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Who cares. Maybe now I can get a washing machine that actually washes my clothes. You'd think at the $1,100 price point, a washing machine should actually work,

Who cares. Maybe now I can get a washing machine that actually washes my clothes. You'd think at the $1,100 price point, a washing machine should actually work, even with the strict Energy Star standards, but everyone on Reddit suggests switching to a LITERAL commercial washing machine (Speed Queen). Famously-liberal Reddit is suggesting switching to a LOUD, WASTEFUL washing machine because it actually works. I think that says a lot about the current state of things.

deleted 1y ago
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WalterGR 1y ago
Could you link to that Reddit discussion? I’d like to get a new washer for my mom. Edit: Probably this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1jco8a1/recommendations_for_a_washing_machine_that/ https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1jco8a1/recommenda... . Speed Queen, Whirlpool, LG, and other brands are recommended. Reading the reviews after you’ve purchased something is always painful! Have you heard of Consumer Reports? They at least used to be pretty reliable.
- CoastalCoder 1y ago
  I've used Consumer Reports I'm that past, and found that their ratings poorly matched my experience. I don't doubt their integrity, but I no longer use them.
  - cratermoon 1y ago
    CU has a bit of a weird scale. It seems to go for the intersection of good and cheap, which doesn't typically mean high quality. The best rated stuff is typically mid-range, lower cost-of-ownership, but nothing special.
    - wildzzz 1y ago
      They try to find what is going to cost the least amount of money for both now and in the future, likely within the warranty period. Mid-range and low cost of ownership is exactly what many people want. Consumer Reports' market isn't tech evangelists looking for washing machines with AI in them, they are normal users looking to replace an appliance in the least painful way possible. When you have a surprise expense like an appliance, you likely just want to spend as little as possible. Someone paying for consumer reports probably has enough money to afford paying a little more upfront for a mid-range model. If they wanted the cheapest model, they wouldn't be looking at reviews, they'd just buy the cheapest. If they were in the market for luxury models, they'd just go buy a matching set from a luxury brand, money isn't much of an issue so who cares how well it performs over time?
  - zbrozek 1y ago
    Your experience matches mine. I also found that their coverage of products was simply too thin to be meaningful for me.
- phendrenad2 1y ago
  I spent some time today reading Reddit reviews and complaints about appliances, even the top-tier brands (LG, Samsung) seem to have frequent complaints. I'm also in the market for a new washing machine, so I'll probably just buy one of those and take my chances. Speed Queen is apparently really reliable and efficient, but is probably too loud for me.
  - chneu 1y ago
    It's almost as if people don't know how to wash their clothes. If a machine is working for the vast majority of people then it isn't usually the machine. Washing machines fall under the same umbrella as dishwashers for me. They work amazingly well but there will always be a decent chunk of people who claim they just never get dishes clean. It has nothing to do with the dishwasher. It has to do with how people use them incorrectly.
    - phendrenad2 1y ago
      shrug That's one possible explanation, but I think there's simplest explanation is that a lot of people are just not that picky about how "clean" is "clean".
      - chneu 1y ago
        I don't really buy that. It sounds more like "i'm picky about a washing machine" has become a personality trait, or a sunk cost, so there's no abandoning it at this point. Probably gonna find a decent washing machine, then 2 months later another issue crops up. "It doesn't tumble quite right, ugh my clothes aren't clean". It reminds me of old people who say "They don't make x like they used to. Can't buy a good one anymore!" Again, if the vast majority of people are finding the machine to be adequate, then it's probably not the machine. It's probably the people who are struggling with it have unreasonable expectations. Domestic chores are also rife with people who do things for no reason other than "i was taught this way". This means their expectations are, often, unreasonable. I'm not saying that's applicable here, but it's definitely something to consider in these areas. Lots of people do wild stuff with their clothes/dishes/cleaning and don't realize it until someone points it out to them.
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lima 1y ago
Energy Star is entirely voluntary. Manufacturers make energy-efficient appliances because consumers prefer them over less efficient appliances, not because the government is forcing them.
- briHass 1y ago
  If that is the case, then there should be no need for Energy Star, because manufacturers already have an incentive to increase efficiency due to customer demand. I'm highly dubious of the $500b this program has claimed to save consumers. Almost without fail, efficiency improvements in home appliances has greatly increased complexity (less reliable), reduced common components across brands (higher cost to fix), increase purchase price, and compromised actual performance.
  - chneu 1y ago
    Lol are you serious? We know companies make worse versions of products on purpose. Free market evangelist people are out of touch with reality.
  - throw0101d 1y ago
    > If that is the case, then there should be no need for Energy Star, because manufacturers already have an incentive to increase efficiency due to customer demand. Energy Star is handy because it's a known quality with set standards. If there was no standard companies could start doing all sorts of marketing BS with meaningless numbers. With ES you know what you're getting and it's a apples-apples comparison. Same with dishwasher: Energy Star means some specific, and if a unit has a sticker than it's at (at least) the same level as another unit with the sticker. An OEM has now go above and beyond that in features. Contrast that with the MaP Test, which is voluntary in the toilet industry, which most manufacturers use if those it is voluntary: * https://map-testing.com/ https://map-testing.com/ If there was an ES-equivalent standard for laundry then perhaps Energy Star itself would not be needed at that point.
LastTrain 1y ago
“I’d give up the liberties of some people, not me, for a decent washing machine”.
- cdot2 1y ago
  What liberties are being given up by using a commercial washing machine?
jfengel 1y ago
Huh. My clothes always get clean just fine in my middle-of-the-road residential machine. Maybe the tree huggers at Reddit are spending a lot of time hugging pine trees. Pine sap is hard to get out.
singleshot_ 1y ago
If you can't find a washer that "actually washes" your clothes today, you probably won't be able to now either. It's not the washer. (It's probably not your clothes, either).
- margalabargala 1y ago
  Whose fault is it then, if dirty clothes placed in the washer remain dirty after a "wash" cycle?
  - Malic 1y ago
    It may be a simple case of overloading the washer. Assuming a front loading washer (common these days), if the clothes can’t “tumble”, they’re not going to come out clean.
    - orwin 1y ago
      Exactly why my grandma couldn't use modern front loading machine and still used her antique until she passed. Couldn't make her understand that packing it as much as she did was a mistake.
      - deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
marxisttemp 1y ago
you talk a lot in your comments about wanting to avoid politics but almost all of your comments mention politics
dgacmu 1y ago
That's weird. My LG front loader has been amazing for 6+ years now. Washes well, super quiet, and energy efficient enough that I ran a load while my house was operating on battery during a 4 day power outage. I would totally buy another one.
astura 1y ago
My washing machine works just fine??
djaychela 1y ago
Not sure where you are or what washer you own.... But I bought a new Samsung last year and it's excellent. Uses very little energy, quick washes if needed and washes my filthy mechanic work clothes perfectly at low temperatures. And it cost under £400
kyledrake 1y ago
The goal of the program is to reduce the tragedy of the commons that causes the municipal water supply to run out, making it so that nobody's Speed Queen works anymore. Given the contrast, I would prefer a slightly derpy washing machine to no access to running water. That said, your complaints about HE side loaders are not misplaced, they aren't very good.
tzs 1y ago
Most people have no trouble getting clean clothes from any washing machine that gets a high rating at Consumer Reports or Wirecutter. The main reasons for going with a commercial Speed Queen for people other than the few who can't manage to get consumer washers to clean their clothes are: • They last a lot longer and are usually easier and/or cheaper to repair if they do break. • They have more models without internet and apps. A basic commercial model will often be like the washer you might remember your parents had: something with a simple interface that just had a few basic cycles and washed your clothes well for decades. (Their fancier commercial models aimed to bigger laundromats might have internet and cloud based management, which can be very useful commercially for managing a fleet of machines).
tomrod 1y ago
My nibling in needs, have you heard the gospel of Speed Queen?

