The Labyrinth of Limescale

Understanding, Locating, and Conquering the Calcified Culprit

Scale, it's a word that carries an air of mystery and intrigue, a term that defines simplicity and demands a closer look. While it might seem like a dry term, the realm of scale is a multifaceted puzzle, filled with mineral deposits, intricate chemistry, and solutions waiting to be discovered. In this article, we’ll begin to explore the enigmatic world of scale, unravel its mysteries, understand its origins, and uncover the methods to combat it.

Unraveling the Enigma of Scale

The term "scale," according to Dictionary.com, is described as "a coating or incrustation, as on the inside of a boiler, formed by the precipitation of salts from the water." It's not the most straightforward definition, is it? However, Wikipedia offers a more tangible explanation: "Limescale is a hard, chalky deposit, consisting mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It often accumulates inside kettles, boilers, and pipework, especially in areas with hot water. You can also find it as a similar deposit on the inner surfaces of old pipes and other places where hard water has flowed."

Courtesy of MSDinc

It doesn’t sound that scary does it? But if you’ve dealt with it in your home you know that it’s a pain in the neck to try and combat. So, what does all of this mean? When rainwater goes into the ground, it dissolves minerals in the rock and carries them into your home's piping. In essence, scale is a stubborn buildup of minerals, primarily calcium carbonate, that tends to show up in various nooks and crannies of our daily lives, particularly in water-related installations.

Where Does This Mysterious Culprit Emerge?

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Having delved into the nature of scale, let's explore where this frustrating substance tends to make its presence known. Brace yourself; scale can appear almost anywhere where water gathers. We're talking about pipes, showerheads, faucets, fixtures, the bottom of your water heater, the bathtub, the toilet, sinks, and even tiles in wet areas. It doesn't stop there; it can also find its way into small appliances like coffee makers and kettles, and even humidifiers. In short, scale has a knack for infiltrating and establishing its presence wherever moisture is abundant. If your home has hard water, such as if you’re living off a well, or at a country house, you’re in even more trouble as scale will show up in your dishwasher, your refrigerator, your steam oven, and your ice maker.

The Quest to Descale: An Odyssey of Solutions

Faced with this challenging issue, the question naturally arises – how can one rid their living spaces of this unwelcome guest? Vinegar and citric acid often serve as the first-line, natural solutions, calling back to simpler times when household remedies reigned supreme. Yet, the stubbornness of scale has given rise to an entire industry, offering a plethora of products and methods for descaling.

A simple online search for descaling products can bury you with in a mountain of choices. You'll find hardware stores offering innovative DIY installations and retail giants like Walmart providing pre-packaged solutions. Don't forget the trusty old CLR Rust Remover, a tried-and-true choice found on the shelves of Lowe's. There are dozens of options, and all of them have people who swear by them.

Two of our favorite techniques for descaling are vinegar or ice & salt.

Vinegar is a technique that takes a bit of time to see it work, but it’s effective. For your dishwasher, your washer or your coffee maker, you’ll want to run varying amounts through at least once, before rinsing them with an empty run of just water.

Dishwasher - Take a dishwasher-safe container and fill it with white vinegar. Set that on the top rack of your empty dishwasher and run a regular cycle to disperse the vinegar throughout, making sure that you don’t add any detergent to the machine.

Washer - Add 1 cup of white vinegar to an empty washing machine and run it as normal.

Courtesy of Wikimedia commons

Coffee Maker - For a 12 cup pot - Pour in 4 cups of undiluted vinegar and 6 cups of water to an empty reservoir. Let that sit for 30 minutes and then run a full brewing cycle. Dump the pot, and run the 2-3 more brewing cycles of just water until the smell of the vinegar is gone.

What if you need a cup of tea right now though? Or you need to boil water right now and your kettle is the fastest method? In that case, you can dump a large cup of ice into your kettle, pour ⅓ c of water and ¼ c of salt into the kettle. Swirl the kettle around vigorously until your ice is melted, and pour it out. If you regularly descale your kettle, this should do the trick. If not, you might need to repeat the process another time or two.

The Diverse Descale Demands

It's essential to remember that not all scales are created equal, and the methods to combat them should be equally diverse. Items that can be submerged, like dishes, glasses, showerheads, and removable faucet parts, can be soaked in vinegar or cleaning chemicals overnight and then cleaned to remove the scale. An effective trick is to run vinegar through your dishwasher on an empty one-hour cycle, a solution that has proven itself through personal experience.

Additionally, there's a thriving market for spray-on descalers, catering to those searching for quick, hassle-free solutions. The array of choices in this category can leave anyone feeling somewhat bewildered.

