Smart Shopper - Laundry Appliances​​​​​​​

The latest high-tech washing machines and dryers promise to make light work of the laundry.

- Georgia Madden

Gone are the days of spending entire weekends doing laundry, or accidentally shrinking a favourite jumper. Today’s appliances not only power through loads in just a fraction of the time of previous models, they are also gentler on your clothes.

“Washing machines and dryers are faster, quieter and more water- and energy-efficient. They also give you far more wash-cycle options, including ultra-delicate programs for silks and lace, gentle wool cycles for fine knits and ‘refresh’ options for wool suit jackets, all of which can save you a significant amount on dry-cleaning,” says Gary Brown, senior brand manager at Harvey Norman.

“They’re getting faster, too,” he adds. “Samsung’s new QuickDrive washing machines, for example, reduce washing time for cottons by up to 50 per cent, while still giving the same cleaning performance as a longer wash.”

The growing number of WiFi-enabled machines hitting the market means you don’t even need to be at home to start or check your load. “This technology allows you to switch on your washer or dryer remotely via your smartphone, or to monitor the progress of your wash from another room,” Brown explains. Many of these WiFi-connected models also have self-diagnosis functionality, which means the machine will alert you to any issues and, in some cases, alert service people. “Voice-activated laundry appliances aren’t here yet,” says Brown, “but I don’t imagine they’re far off.”