I had heard about soap nuts some time ago while bouncing around on the GardenWeb Laundry Forum. I looked into them a little bit, but didn't really think too much more about them. Until this morning.
I pulled a clean shirt from my closet, put it on, and was overcome with the scent of laundry detergent. Now, I do not use a lot of detergent in my wash. I actually use less than the recommended amount for a small/light load, even when I am doing a full load in the large 3.76 cf Dexter 400 washer. Despite the miserly amount of detergent I use, my clothes are still saturated with the perfumes added to the detergent.
That got me thinking about soap nuts. After doing some research into soap nuts, I found that they are 100% natural. The grow on the tree, fall on the ground, are gathered and dried for distribution. That's it. Nothing is added.
Ever wonder what is in commercial laundry detergent? So did I, and I did not have much luck finding an answer. You can look here for more information on what is in laundry detergent, and why manufacturers are not putting that information on the labels.
Another benefit of soap nuts? They are truly "green". Little to no plastic packaging to fill out landfills. No toxic by-products in manufacturing or wastewater. Spent nuts can be tossed in the trash (completely biodegradable) or added to your compost.
Soap nuts are simple. You place four or five of the nuts into a muslin bag, tie the bag shut, and toss the bag in with your laundry. Just like any other detergent (commercial or natural), the surfacants will not activate or release properly in cold water, so you should make a soap nuts liquid for use in cold water washes. Instructions to do so are found here.
A brief crash course in soap nuts from the information I have been to find on the 'net:
* Product of the shrub or small tree Sapindus
* Contain saponins, a natural surfacant and also naturally antimicrobial
* Hard outer shell with fruit inside
* Soaking in water releases the saponins
More information about soap nuts can be found at the following sites:
Tiny Choices
Exeterra
Green Home
If you are ready to take the plunge and truly try something different, then head on over to Amazon pick up some soap nuts.
From Sherry:
Hey Brad,
I've been reading some of your blog on the new 'fangled' front load washers. I was thinking of buying the Amana even before I stumbled upon your blog, and now am even more interested. But I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping you can answer:
(1) is the Amana (3.5 cu ft) big enough to effectively clean a king-size bed comforter? (all the appliance sales people and an internet appl repair guy said I would need at least a 4.0 cu ft… do you agree? I was hoping to find something more moderately priced, such as the Amana, but that can handle large bulky items like king-size comforters and dog beds)
(2) why do you comment that it's necessary to have an internal water heater in front-load washers? (just wondering since the Amana doesn't have one, but all the consumer reviews state it cleans great).
Oh, and thanks for the price 'heads up' on the Amana -- I was going to order it from Sears, but can save over $100 by buying it from Home Depot… and they have free home delivery!! Excellent!
Thanks for your time!
Sherry
Hi Sherry!
I saw your comment before I turned in last night, took the time to write a long reply, and then my computer decided to cop an attitude and freeze up on me when I hit the "submit" button. I was not happy.
I had a nice, long-winded answer to your first question regarding capacity when I realized I sounded like an idiot. So I'll just say that 3.5cf would probably be pushing it for a king-size comforter. It will mostly depend on how thick your comforters are. I had many customers come into the store dragging a Hefty bag with a comforter stuffed into it to see how capacities really stacked up. Give it a shot and see what you think!
In regards to internal water heaters, I should probably revise my statements that they are a must-have in frontload washers. Clearly, they are not required. They are very useful, though.
There is a great post in the FAQ over at the GardenWeb Laundry Forum about the virtues of the internal water heater. The best benefit to me is the fact that the internal water heater can generate and maintain much hotter wash temperatures than a machine without. This is especially beneficial on whites. I never used bleach in my Samsung with the water heater, and they always came out white white white!
I think there are many laundry nerds (myself included) who tend to overthink laundry and washing machines. An internal water heater definitely is not required to get a good wash. I would say that a washer with a heater will outperform one without, especially when it comes to very stubborn stains. But that is not to say a washer without a heater will not do what it is supposed to do: clean your clothes.
Thank you for writing!
~Brad
*Note: After reading my response to Sherry, I realized the keywords in her question regarding capacity were "effectively clean". I should have pointed out that even though you can really stuff a frontload washer full, the machine will not function properly if you have to lean against the door to get it shut. You need to leave a fist-sized space at the top. The clothes will compress slightly when the load is saturated, but you still want to be sure you leave enough room for the clothes to actually tumble, not just spin around in circles with the rotation of the drum.
From the Associated Press:
"HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) — Sears said Tuesday that it plans to offer a buyer protection program for its home appliances to help consumers who lose their jobs during the recession.
"The free program, which starts Monday and runs through Aug. 1, covers appliance purchases of more than $399 made on a Sears card by cardholders who lose their job. Cardholders must have held a full-time job for at least 60 days when the appliance was purchased.
