Last month I mentioned my excitement over being chosen as a Whirlpool Mom, which entails test driving a Whirlpool Duet Premium washer and dryer system for the next few months. I shared my initial thoughts and favorite features on the machines, but this month I want to share more about just how much time, money, and energy this fantastic duo can save you!
Fantastic duo kind of makes them sound like they’re super heroes, doesn’t it? I guess they kind of are in my book, because anything that can save in so many areas is a real lifesaver for me!
The Whirlpool Duet system is the industry’s most resource efficient laundry pair. They work in tandem to make the entire process more efficient by using faster spin speeds in the washer and sensors in the dryer. Now if only I had a robomaid to load the clothes and put them away clean… Oh wait, I guess that’s what kids are for!
But seriously, here are a few facts on the savings the Whirlpool Duet system can net:
- The Whirlpool Duet washer uses as little as 11.5 gallons of water per load and exceeds the minimum federal standard for energy selling requirements by more than 160% on average. To put this in perspective, a typical top loader washing machine uses a whopping 40 gallons of water per load! This would save the average family more than 12,587 gallons of water per year.
- You can save as much as $3,300 in lifetime energy costs, which would more than pay for this system. Utilize the washer and dryer’s eco-cycles to save even more.
- The Whirlpool Duet dryer has a 7.4 cu. ft. capacity which means you can dry more laundry at a time, faster and more efficiently. Sensors are used to determine when the clothes are dry and the machine will shut off automatically.
All in all this means that keeping up with my laundry is no longer and insurmountable task! Now I just need to figure out how to keep up with putting away my fresh, clean laundry.
Watch for more posts chronicling my stint as a Whirlpool Test Drive Mom, but in the meantime I’d love to hear your thoughts on laundry… Love it? Hate it? How do you keep it from becoming an overwhelming chore? Would any of these features help you streamline your laundry system?
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.
Andrea
I have the same set of washer/dryer and they’re great for just two people too. I only do a couple loads a week.
Jenn
The next big purchase on our list is front loaders! With 5 of us, I’ve found that doing a load a day saves me from becoming buried under a pile of laundry. (Plus a load of diapers every day or two) It really is much easier for me than waiting and doing 5+ loads on one day! I have small laundry baskets for each child and the older two are charged with putting their own clothes away. I cringe to see my 4 yo son’s drawers, but he’s gotta learn sometime!! :) My biggest challenge with laundry is getting it put away, so having them do their part helps me out!
Mrs. C
I did a quick cost savings. I think water is about $.04 a gallon around here and if it wasn’t included as part of my rent, I’d definitely be thinking about front loaders because if your water numbers are correct, we’d save over $500/year in water by switching.
Annette Jamison
I have had my duet set for 7 years now….LOVE, LOVE,LOVE THEM!!!
Julie
I’ve had my Duets for about 6 years. I used to love them. Now, not so much. I’ve had the mold issues. The one BIG thing I dislike about them is that you *cannot* leave a load in the washer overnight (or similar amt of time). They smell mildewed real fast! I used to put in a load of laundry in before bed or before work, dry them in the morning or when I get home from work. Now, If they don’t come out immediately I have to rewash. I’ve been doing laundry for 30 years and I don’t like having to change my rountine because of a washing machine. ~Can’t wait to go back to a toploader.
Tara Kuczykowski
That’s interesting because we had that issue with our old top loader. Have you tried using the Affresh or Tide washing machine cleaners?
Julie P
I will trade you my top-loader for your duets. LOL
Julie
I have used Affresh and something similar. (Dont think I’ve used the Tide one). SO very disappointing for the $$ I spent (wasted). I’ve never had issues like this with top loaders. I see someone else mentioned the dryer as well. My HE dryer takes a long time to dry. On the plus side – You can put more laundry in at once. The down side, You can’t add that forgotten sock EASILY. I hope you like yours. Maybe they have improved things in the past 6 years. Good Luck!
