Steam Washer and Dryer- I will share my research with you (how much, washers)

[azriverfan.]

I did an incredible amount of research on these and came to several conclusions. I just want to give back to the forum so I want to share my exhaustive research with you. Obviously some of you will disagree with my statements and that's fine. I don't mind disagreement but please do so in a productive way to help consumers and not to start a pi%$ing contest

(1) Not all Steam Washer/Dryers produce steam. I think it's a bit misleading because some "Steam" units are actually producing a mist and then the high temperature of the air turns it into steam. I question the validity of this. Water turns to steam at 212 F. I very seriously doubt the temperatures are reaching anywhere close to those temperatures in the wash cycle. The units that produce and emit steam directly are the LG and Kenmore Elite. The Samsung, GE, and Electrolex produce mist.

(2) The true Steam Washer/Dryers have a little small storage tank to which you pour water in because it is turned into steam and then the steam is squirted from the spout onto your clothes. The storage containers are not in the back of the unit. They are a little plastic container that you can remove and clean. So the idea that it's better if the unit is directly connected to the faucet doesn't make it better.

(3) The Steam Washer has it's problems. The Steam cycles can take longer as in 2 hours + to wash clothes. I don't know how much advantage it will have over washing your clothes in a sanitary hot water cycle.

(4) The Steam Dryer is probably worth it but you typically have to get the steam washer with it since they come in matching units.

(5) The bigger washers (45 cubic feet) have a higher RPM and spin faster on their spin cycle than the typical 40 cubic feet that most people have. They spin about 300 RPM's faster. So even if you have a small load, the spin cycle on the bigger units are going to take more water out it before you dry it.

(6) The Samsung units have a ball bearing balance technology which reduces vibration and sound. All their units have this technology. Other brands also have this technology but it's usually only in their larger units. For example the LG 45 cubic ft units (their Steam Washer and Dryers) have that technology but their smaller units don't.

(7) The Cold Water Sanitation features is a load of bull! It doesn't work. It supposedly works on the principle that silver ion particles will kill bacteria. The silver ion particles come from two metal strips in the unit. As a physician, I can tell you dust mites can only be killed with hot water temps that must reach 150 F. So don't buy a unit for the explicit purpose that it has a "Cold Water Sanitation" feature. The way the technology works is simple: If one side of the washer has heavy towels, the other opposite side that has nothing or less clothing will have the ball bearings shift to that side to balance it.

[Gandalara]

I've never understood why they even came out with steam machines. Just another fancy doodad to break.

I'll stick with hot water.

(Oh, and I think you dropped a few decimal points up there. 45 cubic feet? 40 cubic feet? Or you were looking at really really big machines, LOL)

[ShaneSA]

You just confirm my philosophy that hot water is what kills bacteria and dust mites. I can't believe people are so gullable to think bacteria can be killed with cold water. Soap isn't the disinfectant.
Thanks for a lll the research.

[EricBoyd]

Thanks for this research. We're considering these new HE units, so we'll need to know this information.

[texdav]

Unless it has blach or some other chemical it can't. It also Takes very hot water to kill many germs.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by EricBoyd

Thanks for this research. We're considering these new HE units, so we'll need to know this information.

I bought the LG Steam Washer and Dryer. I didn't buy it for the steam function. I wanted the biggest sized washer and dryer that was available in my area and the largest ones I could find was the 4.5 cubic feet. I wanted the faster spin speeds and larger capacity.. Anyway, the only ones I could find at that size in most stores were the steamers. I also didn't want Electrolux. It came down to the Samsung, and the LG. I typically like Samsung appliance and I have a Samsung refrigerator which I love so I wanted to buy the Samsung. However, I don't really believe the Samsung "steamers" really work; it's the equivalent of taking a spray bottle and spraying it inside during a wash cycle. I told myself that if I'm going to get a steam washer, I'm going to buy one that actually ejects steam from the spout and not a mist.

Out of curiosity, I put a recently washed towel in the steam cycle in the dryer. It was a 20 minute cycle and the towel was still very damp after 20 minutes. Nonetheless, the units by themselves are amazing and were well worth the money. The dryer dries well on the non-steam cycle in about 45 minutes. I put 6 wet towels in the drier and it came out hot in 90 minutes. The washer is also great and cleans well. I haven't tried the steam aspect of the washer yet.

[stan4]

Unless you're washing your clothes in boiling water, I'm guessing not a lot of 'disinfecting' is going on, and there are still organisms that can survive that.

Hey, az...I saw a commercial for one of these steam thingies. What is supposed to be the big deal with them? Why are they better? That wasn't clear in the commercial.

[matsmom]

I've had both the Kenmore steam washer and dryer well over a year now and just love them.

My washer has both a hot water sanitize setting and an add steam feature. The steam setting is only to help remove stains (boost the detergent) not reduce the bioload.

The dryer also has a steam setting. The water is supplied from a dedicated line split from the washer supply. The steam function on my dryer is only to reduce wrinkles (perhaps this is why the towel from the previous poster was still damp) you can't use that setting on heavy fabrics - it does nothing! From my own experience, if you don't use the dryer steam setting regularly it seems to acquires a musty smell. For me its not worth using, almost everything is wrinkle free anyway.

[azriverfan.]

After owning these units for 2 years, I can tell tell you the steam aspects are completely worthless. Your clothes don't dry any faster. They don't get cleaned any better. I still like my units but honestly, nothing cleans better than the old school top loading washers. I still own a pair of the old style top loading washer and old style dryer and they clean and dry better than these 2,000 dollar fancy front loader washer and dryers. If you can get past looks and just want honest cleaning and drying, save money and get the older ones.

[chet everett]

I have had front loaders on and off for about 30 years. My father's family once owned a building that was rented out to a laundromat and the got hooked on the old fashioned front loaders.

Becuase the front loaders can extract so much more water (and soap...) from the load the can gett clothes VERY MUCH cleaner than the top loaders. The key is to get a front loader that is setup to use enought water in the various cycles to get all the grungy stuff out and replace with enough fresh water to adequately do the required rinsing.

In my experience the less "feature laden" units from Fridgiare are very good at this. It is also possible to program the Miele and Bosch units to "ignore" their sensors and "default" water savings profiles and use enough water to actually get clothes VERY clean, but generally with a lot of grief, like using the "baby diaper program but overrriding temperatures...
I don't if the Korean units (or the fancy US units that compete with them...) have these kinds of options as they all sing the praises of "water savings" so loudly...

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

After owning these units for 2 years, I can tell tell you the steam aspects are completely worthless. Your clothes don't dry any faster. They don't get cleaned any better. I still like my units but honestly, nothing cleans better than the old school top loading washers. I still own a pair of the old style top loading washer and old style dryer and they clean and dry better than these 2,000 dollar fancy front loader washer and dryers. If you can get past looks and just want honest cleaning and drying, save money and get the older ones.