to correctly dose the washing powder.

To make the washing machine last longer

In order for the washing machine to serve longer, it is enough to follow elementary rules:
  The washing machine should be exposed on a flat and hard surface. The concrete floor is best used as the surface for installing the washing machine. Unlike a wooden surface or a surface made of so-called “soft” materials, a concrete floor does not contribute to the appearance of increased machine vibration during the spin cycle.
  When loading the washing machine, do not overdo it, trying to cram as much laundry as possible into the drum and thereby overloading it beyond the norm. Follow the download recommendations provided by the manufacturer in the instruction manual.

Weigh the laundry before each wash to the nearest gram, of course, there is no need. It is enough to imagine that the maximum load for coarse linen is a completely filled, but not rammed drum. For synthetics - only half full, and for wool - no more than a third.

If you wish, you can estimate the weight of things not by the actual filling of the drum, but "by eye" in grams. In this case, one should be guided by the following reference data on their mass (in grams):

Duvet Cover 600 ... 700
Bed sheet 400 ... 500
Pillowcase 200
Terry towel 500 ... 700
Kitchen towel 100 ... 200
Napkin 100
Tablecloth 250 ... 600
Apron 150 ... 250
Men's shirt 200 ... 300
Men's pajamas 400 ... 500
Men's underwear 100 ... 150
Socks 60
Children's shirt 200
Women's blouse 100
Skirt 300
Evening dress 200
Nightdress 300
Robe 400 ... 500
Stockings 50
Handkerchief 25
Jeans 800
Bike Blanket 1300

We advise you to first soak the laundry for half an hour, then squeeze it out manually or to reduce the complexity in the washing machine and soak again for half an hour in clean water. This is more effective than one hour soaking. Abuse of long-term soaking is not recommended. When a thing lies for a long time in stale water, dirt again penetrates the structure of the fabric. The fabric takes on the so-called “washed-out” appearance and becomes discolored. Soaking is most effective at a temperature of 40-50 ° C.
  Do not soak things if they are recommended to use dry cleaning markings, as well as products made of silk, wool, leather and metal trim.
  To soak, use a container in which things fit freely.
  Use warm water (40 ° C) to soak things with organic stains and medium temperature water (50 ° C) for other types of soaking.
Before soaking things, make sure that the washing powder is dissolved in water. After soaking, rinse your items before washing.
  You can do without manually soaking heavily soiled laundry with stains by using special stain removers for washing machines, which, however, are not cheap.

• Periodically clean the drain pump filter that most washing machines have.
• At the end of the wash, wipe the walls of the drum and the detergent drawer with a dry cloth. To allow the machine to dry, leave the hatch open for a while. But not for long: firstly, the open hatch can be broken through negligence, and secondly, dust enters the car through the open hatch.
• After each wash, let the machine take a breath - preferably at least two hours to let the motor cool completely. To get rid of limescale deposits on the heating elements, which is formed due to the high hardness of our water, try to start the machine once every six months at idle time, after filling in the antinakipin detergent cuvette, a descaling agent and salt deposits in automatic machines. Use an additional descaler or not, it is up to you. In high-quality powders, as a rule, additives are already available against the formation of calcareous deposits.
• Remember that drain flexible hoses do not last forever and threaten leakage. It is necessary to treat them more carefully. The destructive effect on them is exerted not only by the pressure of the water from the inside, but also by external circumstances: they are attacking the hose, etc. They have their own resources, but replacing them (without waiting for a leak) is quite simple on their own, without resorting to plumbing services.

  To avoid the risk of leaks, do not splice the hoses. If you decide to move the washing machine, then it is wiser to spend money on a long hose than to connect two. But the length of the hose should not be more than 5 meters, since the drain pump will not cope with the load of transporting water before draining the sewer. This must be borne in mind when planning a workspace.
  Now there are two-layer hoses of increased wear resistance with a safety valve, hoses in a metal braid, as well as durable special polymers. These are too tough for even pets.
  You will, as they say, fall quietly if the washing machine tray is equipped with a leakage sensor.

