Unlike their grandmothers, who were forced to wash things by hand without straightening their backs, modern housewives have the luxury of using a washing machine.
Progress strives to make life at home easier in every way for women who are also engaged in a career, raising children, self-development and much more.
Developers of washing machines, in addition to washing, constantly include new options: washing machines can already do more than just wash!
The abundance of incomprehensible icons on the instrument panel can simply confuse you, but you simply cannot do without understanding their meanings if you want to use the functionality of the device to the maximum and, perhaps, make it easier for yourself to carry out the boring routine of household chores.
What is light ironing?
Machine smoothing is not comparable to ironing. The purpose of the option is simply to prepare washed items for heat treatment. The output is wet laundry that can be ironed without resorting to steaming. The essence and distinctive features of the process:
- more water is used than usual;
- spinning occurs at low speeds;
- washing and wringing become more delicate.
Conclusions:
- A washing machine with ironing is very convenient when washing highly wrinkled fabrics, but so far the technology has not been developed to an ideal result, so the laundry often turns out very wet after washing.
- Of course, none of the manufacturers will give you the opportunity to pull out already ironed and folded laundry from the hatch, but it is quite possible to make the ironing process easier with the help of this technology. Whether it is worth purchasing a car with this function is up to you to decide. In any case, manufacturers are constantly improving their technologies, so before purchasing you should pay special attention to new products, and then weigh the pros and cons.
- You should not save on the device, because the lower the price, the less the manufacturer spent on high-quality development of the necessary technology.
- In terms of developing the technology and its benefits, there is a more interesting option - a device with a clothes drying function. But these models immediately increase in price. Therefore, if it is important for you to save time and money, you can try using a more budget model with easy ironing. It will not be able to replace drying, and will even complicate this process, but ironing things will become easier for you.
- Of course, the most ideal option is a washing machine with drying and ironing functions, but keep in mind that not everyone can afford such devices.
Important! Regardless of the choice of a specific model of household appliances, you need to be able to correctly set the washing and ironing modes. Please take note of the following posts:
- How to wash clothes made from different fabrics?
- How to set the ironing mode?
Advantages of easy ironing models
- The ironing process is simplified. This is especially useful when washing thick fabrics - denim, for example.
- The service life of linen and clothes is extended, since there is no aggressive wringing.
- Electricity is saved - the iron will not be used as often, and if it is, the heat treatment and smoothing time will be reduced.
Different manufacturers may implement the function in question in different ways, but its essence is always the same.
Purpose of light wash
A light or quick wash usually lasts for 20-40 minutes. It all depends on the additional parameters and the specific model of the machine. How it works and when it can be used:
- Easy mode means maximum savings of time, water and electricity.
- It is used in cases where the laundry is not heavily soiled and only needs to be refreshed.
A feature of this mode is also the degree of water heating. In different models it does not rise above 60 degrees. It is impossible to fully heat the required amount of water in a short period of time.
Flaws
- After the cycle is completed, the output is wet laundry. It can also be downright wet. Due to weak push-ups, you will have to spend more time drying.
- If the ironing function is activated, the automatic washing machine (CMA) automatically increases the duration of the process. And in any mode - even with super-fast washing. In normal mode, the process lasts half an hour, when the function is enabled - 45 minutes.
- Water consumption is increasing. Spends about a quarter more than usual.
- Rinsing is performed at low speeds with a large amount of water. The quality of the rinse is poor - traces of detergent remain.
- The drum has to be loaded not completely - 2/3 of the norm. Otherwise, after washing, the laundry is not only wet, but also quite wrinkled.
- An additional option increases the cost of the SMA.
Models
Studying the technology using examples of specific devices gives the best idea of it. Therefore, let’s take real versions of cars equipped with this pleasant addition.
Samsung WW12H8400EX/LP
One of the popular and high-quality machines that provides easy ironing is the Samsung WW12H8400EX/LP. In addition to this function, the manufacturer has supplemented it with other features:
- fuzzy logic;
- wash delay function;
- Eco Bubble;
- 1/2 load;
- quick wash;
- washing without spinning;
- possibility of soaking.
Important! Of course, no manufacturer guarantees that all additional functions will work perfectly, but their presence allows the user to choose the most convenient mode.
Properties:
- Among the pleasant and important details, it is worth noting the high efficiency of the machine in terms of electricity. Based on tests, it was assigned class A+++.
- The machine also has a spacious and convenient hatch, the diameter of which is 46 cm, a maximum load of up to 12 kg of clothes, and the ability to spin at 1400 rpm.
- The easy ironing function itself performed best in comparison with similar competitor models.
Important! The machine is not cheap, but the presence of many useful functions and excellent performance justify it.
This manufacturer’s line also includes equally interesting models with innovative technologies. We talked about one of these in the Samsung Eco Bubble review.
