Machine that can wash colours with whites
WASHING white and coloured clothes together has always been risky, but households can now clean two separate loads simultaneously.
A double washing machine goes on sale in the UK this week, but peace of mind is not cheap with LG’s TwinWash carrying a £2,400 price tag.
Its main drum can wash a 12kg load – higher than the 9kg capacity of most other machines – while a drawer takes a mini-load of 1.5kg. Both drums can be started separately and run different cycles, which means silk underwear can be washed at the same time as towels or whites.
Aside from the cost, TwinWash’s main drawback is that it is taller than standard appliances which fit under worktops. LG senior product specialist David Palmer said: ‘TwinWash was introduced in Korea, America and other countries since they don’t put washing machines in the kitchen like we do. So appliances in those places don’t need to fit under a worktop.
‘The thinking behind it in those countries is why would you put dirty washing in a clean environment where you would prepare food?
‘That is increasingly the case in the UK, which is why now is the right time to launch here.’ Addressing the cost, he added: ‘Think of it as the RollsRoyce of washing machines. Over time, these features will roll down to more affordable washing machines.’
A survey of 2,000 adults commissioned by Ariel last year found 95 items of clothing are ruined over the average adult lifetime by washing whites with coloured items or having the machine on a setting which was too hot.