A few days ago I posted about cheap washing machines, and shortly thereafter I received a couple of emails from readers wanting to know if I had recommendations for products that were a little fancier. Although I went with a more affordable model for my own home since I’m on a budget right now, I could see needing to upgrade to something a bit nicer in the future. While there were plenty of solid models on the market, the Electrolux washing machine brand popped up time and again as a really dependable up-and-comer.
Reviewed by one popular user at the Sears website as “dollar for dollar, the best washing machine on the market,” the new Electrolux IQ-Touch washing machine has gained loads of praise from satisfied users. This a positive turnaround for the company considering some of the overwhelmingly negative reviews I read for some of their earlier attempts to conquer this market. They must have fired their engineers and brought in some fresh blood for this round of products!
Perhaps the most sought-after feature of this line of washers, and presumably the source of the product name, the IQ-Touch allows the user to store all their favorite wash settings to be recalled at any time in the future with the “My Cycle” feature. This means that multiple people (such as a family or roommates) can store their preferences without having to reset all the parameters for each wash. In practice, this means the kids will have no excuses to dodge doing the laundry on the grounds that “they don’t know how to use the machine.”
If you’ve read any of the other articles on this site, you may have noticed that I am absolutely dedicated to finding products that are environmentally friendly as well as friendly to the pocketbook. According to many of the IQ-Touch reviews I collection from around the internet, the latest Electrolux washing machines are technically “High Efficiency” washers, although they do use a little bit more water than their other high efficiency brethren. This is probably a good thing, however, as there are many complains online that most HE washers don’t actually use enough water to get clothes truly clean. While efficiency is great, it shouldn’t need to come at the cost of a base line of cleanliness. Therefore, I personally consider slightly more water usage a fair trade-off for quality washing.
Another feature I wanted to focus on: Reversible doors. This is a real boon when you consider the tight spaces that many of us need to fill with a washing machine. Most people do not have the luxury of a huge laundry room, usually needing to fit larger appliances in whatever nook or cranny that will accommodate their size. Electrolux has taken a step in the right direction in trying to make things easier on the space-impaired among us (myself very much included), allowing the user to reverse the swing of the door on their front loading washers. It’s always annoying to find the perfect spot for a large appliance, only to be foiled by the fact that there is a load-bearing beam or similar obstruction that would directly block the path of the door swing. Very cool, Electrolux.
To cap off the article, here are a few more Electrolux IQ-Touch features:
- Water Saver and Energy Saver settings
- 4.7 cubic feet of washing space (spacier than many competing products)
- Extremely quiet operation
- 18 minute short wash cycle (reported by a user review at the Sears website)
- Steam Cleaning
Want more water dispenser information? Head to the front page of the site for more!
If you’re interested in cleaning devices for the home, you might want to check out these posts:
- The water vacuum buyer’s guide
- Replacing pressure washer nozzles
- A guide to purchasing a steam pressure washer
- 3 essential features to look for in a water vacuum