"If a customer loses his or her job, the program will credit 1/12th of the purchase price to the account for each month the cardholder is out of work. If the person is still out of work one year after the purchase, he or she will receive an account credit for what's left of the purchase amount and get to keep the appliance without any further payment obligations."
I'm not too sure that I have much of an opinion on this. My first thought was that almost every credit card now offers such a plan for an additional monthly fee, usually around $.94 for every $100 on the balance or so. But plans like that will usually only make the minimum monthly payment, which of course will not pay off the balance within a year.
I am pretty anti-Sears on this blog, but I have to give them credit where credit is due. Of course, this is pretty indicative of just how bad things are right now. I am interested to see if the others (Lowes, Home Depot, et al.) will follow suit.
Continuing on the previous post, I want to look at the frontload washers that will give you the best bang for your buck. This is not a post about which washer is the best, or which washer is the coolest. This post is simply about which frontload washers give you the most for your money.
As you are looking through the following list, you will notice several commonalities among all machines.
Capacity: all are at least 3.5cf IEC, with the largest coming in at 4.1cf. I do not put a whole lot of stock in capacity measurements. Several years ago, when the Whirlpool Duet came out, they advertised their 3.7cf drum could hold sixteen pairs of jeans. The Whirlpool Duet on this list offers a 4.1cf drum (smaller baffles, I am guessing), and they still tout the ability to wash sixteen pairs of jeans. Uhm... okay.
Spin speed: all of the washers on the list below offer a max spin speed of at least 1,000 rpm. These higher spin speeds simply extract more water for faster drying times.
Efficiency: all of these washers are EnergyStar qualified.
Water heater: most of these washers, with the exception of the Amana, offer an internal water heater. An internal water is almost a must in a frontload washer, although for Amana's crazy-low price, I'd be willing to let that feature go.
Price: all retail for a grand or less.
When looking through this list, keep in mind that these washers are at the middle or lower end of each manufacturer's lineup. There are many other washers available; I just think these offer the best bang for the buck. Also, the prices below are accurate as of 6/28/09. No doubt they will change.
Although I did not put the top load washers in any particular order, I am putting this list in order of least to greatest value (IMHO, of course). Of course, I think all of these washers are tremendous values.
GE WCVH6800JWW
Lowes: $798
Home Depot: $719
Sears: $708
US Appliance: $689
Best Buy: $679.99
Capacity: 4.0cf
Internal Water Heater: yes
Max Spin Speed: 1100rpm
These washers came about four years ago to mixed reviews. GE had a problem with the rubber door boot tearing, and they have assured me that the problem has been fixed in the new models of washers. These washers are made in China by Little Swan, which I believe is a subsidiary of GE.
Maytag MHWZ600TW
Home Depot: $718
US Appliance: $799
hhgregg: $808
Sears: $723
Lowes: $798
Best Buy: $849
Capacity: 3.7cf
Internal Water Heater: yes
Max Spin Speed: 1200rpm
I believe the EpicZ is based off of the older KitchenAid Ensemble washer from a few years ago, which was a step-up from the Whirlpool Duet. I tried to confirm this, along with a few other questions, with Whirlpool PR, but they don't seem to like me too well and do not respond to my inquiries.
Whereas the Whirlpool Duet washers are (or were?) made in Germany, I believe the EpicZ is made in Mexico. I tried to find the answer to this question via Google, but all I could find out was that Jay-Z is close to a deal with Epic Records. Oh well.
Whirlpool WFW9400SW
Lowes: $998
AJ Madison: $909
Sears: $808 (sale price)
hhgregg: $898
Capacity: 4.1cf
Internal Water Heater: yes
Max Spin Speed: 1200rpm
One neat feature of the Whirlpool Duet is what they call Direct Inject Wash System. At the start of the wash cycle, the machine shoots a concentration of detergent and water into the machine to saturate the clothes. This is supposed to eliminate the need for pretreating.
Amana NFW7200TW
AJ Madison: $629
Sears: $586.49
Home Depot: $489.60 w/ free shipping thru 7/8 ($544 regular)
Capacity: 3.5cf
Internal Water Heater: no
Max Spin Speed: 1000rpm
Additional features of note: direct drive motor (no belts, pulleys, transmission), antimicrobial protection built into the rubber door seal.
The deal Home Depot has going on this machine makes it an absolute steal. This is a good, basic washer that offers a tremendous bang for the buck. The machine is built by Samsung for the Amana brand (owned by Whirlpool). I would not think twice about buying this machine.
LG WM0642HW
Sears: $808
Best Buy: $810
US Appliance: $810
hhgregg: $844
Home Depot: $899
Capacity: 4.0cf
Internal Water Heater: yes
Max Spin Speed: 1200rpm
Additional features of note: rear control, direct drive motor (no belts, pulleys, transmission), better warranty (one year parts/labor; additional 1 year parts on the control board; additional 6 years parts on the motor).
I've said for a while that this washer is the best value in frontload washers on the market. At every site that offers product reviews, you will find that the majority of owners rate this machine very well.
