Reviewing our washing machine seems a very appropriate thing to do as it is an integral part of our domestic bliss. When a washing machine breaks down it makes you realise you don’t really want to go back to the ‘good old days’ when washing was done by hand. When our washing machine broke down and was uneconomical to repair we decided to replace it with a very good one. Bosch is a maker of good, solid and reliable domestic appliances and our trouble free dishwasher is a Bosch.
Following the necessary but relatively short discussion period we looked at several machines and several manufacturers before finally settling on the Bosch WAS 32466.
This is a large washing machine with a very impressive spin and we have been very pleased with it. It is 84.2 cm x 60 cm x 59 cm (Height x Width x Depth) so should fit under most work surfaces but this machine is like a Tardis and holds up to an 8 kg wash load. Washing a duvet in this machine is no problem it has enough room to tumble about and get really clean rather than moving in one immovable lump like our old one.
In the rating scale that runs
from A to G, with A being the best, our Bosch actually scores an A+ for energy efficiency. It has an A grade for wash performance and another A grade for spin efficiency. It is pretty quiet to being rated at 56 dB noise level at its loudest which is naturally the spin cycle, in other parts of the cycle there’s barely a murmur.
It has a spin speed of a whacking 1600 revolutions per minute and the faster the spin the dryer the clothes are when they come out. This saves time in drying and money too if you are using a tumble dryer. The spin speed is adjustable which makes it better for delicates, wool and fine fabrics; the lowest it adjusts to is 400 rpm
The Bosch isn’t wasteful however, if you don’t have a large amount of clothes to wash it will automatically adjusts the water level, this saves water, time and energy. It has a temperature sensed fill: this means it will make the best use of your existing water supply to again save energy, time and money. Its automatic water level control uses only the necessary amount of water in every cycle not just the light or half loads. There is also a detergent save feature which avoids wasting detergent in the sump
It is a cold fill machine; I used to think these were more expensive than the hot and cold ones but they aren’t. Hot domestic water supply alone is too hot for most washes so cold water cools the temperature. In a cold fill the water will be heated by the machine. This is no more expensive than a hot and cold fill because it means you are not wasting hot water as you are literally only heating what you need.
It has a 24 hour delay start timer so you can set it to be completed about the time you get in so the washing isn’t sitting there developing creases, to help with this in addition it has a reduced creasing system to lessen the amount of ironing the clothes will need. You can if you wish also use the rinse and hold facility.
It has a Time remaining indicator which allows you on the progress of the washing anywhere in the programme cycle plus automatic fault diagnosis which indicates if something is wrong. The large easy to see liquid crystal display keeps you constantly updated on the progress of the wash. It lets you know which wash cycle you have chosen, when it’s adding detergent, where it is in the programme cycle, how much time is remaining and even , temperature and spin speed. It has touch control buttons for Stains, Prewash, Reduced Ironing, Aqua plus
The washer constantly checks that it is spinning correctly as part of its ‘out of balance’ spin protection. This means you never get that endearing shuffle across the kitchen that some washers do when they are full of heavy clothes such as towels and jeans. There is an extra large 300 mm door which opens to a full 180 degrees; this makes it incredibly easy to load and unload
This Bosch has 15 washing programmes plus some features that improve its versatility such as the time saver; this allows you to reduce the standard time of some programmes if you just wish to refresh certain clothes that aren’t dirty enough to need a full wash. There is also a variable wash temperature which allows you to select the ideal temperature for different fabric types and levels of dirtiness.
Programmes • Pre-wash ; For better results on heavily soiled clothes • Silk wash ; Very low temperature wash with gentle wash programme for delicate silk items. • Light load ; Saves you water and time when washing a few bits and pieces of • Hand wash ; Delicate program suitable for clothes marked hand wash only • Wool wash ; gentle wash for machine washable woollens • Delicate wash ; lower temperature for delicate fabrics and fine clothing • Refresh option ; low temperature wash to freshen up lightly soiled clothes • Easy iron programme ; less creasing • Dark Wash : assists in decreasing fading • Sportswear; good for sweat and filth • Power Wash 60 intense wash for very dirty clothes • Super Quick 15 : very quick for freshening • Mixed load : a standard wash with no extras • Super rinse ; using extra water for particularly dirty loads, or people with sensitive skin. • Variable rinses ; Add an extra rinse for those with sensitive skin, or delete a rinse to save water and time • No spin option ; particularly useful for delicate fabrics such as soft wool
It also has a Foam detection system in case you put too much or the wrong kind of detergent in
As a guide a 40 degrees mixed cotton wash takes 70 minutes with no personal adjustments and 60 degrees mixed cotton was will take approximately 90
As finishing touches the Bosch has a metal door catch less likely to break and it also lets you know when the wash has finished with a buzzer and has a self cleaning detergent drawer.
We foster kids and we have a very large garden which means a lot of dirt and washing. This Bosch has never let us down yet. It’s hard to get excited about the majority of domestic appliances but there is something intensely satisfying about a machine that provides excellence every time you use it and this is what the Bosch does. Each time we use it the results are superb so we never worry about the state that clothes get into because we know the Bosch will always bail us out. I can’t really add any more without sounding like a gibbering idiotic salesman and I cant invite you round to sit in the kitchen and listen and watch so I will end with a statement by Bosch
“When you buy Bosch you buy a responsible, reliable and quality brand that delivers you the latest in innovative technology. So if you want an easy to useappliance, designed to perform and built to last, this time make sure it's a Bosch.”
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Jun 24th, 2007
exceptional by (6%):
very helpful by (94%):