• Do not get carried away by boiling: the optimum washing temperature when using high-quality washing powder is 40-60 degrees.
• Use only detergents specifically designed for automatic washing machines. Handwash powder has abnormal foaming and its use in automatic washing machines can cause serious damage.
• Particular attention should be paid to children's powders: it is often recommended to pour the powder directly into the drum directly onto the laundry, rather than into a cuvette like regular powders, with instructions for use. It is better to dilute the air conditioner with water, as it is usually thick and the washing machine does not take it completely.
• If you notice something unusual in the operation of your washing machine (extraneous noise, smudges of water, smell, etc.), turn it off and call the wizard.
• Carefully read the instruction manual and strictly follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

• Do not buy the abundance of buttons, programmers and functions "for all occasions": you have to pay for what is really necessary, which you can not do without today. Someone copes with technology easily and with pleasure, and someone needs to work a lot on himself in order to be understood by a smart machine. There is even a joke: a laundress who is able to cope with the management of the washing machine, can cope with the management of the state.
• Contrary to the saying, the “stock” of expensive features pocket pulls, and tangibly!
• If you are not afraid of equipment and get a “jack of all trades” assistant, try to get the maximum clarification on its operation when buying from a sales assistant. Do not postpone educational program “for later”: at home, “at your leisure”, to understand the intricacies of managing a technically complex “unit” - it can be very difficult. Even for a person turning to “you” with equipment, and if there is an instruction in Russian (by the way, check!) And the Russian-language menu.
• Attractive in terms of their “advancedness”, touch control systems have a “minus”: sensitive to voltage drops, they can quickly fail. Washing machines with mechanical or key switches are more reliable.
• Decide ahead how many people have to be washed. For two for the eyes enough “laundresses” with a load of up to 3–3.5 kg. If you will systematically throw a “daughter” who lives with your family daughter, you must stock up on an aggregate of 3 or more people with a load of 4.5-5 kg. For a happy but rare family of 5 people, devices for 7-8 kg are designed. Already on sale washing machines with a load of 12 kg in the same dimensions.
• As we have already said, there are machines: large, standard sizes, narrow, extremely narrow, compact. These sizes are not due to technical and functional feasibility, but to standardization in the construction and manufacture of furniture. The larger the body of the machine, the more spacious, stable, reliable it is.
• Small-sized machines have no advantages, except for ... dimensions that allow them to squeeze even into a small bathroom. Given the eternal "housing problem", narrow and compact cars are popular here. But we must be aware that their drawback is not only in less load: they are less stable (especially on rollers), more prone to vibration.
• Functionally more efficient and reliable standard size machines, with a large base, massive, with a capacious drum.
• There are cars with top loading, and there are front-loading. Such a difference in functional capabilities, reliability, and resource has little effect. What is best for you, decide for yourself. Top loading requires less space for the user, therefore it is preferable for small-sized apartments.
• To accurately determine the choice, take an inventory of the wardrobe. If you have a lot of expensive things that require careful washing, you will have to fork out for a high-class car. Called "delicate", washing exquisite fine linen, wool and silk products is ensured by the constructive perfection of a gentle drum, as well as smart washing programs or a combination of these features. You will have to pay extra for the class.
• Before buying and installing a washing machine, review the engineering systems.
• It is wiser to pick up a car together with your wife: after all, she, most likely, will have to deal with her. Surprises here are fraught with the fact that a different woman, and even a man, will not work for an abstruse car. Others, as it turns out, and it was impossible to admit! In general, the simpler the machine and its management, the more convenient, practical and reliable it is.

SEVEN WASHING RULES

1. Sort the laundry.
2. Fully load the drum of the washing machine, depending on the selected program.
3. If possible, choose a lower wash temperature. Guided by the pros and cons of low-temperature washing: Washing at a low temperature is economical. In any case, with regard to the program of colored linen 40 ° C. All models reduce energy consumption with such a wash, because the washing solution does not need to be heated very much. However, saving on electricity, we begin to squander water: with low-temperature washing, its consumption increases somewhat by rinsing, up to about 50-60 liters. What is more profitable for you, decide for yourself.
4. Use the appropriate washing powder for washing: wash white linen with a universal powder (automatic machine), color - with colored powder, and wool - with detergent for wool products.
5. Determine the amount of powder accurately depending on the degree of contamination and the amount of linen, taking into account the hardness of the water.
6. Use detergent instead of liquid detergent.
7. Keep in mind that machines with a spin speed of 1200 rpm squeeze out about 10% less moisture from laundry than machines with a spin speed of 1600 rpm. As tests show, the residual humidity of colored laundry during washing 40 ° C is very significant - from 52 to 61% (spin efficiency class “B”). Therefore, for reasons of economy, it is better to dry clothes on a rope in the fresh air. Drying machines are convenient, but you will have to pay for comfort with the cost of significant energy consumption.

