New washing machine/water quality

[patrickBOOTH]

So I bought a new condo and it has hookups for a washer/dryer, however the space where the hookup is is very tight so I need to get a space save type of washer and dryer. Does anybody have any tips on what to look for in a washer/dryer that would be particularly good for dress shirts? Also, has anybody had any issues with water quality? Here in New York the water is very hard so I am worried about if I need, or if it is even possible to get a filter of some sort. Will different water types effect the turnout of my shirts? It would be nice to not have to worry about my white dress shirts turning grey, or yellow and such. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[jmoody15]

I've got one of the new front-load whirlpools that takes up almost no space - much smaller that the old school stackables from what I've seen. I feel like its much easier on my clothes, since it doesn't have the agitator in the middle anymore.

As to the water quality, I haven't really dealt with that much, as I'm in an area that has some of the better water in the country.

 

[PoundSand]

get just about any stackable front loaders and call yourself good.

 

[tommyrt]

I only use evian.

 

[sm31]

I don't have a super good understanding of this, but FWIW ...

I live in an area with very hard water. My understanding is that soap works much less well under those conditions (no, I don't know how to describe what's going on technically). When I had a water softener put in, for example, the guy who put it in (whom I trust) explained I'd be able to use much less detergent in my dish and clothers washers, and the results would be better. I've certainly found that to be true with the dishes at least.

Unless you want to put in a water softener (which typically take up a fair bit of space), I wouldn't worry about it.

BTW, hard water is not bad water; just happens to have a lot of minerals and such.

 

[Holdfast]

If you're in a very hard water area, you might want to consider deionisers or similar devices to reduce the chalk content at point of entry to your house a bit. Personally, I used to live in an extremely hard water area on the South Downs, and never bothered fitting one and still live in a pretty damn hard water area and equally have never bothered. It just means you have to use a little extra detergent if you don't soften the water. Anyway, hard water tastes nicer than soft water. Hmm, maybe always drinking hard water is why I like minerally wines...

I recently had to get a new washer/dryer and opted for this model, which so far is working very well. My post-purchase review is the second one down on this page.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Thanks for the info, everybody. Much appreciated.

 

[badsha]

Originally Posted by Holdfast

I recently had to get a new washer/dryer and opted for this model, which so far is working very well. My post-purchase review is the second one down on this page.

+1. LG makes a good washer/dryer combo as well. My uncle bought one for $600 US in India.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Ok, so I got a Kenmore Elite. It has this "steam" function on the dryer. Has anybody tried using this steam function on their dryer? I am scared to use it.