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

WalterGR 1y ago

Could you link to that Reddit discussion? I’d like to get a new washer for my mom. Edit: Probably this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1jco8a1/recommendations_for_a_washing_machine_that/ https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1jco8a1/recommenda... . Speed Queen, Whirlpool, LG, and other brands are recommended. Reading the reviews after you’ve purchased something is always painful! Have you heard of Consumer Reports? They at least used to be pretty reliable.

CoastalCoder 1y ago
I've used Consumer Reports I'm that past, and found that their ratings poorly matched my experience. I don't doubt their integrity, but I no longer use them.
- cratermoon 1y ago
  CU has a bit of a weird scale. It seems to go for the intersection of good and cheap, which doesn't typically mean high quality. The best rated stuff is typically mid-range, lower cost-of-ownership, but nothing special.
  - wildzzz 1y ago
    They try to find what is going to cost the least amount of money for both now and in the future, likely within the warranty period. Mid-range and low cost of ownership is exactly what many people want. Consumer Reports' market isn't tech evangelists looking for washing machines with AI in them, they are normal users looking to replace an appliance in the least painful way possible. When you have a surprise expense like an appliance, you likely just want to spend as little as possible. Someone paying for consumer reports probably has enough money to afford paying a little more upfront for a mid-range model. If they wanted the cheapest model, they wouldn't be looking at reviews, they'd just buy the cheapest. If they were in the market for luxury models, they'd just go buy a matching set from a luxury brand, money isn't much of an issue so who cares how well it performs over time?
- zbrozek 1y ago
  Your experience matches mine. I also found that their coverage of products was simply too thin to be meaningful for me.
phendrenad2 1y ago
I spent some time today reading Reddit reviews and complaints about appliances, even the top-tier brands (LG, Samsung) seem to have frequent complaints. I'm also in the market for a new washing machine, so I'll probably just buy one of those and take my chances. Speed Queen is apparently really reliable and efficient, but is probably too loud for me.
- chneu 1y ago
  It's almost as if people don't know how to wash their clothes. If a machine is working for the vast majority of people then it isn't usually the machine. Washing machines fall under the same umbrella as dishwashers for me. They work amazingly well but there will always be a decent chunk of people who claim they just never get dishes clean. It has nothing to do with the dishwasher. It has to do with how people use them incorrectly.
  - phendrenad2 1y ago
    shrug That's one possible explanation, but I think there's simplest explanation is that a lot of people are just not that picky about how "clean" is "clean".
    - chneu 1y ago
      I don't really buy that. It sounds more like "i'm picky about a washing machine" has become a personality trait, or a sunk cost, so there's no abandoning it at this point. Probably gonna find a decent washing machine, then 2 months later another issue crops up. "It doesn't tumble quite right, ugh my clothes aren't clean". It reminds me of old people who say "They don't make x like they used to. Can't buy a good one anymore!" Again, if the vast majority of people are finding the machine to be adequate, then it's probably not the machine. It's probably the people who are struggling with it have unreasonable expectations. Domestic chores are also rife with people who do things for no reason other than "i was taught this way". This means their expectations are, often, unreasonable. I'm not saying that's applicable here, but it's definitely something to consider in these areas. Lots of people do wild stuff with their clothes/dishes/cleaning and don't realize it until someone points it out to them.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

