5 Best Washing Machines

Take a load off laundry day with our favourite new washers. They’re the ultimate machines – they can clean a ton of bed linen in one go, suggest the best cycle and amount of detergent, and are so gentle, they’re like a luxury spa for your clothes

1 THE RELIABLE TYPE

This might seem pricey, but its belt-less Centum drive is guaranteed for 20 years. The True Steam cycle refreshes delicates without detergent, saving you costly trips to the dry cleaners, and the huge drum halves the number of loads you have to do. FH6F9BDS2 6 MOTION 12KG, £1,429, LG

2 TRUSTWORTHY CHOICE

If you’ve ever had a washing machine chew up your favourite jumper, fear not – now your wardrobe is in safe hands. This gives the same results at 30°C that you’d get at 60°C (so less risk of shrinking or colours fading) and you can use steam to freshen up your clothes without washing.

L9FEC966R 9000 SERIES SOFTWATER 9KG, FROM £899, AEG

3 HIDDEN TALENTS

This integrated model has just as many special features as its freestanding counterparts. You can control it with an app, which will suggest the perfect cycle for your washing, and clothes come out drier too, thanks to the fast 1600RPM spin. HBWMO 96TAHC-80 INTEGRATED 9KG, £550, HOOVER

4 FORGOTTEN SOMETHING?

No problem. Press pause and add any laundry dropped on the way to the machine. Allergy sufferers can breathe easy with a programme that removes 99.9% of pollen and dust mites, and stains don’t stand a chance, either – it can remove the 40 most common ones in just 45 minutes. RZ1066B ULTIMA S-LINE 10KG, £680, HOTPOINT 5 LAUNDRY GEEK Meet the washing machine equivalent of the school nerd. Preload it with detergent and softener for up to 20 washes, and it knows how much to use each time. And how long to wash the load for. And when’s the cheapest time to do it. Buy the matching tumble dryer and it’ll suggest the best drying cycle too. FSCR 12441 SUPREME CARE 12KG, £899, WHIRLPOOL