Hello dear visitor and reader.

So, the following brands of washing machines participated in the test:

• Bosch
• Candy
• Samsung
• Electrolux
• Hitpoint ariston

We can see all these six brands of washing machines in almost any Russian household appliance store. And it is these brands that are currently the best-selling (or bought) in our country. But we’ll find out which one is better by looking at the results of the washing machine test.

The testing cycle of the washing machines was carried out according to a universal technique that provides answers to the most important questions for consumers:

1. How well does the machine wash?
2. How loud is the washing machine?
3. How effective is the laundry pressing?

Let's start in order and see how well washing machines do.

The washing efficiency of washing machines.

The most difficult to remove stains on clothes usually appear spontaneously, but for the test, Roskontrol approached the pollution of linen scientifically and prepared specially soiled canvases with six different types of stains:

1. Fresh cherry stain.
2. A stain from fresh greenery.
3. Stain from a meat dish with soy sauce.
4. A stain of red wine.
5. Black coffee stain.
6. A stain from black tea of \u200b\u200bmedium strength.

After applying the contamination of the canvas were left for 20 hours to dry.

These linens were loaded into the tested washing machines along with ballast fabric weighing 80% of the maximum allowable load. The washing program is selected standard: "Cotton" at a temperature of 60 degrees.

Different models of washing machines, based on the operating algorithms embedded in them, automatically selected different washing times. Almost all brands of washing machines completed their work in about 3 hours.

However, the Bosch brand washing machine excelled and carried out a full wash cycle in just over 2 hours.

But the result of such washing was far from the best, because part of the cherry puree remained on the fabric.

The Samsung washing machine showed the worst results on washing efficiency - it could not completely remove stains from fresh greens and cherries.

The best washing quality was shown by the LG washing machine, which easily coped with all the stains.

The result of checking the washing efficiency of washing machines on a 100-point scale is as follows.

The next test that Roskontrol conducted was a noise level check of washing machines.

How much the washing machine is noisy. Test.

Such an important parameter for consumers as the noise level of the washing machine is almost impossible to check in the store at the time of purchase. But for the experts of Roskontrol this was not a problem.

The noise level of each tested washing machine was measured in a special acoustically insulated chamber using special measuring equipment of the first accuracy class. Noise level measurements were made from three different points in two modes of operation of washing machines: during washing and spinning at a speed of 800 rpm.

It is worth noting that all the tested washing machines have met the requirements of the standards. However, they did it differently. Some machine was quieter, some louder.

The brands Candy, Electrolux and Hitpoint Ariston were much stronger than others. Korean LG washing machine showed the best result, while Bosch and Samsung were somewhere in between.

On a 100-point scale, the noise level of the tested brands of washing machines is as follows.

The next test of Roskontrol was spin efficiency.

The efficiency of the spin of washing machines. Test.

In order to conduct a test on the efficiency of the extraction of washing machines, high-precision scales were needed.

Before conducting the test, the terry test fabric was weighed by the experts in a dry state and loaded into the drums of washing machines weighing half the permissible weight, rinsed, and then spin at maximum speed.

After the cycle is completed, the fabric is sent back to the balance to determine the percentage of moisture remaining in it.

This test showed consistent results. A Samsung washing machine, capable of spinning its own drum up to 1200 rpm, easily outperformed its competitors: the fabric became only 30% heavier.

The worst laundry was pressed by a Bosch washing machine. After it, 56% of excess mass remained in the tissue.

On a 100-point scale, the spin efficiency of the tested washing machines is as follows.

Honestly, the results of the Roskontrol test surprised me somewhat. Rather, not all results. For example, I knew that LG washing machines are one of the best on the Russian market. But the fact that Bosch and Electrolux show such mediocre results was a revelation for me. What about Swedish and German quality? Where is it?

That's all for today.

Thanks for attention.