lima 1y ago

Energy Star is entirely voluntary. Manufacturers make energy-efficient appliances because consumers prefer them over less efficient appliances, not because the government is forcing them.

briHass 1y ago
If that is the case, then there should be no need for Energy Star, because manufacturers already have an incentive to increase efficiency due to customer demand. I'm highly dubious of the $500b this program has claimed to save consumers. Almost without fail, efficiency improvements in home appliances has greatly increased complexity (less reliable), reduced common components across brands (higher cost to fix), increase purchase price, and compromised actual performance.
- chneu 1y ago
  Lol are you serious? We know companies make worse versions of products on purpose. Free market evangelist people are out of touch with reality.
- throw0101d 1y ago
  > If that is the case, then there should be no need for Energy Star, because manufacturers already have an incentive to increase efficiency due to customer demand. Energy Star is handy because it's a known quality with set standards. If there was no standard companies could start doing all sorts of marketing BS with meaningless numbers. With ES you know what you're getting and it's a apples-apples comparison. Same with dishwasher: Energy Star means some specific, and if a unit has a sticker than it's at (at least) the same level as another unit with the sticker. An OEM has now go above and beyond that in features. Contrast that with the MaP Test, which is voluntary in the toilet industry, which most manufacturers use if those it is voluntary: * https://map-testing.com/ https://map-testing.com/ If there was an ES-equivalent standard for laundry then perhaps Energy Star itself would not be needed at that point.

LastTrain 1y ago

“I’d give up the liberties of some people, not me, for a decent washing machine”.

cdot2 1y ago
What liberties are being given up by using a commercial washing machine?

jfengel 1y ago

Huh. My clothes always get clean just fine in my middle-of-the-road residential machine. Maybe the tree huggers at Reddit are spending a lot of time hugging pine trees. Pine sap is hard to get out.

singleshot_ 1y ago

If you can't find a washer that "actually washes" your clothes today, you probably won't be able to now either. It's not the washer. (It's probably not your clothes, either).

margalabargala 1y ago
Whose fault is it then, if dirty clothes placed in the washer remain dirty after a "wash" cycle?
- Malic 1y ago
  It may be a simple case of overloading the washer. Assuming a front loading washer (common these days), if the clothes can’t “tumble”, they’re not going to come out clean.
  - orwin 1y ago
    Exactly why my grandma couldn't use modern front loading machine and still used her antique until she passed. Couldn't make her understand that packing it as much as she did was a mistake.
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]

marxisttemp 1y ago

you talk a lot in your comments about wanting to avoid politics but almost all of your comments mention politics

dgacmu 1y ago

That's weird. My LG front loader has been amazing for 6+ years now. Washes well, super quiet, and energy efficient enough that I ran a load while my house was operating on battery during a 4 day power outage. I would totally buy another one.

astura 1y ago

My washing machine works just fine??

djaychela 1y ago

Not sure where you are or what washer you own.... But I bought a new Samsung last year and it's excellent. Uses very little energy, quick washes if needed and washes my filthy mechanic work clothes perfectly at low temperatures. And it cost under £400

kyledrake 1y ago

The goal of the program is to reduce the tragedy of the commons that causes the municipal water supply to run out, making it so that nobody's Speed Queen works anymore. Given the contrast, I would prefer a slightly derpy washing machine to no access to running water. That said, your complaints about HE side loaders are not misplaced, they aren't very good.

tzs 1y ago

Most people have no trouble getting clean clothes from any washing machine that gets a high rating at Consumer Reports or Wirecutter. The main reasons for going with a commercial Speed Queen for people other than the few who can't manage to get consumer washers to clean their clothes are: • They last a lot longer and are usually easier and/or cheaper to repair if they do break. • They have more models without internet and apps. A basic commercial model will often be like the washer you might remember your parents had: something with a simple interface that just had a few basic cycles and washed your clothes well for decades. (Their fancier commercial models aimed to bigger laundromats might have internet and cloud based management, which can be very useful commercially for managing a fleet of machines).

tomrod 1y ago

My nibling in needs, have you heard the gospel of Speed Queen?