Ann
I have the Samsung front loaders with powerfoam and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. them. I had a shelf bult over the top (no stands) for folding clothes. It makes lundary easier and I just run a pure cleansing cycle ones a month to clean the washer. I have the eco cycle also and, I think it works better with liquid detergent. I love to use the steam cycle with pillows, they are so puffy and soft afterward. It’s like getting new pillows.
carol
I cannot say enough bad things about the LG frontloaders I bought 4 yrs ago. My laundy smelled either musty, or like garbage. Needing to run 1.5 hour cleaning cycles with expensive cleaners is not time or money saving. The inside parts where the laundry soap and fabric softener was put was constantly black with slimy mold. The seal leaked everytime. The water that drained out into our laundry tub smelled like rotten eggs. The dryer with the “sensor” would run for over an hour yet still stop with damp clothes in it. We paid over $1800 for the pair and even though I saw savings in the water bill it was not worth it. It barely used enough water to wash and things still smelled like cologne, BO or worse when they were done. I got rid of them last month and bought a Whirlpool top loader that uses plenty of water. My clothes finally smell like fabric softener and dry in the hour that I set the timer for. Also, my whites in the front loader were gray or yellow, now they are brighter. DON”T BUY FRONT LOADERS!!! At some point you will regret it!
Julie P
Did you ever contact the company or the store you bought them from? Those are major issues!
I have owned 3 front-loaders, and have loved every single one. My only complaint is that the first two had the same malfunction within 4 years: the drum motor goes bad, and starts leaking oil in the wash, ending up with brown streaks on all the clothes. I am beginning to think it’s because I bought the “cheap” model. The third one, we ended up giving to a friend right before we moved across a few states. I now have the top-loading one that came with the house, and I hate it. It uses SO MUCH water, I cringe to hear the water run and run as it fills. The clothes don’t seem as clean, I can’t wash the big loads I could with my front-loaders, and now it’s starting to not drain all the way, resulting in sopping wet clothes.
On the bright side, that means it’s time to get a new washer & dryer! :D
mr_goofy
Although, traditional top loaders do use ridiculous amount of washers, the new HE top loaders use as little as 12 gallons of water too. :)
Jenny D.
I have the traditional top loading washing machine. I use cold water to save $$$. I do some laundry every other day or so to keep on top of things. I still have two of my children at home. They commute daily to our local colleges. I still do their wash for them but they pay me now. Lol. It’s not that they don’t know how – they do – but being full-time college students plus having jobs and commuting limits their time. Getting paid by them makes me feel okay with it.
Cathi
I have been very disappointed by my Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryers. Several of the reasons have already been talked about. I purchased these front loaders in the hopes of saving money too. Yet, the washer does grow mold especially on the rubber seal. It doesnt seem to use enough water to clean well enough so I end up doing a longer wash time therefore not saving any water. Pretty much since washer was a year old, I couldn’t use fastest spin cycle because the machine starts vibrating badly. I have made sure washer is level but I would assume drum needs to be fixed but thats too expensive. The dryer hasn’t been much better. If I use an “efficient” dryer mode, dryer which is supposed to sense the dryness, just stops with clothes still being damp..overall, very disappointed. I did contact Whirlpool as soon as I started having issues with the set and as soon as one year period had expired, which by the way is when everything started to not work, their only response is that I should contact a local repair person. Very disappointed in Whirlpool-would not buy again and would not buy the front loaders again as well..I’d rather pay more money at this point to have clean and dry clothes.
Bettye
I am very disappointed to read this “commercial” in your blog. This is not why I read your articles on coupons and store specials.
Tara Kuczykowski
I’m sorry you feel that way, Bettye. However, please know that I’m very selective about the sponsored posts that I write and only write about products and experiences that I feel may be of value for my readers.
While a new front loading washer and dryer can be a pretty expensive investment up front, the research I’ve done shows that the savings over the life of the units is significant, and I feel that the information I’m providing on the topic may be of use to other moms considering a purchase.
Tracy
I have had a similar experience as above with the Whirlpool Duet system we purchased several years ago. We purchased it from Best Buy hoping it would help with the amount of laundry we have to do- we have a large family with 11 children. Within a week, we started having horrible problems with mold, and the pump….it was by far, the worst investment we have EVER made. I now double check everything I buy and avoid Whirlpool just because their customer service was really poor and we never were able to have our problem resolved. We ended up throwing the set out and purchasing a top loader again. :( I wish I had a glowing review for this product. I really wanted it to work for our family. It seemed like a luxury for me.
Joy
After having had none when we first moved in I now LOVE mine!
Sunny
I bought my Duets 2 1/2 years ago and I LOVE them. I did notice that if I didn’t clean my washer once every couple of weeks, it would smell funky but I run a wash of hot water and bleach = problem solved! My water bill was cut by half when we switched and I don’t regret it one bit! I’ll never buy another top loader again.