LG F1495BDS
This machine also provides the opportunity to wash clothes in the mode in question, but in comparison with the previous model, it has lower quality indicators. Linens washed with light ironing remain damp.
Important! There is also another interesting option in the line of this manufacturer, which may be of no less interest to you - a washing machine with steam.
The device deserves attention because it also has a number of additional advantages:
- possibility of delaying washing;
- auto weighing;
- quick wash;
- 1/2 load;
- water level adjustment;
- no spin mode.
Important! The device is cheaper in cost than the previous one, but it is safer, since it has not only water level sensors and weight control, but also protection against imbalance, leaks, child protection and a special lint filter. Loading of laundry is possible up to 12 kg, and the low noise level will please any user.
Siemens WM 14W440OE
This is a fairly expensive model of a washing machine, which has an easy ironing function in its arsenal. When using it, users noted insufficient spinning, but the washed clothes were not wrinkled and were easy to iron after drying.
In addition to this technology, the machine, like previous models, has interesting developments:
- protection against leaks;
- delayed start;
- washing delicate materials;
- child protection
- water level control.
At the same time, the device can hold up to 9 kg of laundry and consumes very little electricity.
What do skeptics say?
Ironing is not only about smoothing out wrinkles, but also about hygiene. Therefore, the new regime in the SMA will not replace it, especially when it comes to children's things. When talking about “ironing,” manufacturers are being disingenuous—this term cannot be taken literally. Things simply wrinkle less during push-ups. Skeptics are sure that it is incorrect to call the spin function at low speeds “ironing” - this is nothing more than an advertising ploy. The advertisement will not tell you the essence and mechanism of implementation of “innovation”, so that consumers get the impression that they are being offered something new and necessary in the household.
If you put more water in the drum, any fabric will wrinkle less. Especially if you reduce the spin speed. In fact, the manufacturer offers a hybrid function, which is presented as a new product, but in reality it worsens rinsing and increases water consumption. If the latter can still be tolerated, then poor rinsing is a direct harm to health.
Description
A washing machine with an outdoor ironing function allows you to remove uncrumpled items from the drum, without bends, folds or creases. Of course, this function will not replace your iron, but the process of ironing clothes will become much easier, positive reviews are proof of this.
The principle of operation of the technology is simple - more water and the most delicate spin allow the laundry not to wrinkle during the washing process.
Let's consider both the advantages of this technology and its disadvantages.
Pros:
- With this technology it is really much easier to iron washed items, this is especially noticeable when washing thick fabrics, such as denim.
- Light ironing in the washing machine can extend the life of items, since the fabric is less susceptible to wear and tear than when washed with an aggressive spin cycle.
- You can also save on electricity, since after washing the iron and steamer will be used much less often and for less time.
Important! Please note that this function may differ slightly from one manufacturer to another, but its meaning remains the same.
Minuses:
- Many housewives complain that at the end of the program they pull out not even wet, but very wet laundry from the drum. Most likely, this is a side effect of delicate squeezing. Therefore, if you decide to use this function, be prepared that things will take much longer to dry than with regular washing.
- Another noticeable disadvantage of any model equipped with easy ironing is the increase in washing time for any of the programs running in conjunction with it. This means you can forget about saving energy when using a washing machine.
- In addition to energy consumption, in this mode the device is very wasteful of water. Consumption may increase by 25%, and sometimes more.
- Since spinning and rinsing are very delicate, and operate at the lowest speeds, after washing, things may well remain in traces of powder.
- When working with this function, you will not be able to wash a lot at once. Manufacturers recommend loading the drum no more than two-thirds full. If you overload the machine, the laundry will end up crumpled and wrinkled, as with any standard spin program.
Important! If you are interested in saving money, check out our articles for more information:
- How much water does an automatic washing machine consume per wash?
- Washing machine power kW.
Having considered the main advantages and disadvantages of this technology, let’s turn to the manufacturers and consider popular models with easy ironing.
LG F1496ADS3
The function of easy ironing, or more precisely, preventing wrinkles, is available on the LG F1496ADS3 washing machine. This is a free-standing front automatic machine with a capacity of up to 8 kg, electronic control and an inverter motor. The washing machine also offers drying - up to 4 kg per cycle. The remaining operational characteristics of the model are as follows:
- direct drive;
- spin – up to 1400 rpm with the possibility of manual regulation;
- 10 modes including Wool, Delicates, Baby, Mixed, Fast, Steam and Pre-heat programs;
- delay start timer.
The model is also good from a safety point of view. Thus, if desired, users can lock the instrument model when starting a cycle, protecting the enabled program from accidental changes to settings. The washing machine also provides automatic control of imbalance with foam formation and sound accompaniment of washing.
Among the unique technologies, the LG F1496ADS3 supports Smart Diagnosis. This option allows you to independently carry out remote diagnostics of the machine without calling a technician from the service center. It is enough to run the program and after a while find out the exact cause of the failure or breakdown.
