:baby_symbol: Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit
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@flabdablet Hang on, what do your top-loader machines look like? It sounds like you are describing a machine where the axis of the drum is vertical?
All those I've seen around here (in domestic settings, not at the launderette) have the drum with its axis horizontal, in the same way as a front loader. The difference is that with a front loader the opening is perpendicular to the axis (and along it), while in a top loader the opening is on the external rim of the drum. But once they're closed, both would operate in the same way?
For me the main argument between top/front loader has only ever been the convenience. If you plan on sticking it on or below a counter, you need a front loader. And you need a top loader if it's going to be free standing, or if you have a smaller space available (top loaders are slightly less wide because they are basically as wide as the drum is thick whereas a front loader is as wide as the drum diameter, essentially).
As for the "add stuff while it's running" argument, to be honest, that always seemed like a solution in search of a problem. I've never seen a house where dirty laundry is not at least roughly piled somewhere before getting in the machine, so it's not like you would start the machine and then start rambling around the house for half an hour looking for all dirty stuff?! The only case I've seen that makes sense is for very delicate clothes where you want to wash it but not spin it, you can open a top-loader at the end of the wash cycle to fish them out, it's less convenient (but not impossible if the machine is well designed) with a front loader.
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@RaceProUK said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@masonwheeler said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
It means that you can't open it while it's in operation without making a mess.
You can with this one:
E_NOT_EUROPEAN, I guess.
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@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
very delicate clothes where you want to wash it but not spin it
You just do them on a non spin cycle, surely?
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@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
the axis of the drum is vertical?
This. At least it's what I'm talking about.
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I've currently got a front-loader but previously had a top-loader which was exactly as you describe.
For finding extra stuff, I have a couple of items (like the towel next to the WC) which I pick up and add just before starting the laundry. However I always load the washing machine in the evening on a timer to run in the morning, so that just means aborting the timer and waiting for the door to unlock.
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@PleegWat said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
E_NOT_EUROPEAN, I guess.
You can get stuff like that in the UK, so I presume you can on the mainland too.
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@RaceProUK yeah, but Samsung are Korean
Edit: Also, those addwash things cost like ยฃ900. I refuse to believe it's 4 times as good as my washing machine
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@Jaloopa True, but at least you can boast the door has a door
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@Jaloopa I remember my mother putting some with some other stuff and getting them out before the spin cycle. I guess there were too few such items to warrant making a wash just for them, so it was easier to piggy-back on the rest of the washing cycle.
My household doesn't have any such delicate item, or they're not machine-washed at all, so I don't have any direct experience.
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@flabdablet said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Fisher and Paykel Smart Drive machine
You should know by now that anything that calls itself "smart" is almost certainly quite the opposite. OTOH, you can always blame your problems on Ukrainian hackers. :)
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@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
it's not like you would start the machine and then start rambling around the house for half an hour looking for all dirty stuff?!
No, but I always find one more sock and a t-shirt after I've started the load.
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@PleegWat The thing is, all top-loader I've seen also have an automatic lock on the door so you couldn't open it without aborting the timer in the same way as with a front loader. And as for when it is running, the top loaders I've seen would also be locked except for the specific exception that I mentioned above. So whether it's a top or front loader wouldn't change anything for adding stuff.
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@remi Been a while since I've had mine, but it almost certainly had that too. And since the drum is rotating you wouldn't be able to open the hatch anyway.
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@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
It sounds like you are describing a machine where the axis of the drum is vertical?
Yep.
All those I've seen around here (in domestic settings, not at the launderette) have the drum with its axis horizontal, in the same way as a front loader. The difference is that with a front loader the opening is perpendicular to the axis (and along it), while in a top loader the opening is on the external rim of the drum. But once they're closed, both would operate in the same way?
Don't believe I've ever seen that pattern in Australia. Closest would be these impeller-driven designs from 1970:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIRQreRtdGgWe actually had one of those Hoover machines at our beach house before it burned down in 1983. Not much capacity, though with the separate wash tub and spin drum you could get a surprisingly productive little wash pipeline going. That spin drum also runs hella fast (well over 2000rpm IIRC).
