Washer Dyer recommendations

[Otta]

Hello,

Since moving to our flat in Feb we are struggling to keep up with washing, and more to the point, drying.

Sooo, can anyone recommend a good washer dryer for no more than ?400?

Sorry for the ultra dull thread, but families with little kids do lots of washing, so figured this was a good place to ask.

[slh2009]

I had a Zanussi one which was quite good and lasted several years so might be worth looking at them. Not as expensive as Bosch or Miele so you should get one for ?400

[katgod]

can you squeeze in a condenser tumble drier somewhere? I had a washer drier and it was plain ok - but the difference with a tumble drier is massive. I do also like my Lakeland heated airer which, with a sheet over itto make a tent, dries clothes quickly and cheaply.

[Otta]

Thing is, our washing machine is on it's last legs so needs replacing anyway, and I don't think we can stretch to a new washer and separate dryer. I know they're not as good, but think it's the best we can hope for.

[bluesuperted]

Hi Otta,

If you've got space, you won't regret a condenser tumble dryer as well, we love ours and it was less than ?200, had it for three years and going strong, works like a dream and fits anywhere - we have it under the stairs:

http://ao.com/product/dcu6130w-beko-condenser-tumble-dryer-white-25193.aspx?&wt.z_pt=mda&wt.z_mt=search&wt.z_rtm=pla&wt.z_dt=c&wt.z_at=tumble%20dryers%20condenser&wt.z_br=beko&wt.z_ft=free%20standing&wt.z_pc=dcu6130w_wh&wt.srch=1

I do totally feel your pain with the outlay, our ageing washing machine just broke after 4+ years service and god knows how many years before that as we inherited it and think it may have been 5 years old already. We replaced it last week with a Bosch VarioPerfect Exxcel which is brilliant and very highly recommended/reviewed but ?400 (painful but it seems fabulous so far). So if you were able to eke out a few more years of your current washer or get a good washer recommendation for ?200, it might be possible to do both - in theory should last longer as two separate items but the real beauty of it is being able to wash and dry simultaneously.

[hellosailor]

My daughter shares her bedroom with a condenser tumble dryer?only place it fits! I bought it on here for about ?40 and it's been going strong for years so you might be able to pick up a bargain on here or gumtree / ebay Otta?

[ACBP]

Have you got room for the Lakeland electric airer? I could not do without mine...I don't have a tumble dryer.

[Otta]

Thanks all. Alas space is of something of a premium, so the airer idea probably not a goer (it's not so much that the place is tiny, it's more that we have too much stuff and I already feel claustrophobic indoors).

The condenser dryer looks like an interesting option though...

[j9duff]

The Indesit IWDE126 is a Which? best buy. It's currently on sale on the Very website for ?349.

http://www.very.co.uk/indesit-iwde126-6kg-wash-5kg-dry-1200-spin-integrated-washer-dryer/1310892203.prd?aff=google&affsrc=acquisition&cm_mmc=google-_-PLA+-+Electricals-_-Electricals+-+Appliances+-+Generic-_-NA&kpid=14728732&gclid=Cj0KEQiA1eyiBRC-qI2VzKf0vaUBEiQAUiZ3xA8wOEgMA9T8u_V4JnN1XfPrhGBqO0sXifMz0NROrp4aAgZu8P8HAQ

[catgirl]

The Spin doctor is (unsurprisingly) a great source of knowledge on good buys for washing machines etc. He also sometimes has second hand ones to sell.

[sophiesofa]

Two years ago we bought a hotpoint washer drier for about ?360. Best money we ever spent.

[bobcol]

beko is a good one its on sale it has really good reviews on the internet.Do some research on google.

[devsdev]

Sorry to jump on this thread, but I've just been looking at tumble dryer options as well. We don't have the space to have one "properly" installed but have space in a small box room. So it seems a condenser dryer is the logical choice. I just wanted to know - does a condenser dryer cause damp in the room it's in? We have to get the box room replastered because there's definite damp (exacerbated by the fact that we use it as a drying room!) - just wondering if there's anything special we should get done to the walls to accommodate the dryer? Probably a daft question - I should really know more about houses than I do!

Ah, from hoovers to dryers. The excitement never ends!

[katgod]

my condenser is in a cupboard and has not caused any problems. The water collects in a drawer, which needs to be emptied, so either a steady hand or proximity to a sink is good(or remembering to empty it after every use so it is not full quite to the top- ha - that makes it sound so obvious why don't I do that??)

It does gets warm, and the air around it is warm, but I would not say it is a damp heat - the moisture is all in the drawer.

[devsdev]

Thanks katgod. And I'm sure the logical emptying after every use will escape me too! We have carpeting which will not help! Could I ask which brand you have? Going to start looking - I think we need one. Am sick of clothes on every radiator!

[Growlybear]

I bought this combined washer/drier in the summer in black http://ao.com/product/IWDE7145B-Indesit-Advance-Washer-Dryer-White-15790.aspx . I've always had separate washing machines and tumble driers, but when I had my laundry room refitted I decided that I would prefer to make better use of the space and bought a combined machine. This was my third Indesit washing machine - both of the previous ones lasted for 10 years each with at least daily use, and the second one was still working well when I replaced it. So far, I have been delighted with the new machine, and haven't missed having a separate tumble drier at all. I bought one of the really cheap electric clothes airers from eBay for about ?25, which is ideal for drying smaller loads rather than tumble drying.

[katgod]

Mine is AEG - I have an AEG washer drier and an AEG tumble drier. My combined one was fine but he tumble drier gets them bone dry wheras the combo alsways needed a line dry to finish off. But from what devsdev says maybe mine just wasn't great.

And someone above recommended Beko - I'd be wary of them, they have a very high rate of recalls on their products, and I have seen first hand the destruction caused by one of their tumble driers catching fire. Grim.

[ladyruskin]

If space is an issue and you have room for an airer you could try one of these: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8501147.htm

I don't have one personally, but my colleague raves about hers and I'm giving it serious consideration (also considering a washer dryer so watching this thread with great interest!).

[EmilyPie]

We bought an indesit IWDD7123 a couple of months ago. It has been great. No more smelly clothes from trying to dry them in a small flat, especially when it is too warm to have the radiators on. Was about ?320. Seems to wash and dry well and not unbearably noisy. Is quite slow. 4 hours + to wash and dry, and probably doing terrible things to our energy bills but made life MUCH easier!