# washer/dryer in apartment



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

hey all. living in an apartment and looking for opinions on washer/dryers. i'm used to big capacity stand alone units from Canada in our house where we had a traditional hot air dryer that would vent to the outside. now here in an apartment i believe i am limited to condenser dryers. i currently have a washer only that does kind of a half-a$$ed job of it. now it's time to upgrade!

i know there are two-in-one units that do both but wondering if the dryer works as well as a stand alone. i like the idea of greater capacities and being able to wash and dry at the same time with two machines but that also means giving up quite a bit of space to have two units instead of just one.

any opinions? also any recommendations on best brands that are available out here?


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

sammylou said:


> hey all. living in an apartment and looking for opinions on washer/dryers. i'm used to big capacity stand alone units from Canada in our house where we had a traditional hot air dryer that would vent to the outside. now here in an apartment i believe i am limited to condenser dryers. i currently have a washer only that does kind of a half-a$$ed job of it. now it's time to upgrade!
> 
> i know there are two-in-one units that do both but wondering if the dryer works as well as a stand alone. i like the idea of greater capacities and being able to wash and dry at the same time with two machines but that also means giving up quite a bit of space to have two units instead of just one.
> 
> any opinions? also any recommendations on best brands that are available out here?


I have one. It's convenient for a small apartment but it definitely does not work as well as a standalone dryer. It's pitifully slow and everything comes out wrinkled. 

I have a Samsung, which I am sure is fine for what it is. But I really miss my big, dumb and cheap American washing machine and dryer. 

And the basement I kept them in.


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

Simey said:


> But I really miss my big, dumb and cheap American washing machine and dryer.
> 
> And the basement I kept them in.


haha! was thinking this exact same thing today. adjusting to life in an apartment after living in a house pretty much my entire life has been not too bad for the most part but i mostly miss having the big laundry/utility/storage room in the basement.


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Do you lack footprint or vertical space or both? I only ask as you can stack washers and dryers. 

I have a fab LG condenser dryer which we bought from carrefour. Here's the link. (It's an energy rate B, if that bothers you like it does me.) I use 2 dryer balls (from ACE) with it and find it tackles most jobs in 1 quick (50 min) cycle. 

We also have a top-loading LG washer to match, so we can't stack them (which, in hindsight, is annoying despite the fact I bought the dryer after the dogs came into our lives).


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

thanks Izzy. one of the things i was wondering about is how long an average cycle is to get stuff properly dry.

i have a dedicated laundry cupboard so i can stack [but then have to give up the space for shelving above a single unit]. i absolutely don't have room for side by side.

so in an ideal world there would be a nice big single machine out there that would also have a decent drying capability. i could live with that.

i've always wondered about those dryer balls too. are they in lieu of the dryer sheets? they don't beat up your clothes?


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Dryer balls cut static, reduce drying time and reduced the amount of lint (or dog hair, in my case). They are noisy though (clunky).

You use them instead of dryer sheets. (I sometimes still use sheets if I'm doing towels or bedding just for scent).

They do beat up clothing, but that's the whole point. The only thing that takes an extra cycle is bedding (when I've done the whole set:- king-size fitted sheet, duvet cover, 6 pillow cases, sometimes a top sheet) and overloading. The dryer we have is a 7kg but I think our washer is an 8kg so sometimes I miscalculate.


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## Budw (Oct 14, 2013)

Back home I have a separate room with a top loader GE washer and dryer... noisy like hell and once in a while they move 50cm from the wall on its own ... but their character makes them great.

But here I am equally happy with our Siemens front loader and dryer. Separate machines, but you can stack them if required. Compared to the good old top-loaders, these machines are super quiet and refined. I choose Siemens because of their brand and service reputation here. Most repairs (if needed) are done at home, next day, which is believe me seldom the case here with other brands. The have a showroom (Better Life), just above Carefour, Mall of Emirates.


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

We have a Whirlpool 2 in 1 which does a very good job of drying as well. However, its a lower capacity machine and a bit noisy. I have heard good things about LG (esp. with the direct drive the noise is much lower), and Siemens. 
However, do keep in mind that all these machines will have half the drying capacity vis-a-vis the washing capacity (so a machine with a 10 kg washing, will have a 5 kg drying capacity in general).


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

IzzyBella said:


> Dryer balls cut static, reduce drying time and reduced the amount of lint (or dog hair, in my case). They are noisy though (clunky).
> 
> You use them instead of dryer sheets. (I sometimes still use sheets if I'm doing towels or bedding just for scent).
> 
> They do beat up clothing, but that's the whole point. The only thing that takes an extra cycle is bedding (when I've done the whole set:- king-size fitted sheet, duvet cover, 6 pillow cases, sometimes a top sheet) and overloading. The dryer we have is a 7kg but I think our washer is an 8kg so sometimes I miscalculate.


Dryer balls in ACE? You dear are a star.

My condenser is rate C and sucks up a fair bit when I do use it, so I've been looking for a way to get it to run for shorter.


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Dryer balls in ACE? You dear are a star. My condenser is rate C and sucks up a fair bit when I do use it, so I've been looking for a way to get it to run for shorter.


So welcome. I'm pretty sure they were ~75dhr too!


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Dryer balls in ACE? You dear are a star.
> 
> My condenser is rate C and sucks up a fair bit when I do use it, so I've been looking for a way to get it to run for shorter.


i think i've also seen those dryer balls at Lakeland in MoE


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## volleygurl (Jul 16, 2013)

Budw said:


> Back home I have a separate room with a top loader GE washer and dryer... noisy like hell and once in a while they move 50cm from the wall on its own ... but their character makes them great.
> 
> But here I am equally happy with our Siemens front loader and dryer. Separate machines, but you can stack them if required. Compared to the good old top-loaders, these machines are super quiet and refined. I choose Siemens because of their brand and service reputation here. Most repairs (if needed) are done at home, next day, which is believe me seldom the case here with other brands. The have a showroom (Better Life), just above Carefour, Mall of Emirates.


Is everything front loader here, I prefer the top loader. We are in the market for a sets also.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

volleygurl said:


> Is everything front loader here, I prefer the top loader. We are in the market for a sets also.


You do find some top loaders here but it's rare, namely because the front loaders clean better and more efficiently.

I've definitely seen a few around, but you might be hard pressed to find one.


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

My top loader is an LG. No agitator. I got mine from Carrefour. Here's their list of top-loading washing machines


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## volleygurl (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks, how long does it take you to do wash? Are they faster than the front loaders?


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

my assumption has always been that front loaders are gentler on clothes and as they are all high efficiency they require less water per load. but i could be totally wrong?!?

also, with top loaders you cannot stack them obviously so if space is limited....


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Faster? No. About the same. 

My top-loader guestimates the amount of water you need in your cycle based on weight (I assume). I tend to play around with that and half it when I think it's being ridiculous. I like both, but the top loader is soooo much nicer on your back.


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

IzzyBella said:


> Faster? No. About the same.
> 
> My top-loader guestimates the amount of water you need in your cycle based on weight (I assume). I tend to play around with that and half it when I think it's being ridiculous. I like both, but the top loader is soooo much nicer on your back.


agh, crossfit will take care of that. teach you how to do a proper squat! then you'll have no problems with the front loaders


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

just thought i'd report back with my final decision. after a lot of research i went with the LG washer/dryer unit with 13/8 kg capacity. have only done a few loads so far but was truly amazed when my sheets came out feeling like they had just gone through a traditional hot air tumble dry. coming from a 5 kg washer only this machine makes me very happy. no more crunchy towels!


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