We do have some local front loaders, but the traditional Australian design has long been a vertical-axis top loader.
Here is a short film about an Australian front loading washing machine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq6T5BojXc8Here is another short film that illustrates the superior build quality of the European option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnPobgmdYXUKorean machines are disappointing performers as well as being quite noisy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRBv9o8rwug
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All this talk is reminding me of one of my more favourite Mythbusters segments: the one about the guy that was killed by his top-loading washing machine. True, just about every part of the myth is utter , but it made for a hilarious moment where they souped up a typical machine and sent Buster spinning quicker than a political PR department :D
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@flabdablet said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
That's true. But what you get for trading that off is a machine that washes clothes very thoroughly while being extremely kind to the fabric and using about half the water and detergent of a typical top loader.
I don't think that's as true now washers as as it was 15 or 20 years ago. When I was shopping for a washer a few years back, nearly all the top-load washers were the agitator-less style, along with having an HE designation. The HE designation means that less water and soap is used. The higher end models also have sensors to determine load size so that they know how much water to use. On top of that, every HE washer I've looked at even recommends using less of the HE detergent than the detergent manufacturer recommends: no more than 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent for a large load.
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@flabdablet said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Here is a short film about an Australian front loading washing machine.
Impressive, it holds for almost 2 minutes before starting to really go mad. And then the machine jumping around is the funniest thing I've seen today! x-D
What I'm thinking about is something like that:
Mmm, picture is not very clear, but it should give you an idea.A whole catalog of them (from a large French retailer, just click through to get pictures): http://www.darty.com/nav/achat/gros_electromenager/lave-linge/lave_linge_ouverture_dessus/index.html
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@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@PleegWat The thing is, all top-loader I've seen also have an automatic lock on the door so you couldn't open it without aborting the timer in the same way as with a front loader. And as for when it is running, the top loaders I've seen would also be locked except for the specific exception that I mentioned above. So whether it's a top or front loader wouldn't change anything for adding stuff.
Traditional, US-style, vertical axis top-loaders had a cut-off switch on the lid, but not a lock, so you could open the lid at any time. The HE versions have a lock. At least on mine, you can pause the cycle and, after 10โ15 seconds, it will unlock. If you leave it paused longer than 5 minutes, or something like that, it will abort, but you can add some stuff and then restart without aborting if you aren't really slow about it.
@abarker said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
sensors to determine load size so that they know how much water to use.
On mine, it does this apparently by spinning the drum a few times and measuring the time it takes to stop โ more clothes, more mass, more inertia, longer time to stop. It recommends not adding anything significant after the sensor cycle is done โ a couple of stray socks, ok; jeans or a big bath towel, probably not. It also recommends not putting wet clothes in at all, as this can mislead the sensor.
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@abarker said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
The HE designation means that less water and soap is used.
According to every top-loading vertical-axis HE owner I've ever seen report on the matter, it also means it doesn't actually clean the fucking clothes. Front loaders absolutely do.
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@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
What I'm thinking about is something like that
Yeah, that's what I'd imagined from your description. I've never seen that design available in Australia.
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@HardwareGeek said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@abarker said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
sensors to determine load size so that they know how much water to use.
On mine, it does this apparently by spinning the drum a few times and measuring the time it takes to stop โ more clothes, more mass, more inertia, longer time to stop. It recommends not adding anything significant after the sensor cycle is done โ a couple of stray socks, ok; jeans or a big bath towel, probably not. It also recommends not putting wet clothes in at all, as this can mislead the sensor.
That may be what mine does as well, because it acts the same way when it is trying to determine the load size. You can't add anything once it starts doing that with stopping the cycle, though, since it has a lid lock. You can watch the cycle, if you want, and sometimes my daughters will. There's a nice tempered glass panel in the lid in case you want to watch everything spin round.
