It seems like just yesterday we were setting up our brand-new-to-us washer and dryer that we scored from Craigslist. It was an older Kenmore set from around the early 2000’s. Three years ago, we were basking in the glory of our washer and dryer that would enable us to do laundry in the comfort of our home, without having to drive it over to the laundry facility in our then apartment complex. For a while, we were washing and hanging our clothes up. The dryer needed another power cord suitable for the outlet in our laundry room. It wasn’t a problem for us. At least we could get the laundry done. Once installing the new cord, we were in business, but we found that we had to run the dryer twice to make sure that the clothes were completely dry. Still, not a problem.
When we moved to our current residence, we had to change the cord back to the original to be compatible with the outlet in our new laundry room. We found that the dryer performed much, much better and our clothes were drying in just one cycle! Call me crazy, but I was SO excited! I was seeing the light! I’m telling you, it’s the small things. Now you may be wondering, “Sheena, why all the backstory on the ‘ol washer and dryer?” Well, because we have a history with our washer and dryer and have been so grateful to have them. We haven’t had any reason to part with them besides our desire to upgrade to conserve energy and water. And when presented with the opportunity of a complimentary upgrade courtesy of Whirlpool, I said, “Heck Yea”, but not because they’re prettier, but because of functionality.
That said…
We are currently testing the Whirlpool Duet Front Load washer and dryer (electric) set in Lunar Silver. The beautiful duo was a little intimidating at first glance. Greg even joked about them being too “newfangled”, lol. Being used to simplicity, they took a little time to get used to.
What are we digging about the Whirlpool Duet set?
Pedestal Drawers – Before installation, we had to remove a shelf in our laundry room to accommodate the set. Fortunately, we have plenty of storage space in the pedestal drawers.
They’re Stack-able – In the event that we need or desire to, we can stack the Duet set and store the pedestal drawers. Go versatility!
Precision Dispensing – The Duet washer uses a precision cartridge and automatically measures the amount of detergent needed for each cycle. There’s even an option to concentrate the amount of detergent dispensed in the precision dispense settings. You can also remove the cartridge to use a single dose of liquid or powder detergent.
DIY HE Laundry Detergent – I’ve recently started making my own HE laundry detergent. When it comes to laundry detergent, I keep it simple. We all have skin sensitivities and seem to go through detergent so fast, so I started making it myself and the Whirlpool Duet doesn’t seem to mind :). My recipe can be found here.
Energy/Water Efficient – The Duet washer and dryer are ENERGY STAR® qualified, hello! They even have an EcoBoost setting which reducing spin speeds and temperature to use less energy. This increases cycle length, though. We are amazed at how little water and detergent is needed to wash our clothes. The Duet washer uses less detergent saving nearly 10% in HE detergent costs. It’s mind boggling, but our clothes come out so fresh and so clean, clean :).
Laundry Apps/Custom Cycles – Seriously? Yes. There are fifty million different apps available for almost every laundry situation you can think of from bulky to delicates to whitest whites. And if the laundry apps don’t quite cover the scenario you’re looking for, you can create your own custom cycles!
Quiet Cycles – Speaking of cycles, they are so quiet! Our old washer would get a little rowdy during the spin cycle and our dryer would magnify the sound of shoes, buckles, and zippers. The Duet dryer uses a SilentSteel Drum that dampens the sound of these elements. There’s actually a dryer rack available to dry certain items without tumbling.
Pleasant Chime – How many of you are startled by the sound of the loud buzzer on your dryer? How many of you are annoyed by the lack of indication when your washer has stopped? The Duet washer and dryer both chime a pleasant little tune when the cycle has completed. It periodically continues to chime as a reminder, kind of like hitting the snooze button… without actually having to… hit it.
What are we not digging about the Whirlpool Duet set?
Cycle Timing – Sometimes both the washer and dryer use their brilliant technology against us, adjusting the cycle time to even longer than predicted if they detect that the loads need a little more of something. One minute the time remaining may say 15 minutes, then you look up and it says 30; or it will stay at 15 minutes even after 10 minutes have passed, lol! That can be a little frustrating at times. You’re all like, “Hey hey, 5 minutes left! Uhh it’s been 15 minutes. What the heck?” o_Ô
I’m looking forward to spending more time with our Duet set, customizing some cycles and using the FanFresh feature on the washer. Sometimes we leave things overnight and end up rewashing them in the morning to de-funk them. I totally forgot about this feature, so I’ll defintely keep it in mind the next time we leave a load sitting overnight. I’m gonna need a folding app too. Are these open source? Whirlpool, I’m making suggestions, hahaha!
I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review. Read my full disclosure policy here.
1stopmom
Tuesday 20th of September 2011
Custom cycles? That would be nice with my kids. I am trying to teach them all how to do their own laundry and something like that would make it easier. I think I would fall in love with the quiet cycle. Our current set is over 10 years old and it can get loud!! Scares the mess out of our dog :)
Jarmelia- DIY Hair Care Blog
Thursday 15th of September 2011
Oh my word!!!! I would be in laundry heaven!!! I am thankful for my washer/dryer (that is non shiny and new!) but....ugh! I am with you one the double drying., and loud drying!
But it does beat going to the laundry facility....I do not miss those days at all!