I first encountered an all-in-one washer and dryer front-loading combo unit in a small apartment I was renting in Prague seven years ago. Being a naïve American who’d cut her teeth on conspicuous consumption, I was a bit baffled by the compact appliance, and since the directions were in Czech, finding someone to help me translate and decode them into English was a challenge to say the least. Once I had it figured out, though, I was amazed by three things: the amount of laundry it could handle for such a small machine, the tiny amount of water needed to get the clothes really clean, and the fact that the machine dried the clothes in the same compartment it used to wash them. I was like a kid who gets to use the washer for the first time (remember those days, before you got so sick of laundry that you let it pile up for two weeks before you would even consider tackling it?). While my classmates and professors at Charles University were discussing the latest exhibit at Golz-Kinsky Palace or what was on the menu at The Savoy the previous night, I was raving about being able to do my laundry in-house. I am, perhaps, way too easily entertained.
The double-duty washer/dryer combination is starting to catch on quickly in the United States. One in particular leads the pack in water conservation, capacity, and gentleness to clothing. The front-loading LG All-In-One Washer Dryer (retailing at approximately $1,600) boasts a number of features that make it appealing for every lifestyle, from downsizers moving into smaller living spaces all the way to families making an effort towards conservation of our natural resources.
Sleek and clean-looking in either its brushed steel or white enamel forms, the LG is remarkably compact, fitting in about a 2-feet wide and a little under 3-feet tall area, and yet having a generous 2.44 cubic foot capacity. The options it offers on its control panel give you the freedom to only wash, only dry, or to program the whole process start to finish washing and drying. Its sensor dry system detects the amount of moisture still left in the drum after spinning, and adjusts the drying time and temperature for the gentlest care of your clothing. You can pre-program wash cycles up to 19 hours in advance, and the LG even offers a sanitizing cycle. Bonus? Because of the cool water condensing system used by this combo washer/dryer clean, dry air is circulated through the unit during the drying process and is recycled through the machine, producing a sealed system that doesn’t give off heat, lint, or humidity into your laundry room.
This one’s a no-brainer. Compact. Efficient. Better for the environment. Cleaner. Who wouldn’t want all that in one great-looking package?
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