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@flabdablet said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@abarker said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
The HE designation means that less water and soap is used.
According to every top-loading vertical-axis HE owner I've ever seen report on the matter, it also means it doesn't actually wash the fucking clothes. Front loaders absolutely do.
I've never had any issue with my top loader HE washers. And my kids know how to get clothes dirty. Of course, you need to remember to pre-treat the tough spots, like dried on food, grass stains, ground in dirt. But I remember my mom doing that even before HE washers were a thing, so it's not like pre-treating tough spots is anything new.
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@abarker said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
There's a nice tempered glass panel in the lid in case you want to watch everything spin round.
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Can we stop talking about washing machines and get back to our kids?
Just kidding. I was thrilled when we finally got a washer/dryer combo when I was pregnant (especially living in NYC). It breaks down frequently, last repairman said that is a feature not a bug.
This was one extended warranty I am glad I purchased.
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@Karla said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
I was thrilled when we finally got a washer/dryer combo when I was pregnant
I think most people get a boy or a girl, but with the various genders-of-the-day, I guess washer/dryer is now a possibility.
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@Karla said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Can we stop talking about washing machines and get back to our kids?
My daughter is starting to pick up words. She's been able to say mama, dada, dog and banana for a while, but the other day we were in a toyshop where she started following a little boy around. When my wife asked "are you trying to say Hello?", she came out with a very clear "hewwo". Super cute
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@Jaloopa I guess this means my days of watching sweary TV programmes while she's around are numbered. Pity, the days when she was up early and it was my wife's turn for a lie in were my only chance to watch Black Sails
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@Jaloopa said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@Jaloopa I guess this means my days of watching sweary TV programmes while she's around are numbered. Pity, the days when she was up early and it was my wife's turn for a lie in were my only chance to watch Black Sails
You will learn to stop worrying and love Teletubbies.
... Or you can watch Black Sails dubbed in another language.
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@Mikael_Svahnberg said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
You will learn to stop worrying and love Teletubbies.
The only TV she'll pay more than passing attention to is Countdown
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@HardwareGeek said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Traditional, US-style, vertical axis top-loaders had a cut-off switch on the lid, but not a lock, so you could open the lid at any time. The HE versions have a lock.
Mine only locks when it's in the spin cycle, drying stuff off. It's not a HE model AFAICT and it's at least 10 years old.
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@Karla said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
It breaks down frequently, last repairman said that is a feature not a bug.
Shoulda bought a Maytag.
(For those of you not familiar with American advertising, for many years Maytag built their entire advertising campaign around their repairman (I think one actor played the role forever) being bored to death because no Maytag appliances ever needed to be repaired.)
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@boomzilla said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@HardwareGeek said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Traditional, US-style, vertical axis top-loaders had a cut-off switch on the lid, but not a lock, so you could open the lid at any time. The HE versions have a lock.
Mine only locks when it's in the spin cycle, drying stuff off. It's not a HE model AFAICT and it's at least 10 years old.
Same with mine. Except I know it's not HE and it's 20yrs old. And it leaks a little - but it's in the garage, so
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@dcon said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Except I know it's not HE and it's 20yrs old.
So it's a 20-year-old SHE? Since when do washers have gender?
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@flabdablet said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Our Fisher and Paykel Smart Drive machine
Yep, that's what we have. It is a champion. (Ours is a larger capacity though, the 7.5kg model)
@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@flabdablet Hang on, what do your top-loader machines look like? It sounds like you are describing a machine where the axis of the drum is vertical?
Yes. I have never heard of a top-loader where the drum has a horizontal axis, that seems very weird to me.
As for the "add stuff while it's running" argument, to be honest, that always seemed like a solution in search of a problem. I've never seen a house where dirty laundry is not at least roughly piled somewhere before getting in the machine
You clearly do not have kids. It's not at all uncommon to start a load, then be walking through a different room and see a few bits and pieces that should have gone in. On the other hand, at least at our place most of the loads we do are full to capacity anyway, so unless you're doing the last loads for that set, extras just get added to the remaining pile.