Samsung WF328AAW
Lowes: $898
Best Buy: $720
AJ Madison: $929
Sears: $893
Capacity: 4.0cf
Internal Water Heater: yes
Max Spin Speed: 1200rpm
Additional features of note: Vibration Reduction Technology (VRT) helps to reduce washer vibration when operating at high spin speeds; direct drive motor (no belts, pulleys, transmission); better warranty (one year parts/labor, additional 1 year parts on the control board, additional 5 years parts on the motor). This washer also offers a SilverCare feature. According to Samsung, silver ions are released into the wash water to help to sanitize, even on cold water washes. All indications are that this feature actually does work. The uncertainty, however, comes in the unknown environmental impacts of dumping silver ions into waste water.
I've selected this washer as my Best Value for the simple fact that it offers a couple additional features the LG does not in VRT and SilverCare.
I was thinking today about the state of the economy. I live in a county that is experiencing an unemployment rate of 17%. My own employment future is uncertain as the company I work for is drastically trimming fat to cope with the downward spiral in sales. Across the country, consumers are snapping shut their purses and wallets, drawing back their spending. And while sales of durable goods are in the toilet, people still need to replace broken washing machines.
So what if you need to buy a washing machine, but you don't want to spend over a grand for a bling machine? How do you get the most bang for the buck? That's what I will focus on in the next few posts, starting with top load washers.
To start with, I am going to completely ignore high-efficiency top load washers. I just don't see these machines as being described as a "value". The propensity for expensive repairs and mediocre wash results, among other issues, are just too great.
So in looking for the best value in top load washers, what criteria am I using?
One: capacity. Capacities in top load washers vary in size from 2.5 to 3.5 cubic feet. All of the washers on this list vary from 3.3 to 3.5 cf. (On a side note, you may notice that Whirlpool/Maytag offer 3.2 and 3.5 cf drums. The drums are exactly the same size; the difference comes in the size of the agitator.)
Two: reliability/service. This area can be somewhat a crap shoot. Whirlpool washers are simple and relatively dependable, and are supported by a vast network of service providers. GE has greatly improved reliability in their top load washers through the years, and they also offer and extensive support network. Speed Queen simply offers the best-built machine, backed by the most extensive warranty, on the market.
Three: features/benefits. When talking about features in these washers, we're not talking about extreme spin speeds or miserly water usage, fancy colors or LED control boards. We're talking about the basics: adjustable water levels, multiple water temperature, a moderate level of cycle selections, maybe an extra rinse cycle. That's it.
Please note that the prices listed below are subject to change, and are accurate as of 6/27/09.
Whirlpool WTW5200VQ
Best Buy: $450
Lowes: $448
Sears: $408
US Appliance: $389
Drum Material: Porcelain on steel
Number of Speed Combination: 2
Bleach Dispenser: Yes
Number of Cycles: 10
Extra Rinse: Yes
Number of Temperatures: 3
Hot/Cold, Warm/Cold, Cold/Cold
Water Levels: 2
Maytag MVWC400VW
Home Depot: $449.10
Lowes: $498
Sears: $450.49
hhgregg: $499.97
US Appliance: $389
Drum Material: Porcelain on steel
Bleach Dispenser: Yes
Number of Cycles: 12
Extra Rinse: Yes
Number of Temperatures: 4
Hot/Cold, Warm/Warm, Warm/Cold, Cold/Cold
Water Levels: 3
GE WDRR2500KWW
Best Buy: $450
Home Depot: $404.10
hhgregg: $449.97
Drum Material: Stainless steel
Bleach Dispenser: Yes
Number of Cycles: 14
Extra Rinse: Yes
Number of Temperatures: 3
Hot/Cold, Warm/Cold, Cold/Cold
Water Levels: 3
Speed Queen AWN412
*Not available at any big box stores. Check independent retailers in your area. Online prices varying from $600 to $679.
Drum Material: Stainless steel
Bleach Dispenser: Yes
Number of Cycles: 8
Extra Rinse: No
Number of Temperatures: 3
Hot/Cold, Warm/Cold, Cold/Cold
Water Levels: 4
From looking at the above, you can see that there are not really any major differences between those machines. They all offer good capacity. They all offer porcelain or stainless steel wash baskets. The offer a fair amount of flexibility on cycles and wash temperatures and water levels.
This is why, when I in the appliance biz, I grew very exasperated with shoppers that made picking out a washing machine a flippin' ordeal. It is not that difficult!
1) Do not buy Frigidaire. (They're cheap crap.)
2) Do not buy from Sears. (Their service sucks.)
3) Start with the washers above and go from there.
Some of you may question why I put Speed Queen on this list. Remember, I wrote this with an eye towards value, and Speed Queen washers, with their tremendous durability and exceptional warranty, offer a very high level of value. I advise you to give Speed Queen a look if you are in the market for a top load washer.
