WHAT SIZE OF WASHING MACHINE or WASHER - DRYER TO BUY?

WHAT IS KG in WASHING MACHINE?

When buying a washing machine - once you have decided whether you want a top load or a front load - first things we have to decide is what size of washing machine we require. Frankly - unless you are an expert - it is so confusing to decide regarding this. When I bought a washing machine 10 years ago - I just went by what the salesman in the store said and bought one. It may have been too big or too small - who can tell.

WATCH INSTEAD OF READ?

This video is part 2 of the series of buying a washing machine. Part one covered - how to decide between a top load and front load washing machine - I’ve linked to it in the description

Irrespective of whether you decide a top load or front load - there are a few things that determine what size of washing machine you will need:

1. How often are you using the washing machine?

2. How many people are there in your family?

In general - if you are washing let’s say once a week or twice a week - you may want to buy a washing machine bigger than the recommended size below. If you wash more often, let’s say daily or once in two days, you may want to buy the recommended size or slightly smaller.

Going to point 2 - how to decide what is the right size for your family? General rule of thumb is as follows:

1. For a small family - one to three people - you can go for a 5 or 6 kg washing machine - that can hold 25-30 tshirts approximately. If you are washing bulky items - here is the general rule of thumb. I know a lot of people fill it more than this (including me in the top load) but it results in less than perfect cleaning.

2. For a medium family - 3 to 5 people - you can go for a 7 or 8kg washing machine - that can hold approximately 35-40 tshirts. Again you see the guideline for bulky items on the screen.

3. For a large family - 5+ people - you can go for a 9+ kg washing machine - that can hold approximately 45-50 tshirts. Again you see the guideline for bulky items on the screen.

Remember - as the size increases, so does the energy & water consumption as well as the price of the washing machine. So keep that in mind when you decide the size of your washing machine.

WASHING MACHINE CAPACITY	IDEAL FOR FAMILY OF	GENERAL GUIDE FOR CAPACITY	GENERAL GUIDE FOR BULKY ITEMS
5 kg (Small)	1-2	25 t-shirts equivalent	~4 single bedsheets, 4 pillow covers or 2 double bedsheets, 4 pillow covers
6 kg (Small)	2-3	30 t-shirts equivalent	~4 single bedsheets, 4 pillow covers or 2 double bedsheets, 4 pillow covers
7 kg (Medium)	3-4	35 t-shirts equivalent	~6 single bedsheets, 6 pillow covers or 3 double bedsheets, 6 pillow covers
8 kg (Medium)	3-5	40 t-shirts equivalent	~6 single bedsheets, 6 pillow covers or 3 double bedsheets, 6 pillow covers
9 kg (Large)	5+	45 t-shirts equivalent	~8 single bedsheets, 8 pillow covers or 4 double bedsheets, 8 pillow covers
10kg (Large)	5+	50 t-shirts equivalent	~8 single bedsheets, 8 pillow covers or 4 double bedsheets, 8 pillow covers

Now if you are considering buying a washer with dryer - a dryer in general requires a larger drum to make sure that clothes have enough room to breathe during the drying cycle. So for that reason - you may need to use these size recommendations to determine the size of the dryer and thereby the washer. For example - normal washer dryers come in the combination of 7kg wash - 5kg dry or 8kg wash - 6kg dry or 9kg wash - 7kg dry. Use the above size recommendation to determine the dry size. For example - for a small family - you may want to select 7kg wash - 5kg dry and for a large family you may want to select 9kg wash - 7kg dry. Again here - as the size increases, the price of the washer-dryer will go up as well, as well as the power consumption.