@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@PleegWat The thing is, all top-loader I've seen also have an automatic lock on the door
Not the kind that's common here. You just flip up the lid, chuck more stuff in, and put the lid back down; it takes two seconds.
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@Scarlet_Manuka said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
You clearly do not have kids. It's not at all uncommon to start a load, then be walking through a different room and see a few bits and pieces that should have gone in. On the other hand, at least at our place most of the loads we do are full to capacity anyway, so unless you're doing the last loads for that set, extras just get added to the remaining pile.
This is exactly what I had in mind. Yes, stuff lying around is less uncommon in some households, but in that case, it's usually an household that does close to one machine a day, so when you find something that you forgot to put it, 1) you just wash it the next day and 2) the machine was likely already full in any case.
Sure, there might be some edge cases, like the one in one of the ad for the front-door-in-the-front-door (i.e. one your way to the machine you drop a sock that you notice when you turn around, it's nice to be able to chuck it in without having to wait), but it really sounds like some marketing people desperately trying to find anything they can add to a machine to make it different from the other.
Not the kind that's common here. You just flip up the lid, chuck more stuff in, and put the lid back down; it takes two seconds.
Obviously, that's not feasible with a non-vertical axis top-loader...
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@remi
In all of the front loaders I have seen in the last decade it's still possible to add stuff. Generally you just can't pull open the bay doors but it's still possible. Press a button wait a bit ... open door ... close door press button again or just pull door ... wait until it stopped spinning ... open door ... close door.
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@Luhmann To be honest, since it's really not a problem that I have ever had, I don't know. You're probably right, but I have never tried it.
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@remi What is "Bottom of laundry-pile"?
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@Mikael_Svahnberg It's a mythical thing that only single, well-organised people claim to have ever seen. But since single, well-organised people are themselves a myth, that makes it doubly mythical.
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delights in the discovery he's doubly mythical
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@PleegWat You do look like an entirely mythical sword, so, yeah, no surprise.
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@remi said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
[The bottom of the laundry pile is] a mythical thing that only single, well-organised people claim to have ever seen.
I have seen it occasionally โ usually while rummaging through the pile in search of items appropriate for whatever sort of load I'm about to run (or just figuring out which sort of load I most need to run). No, the pile never disappears (being transformed into the pile of clean laundry, which has its own issues with longevity), but it occasionally gets inverted; the clothes get moved from one pile to another, with the bottom of the original pile becoming the top of the new pile.
Also, I was more likely to get to the bottom of the pile, in the sense of eliminating the pile, when I was married. My wife was rather more inclined to make sure the laundry did not accumulate unreasonably than I tend to be.
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@HardwareGeek said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
the pile
Wait, you have only one pile? My house has like 4. Two upstairs in bedroom, one in the under stairs closet for when the kids come in the house really dirty, and one in the master bedroom.
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@abarker said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Wait, you have only one pile?
Technically, there are two, but my son is 20 and does his own laundry (once in a while), so I don't even think about his pile.
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@masonwheeler said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Since when do washers have gender?
Do the female washers cost 23% less than the male ones?
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@Luhmann said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
@remi
In all of the front loaders I have seen in the last decade it's still possible to add stuff. Generally you just can't pull open the bay doors but it's still possible. Press a button wait a bit ... open door ... close door press button again or just pull door ... wait until it stopped spinning ... open door ... close door.Yeah, mine does that just fine. Press the "Open" button, the machine will then check the water level and allow you to open the door if it's low enough. It's also one of those ones where I don't have to add detergent manually - I just select "light, medium or really dirty" and then the machine will select the actual dosage based on load.
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@PleegWat now I miss the single player Warcrafts
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@Mikael_Svahnberg said in Parenting advice - you're gonna get hit:
Or you can watch Black Sails dubbed in another language.
So your kids can learn to swear in another language?
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@Greybeard
At least then the other parents at the preschool won't hear your kids swearing in the local language.