Conquering the Scale Beast: A Whole-House Approach

While we've explored individual solutions and targeted remedies, there's a compelling case to be made for a comprehensive approach to scale eradication. The idea of descaling your entire household's plumbing might sound like a formidable task, but it promises long-term freedom from scale's tyranny. A comprehensive guide from Landmark Home Warranty suggests such a technique, offering a detailed blueprint to tackle the scale epidemic at its roots. We can’t say whether it works or not, having not tried it ourselves, but if anyone out there has, we’d love to hear!

But what about the major appliances in your home? Your dishwasher, your water heater, and your washing machine are all at risk of falling prey to the scale. These appliances are not only essential but often expensive to replace. When scale infiltrates their systems, it can lead to decreased efficiency, increased energy consumption, and even costly breakdowns.

If you're facing issues with your major appliances due to scale buildup or any other problems, Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. Our team of experts specializes in appliance repair and maintenance, ensuring that your appliances run efficiently and smoothly. Don't let scale disrupt your daily life. Reach out to us at our website or give us a call at((214) 599-0055), and we'll take care of your appliance concerns. With our help, you can keep your appliances running like new and enjoy peace of mind in your home.

Additional Reading

Why Aren’t My Dishes Getting Dry?

Dishwasher Tips: Help Your Dishwasher Clean Better – Just in Time for the Holidays!

Icemaker Not Making Ice? This Could be Why

Bugs of Summer: Fleas, Lice, Ticks and Bed Bugs

Can Your Washer & Dryer Get Rid of These Pests? 

One of the things we always love about summer is going out and exploring. New experiences, new cities, new friends and new foods! We even love bringing back souvenirs. What we don’t like to bring back are tiny bitey things that nest in our clothes, our bed or our hair. Fleas, lice, ticks and bed bugs are some of the worst travel companions you can pick up in the summer. While most of us take precautions, sometimes those precautions fail, and you wind up having to get rid of one or many of the little bugs. 

For many of us the first answer is to toss everything into hot water in the washer and then run it through the dryer. But is that always the best answer? Let’s take a look together. 

Courtesy of  Egor Kamelev

Can Your Washer or Dryer Kill Fleas?

Fleas are six-legged wingless creatures that will go after your pets if given half a chance. They love to live in warm, humid areas that are mostly undisturbed. So your pet and their bedding is ideal! An adult female can lay as many as 50 eggs in a single day, and live up to 100 days when left alone. While they won’t live on humans, they can jump up to 13 inches, which means they can easily transfer to you and start to bite on you as well as your pet. 

What are you to do then? Will showering yourself and your pet then throwing all of your soft goods into the washer and dryer solve the problem? No, but it is a good place to start. The hot water in your washer will clean the bugs and any eggs out of your clothes, bedding and all the rest. If you’ve just gotten home from travelling and noticed the problem, go ahead and wash everything you took with you on your trip, and give your pet a good combing and treatment with a flea dip.  If you’re lucky, you’ve caught the problem in time and don’t have anything else to worry about. 

If that doesn’t solve the problem, or if it’s been a few days and you’re just noticing the issue, plus “flea dirt” around the house, you’ll need to kick things up. Start with the same steps as before, wash everything, and especially your pet. Now start on a deep clean. Take your pets outside  and  move all of your furniture around. This gets rid of any hidden areas and exposes them to light and the vacuum you’re going to be grabbing. Now vacuum down everything. If you can’t wash it, vacuum it. When you’re done, either throw away the bag or thoroughly clean the container. Vacuuming is more than just cleaning in this case, you’re also attacking any larvae that are in their coocoons. The  cocoons are resistant to insecticides, so now you can go back through your home and spray things down with the appropriate pet and human safe chemicals, knowing that you’ve gotten rid of them. 

You will need to repeat these steps every other day, for at least 10 days, possibly up to a month, in order to get rid of the infestation, depending on the severity. Make sure to wash your pet’s bedding every week as well. 

Short answer: No, your washer and dryer alone won’t kill all of your fleas, but it will cut out a large portion of the problem. 

Can Lice Be Killed By Your Washer or Dryer? 

Lice - Courtesy of Egor Kamelev 

Lice are another six-legged menace. Lice, unlike fleas, don’t jump. You don’t have to worry about them leaping from person to person, but you do need to worry about them crawling. It’s why lice can go through an elementary school or daycare like wildfire. Fortunately, the CDC has said that head lice don’t survive for long off the human head. 

So, if you had one of the children in your life accidentally bring lice into your home, are you to get rid of it? In this case? Yes, your washer and dryer can kill almost everything.

If the issue is restricted to the bed, this will be the easiest scenario. Start by stripping the bed, down to the bare mattress. Toss everything that can be washed directly into the washer and run it on hot water and then high heat for at least 45 minutes. If it’s something delicate, like that embroidered case from your great-grandmother? It’s ok, just toss it into the dryer and run it for 45 minutes. The heat is what is going to kill the louse and the nits. Everything that can go through one of these two steps can be used immediately afterward. 

Anything that cannot be washed or dried on high heat, stuff it into a garbage bag. These are going to sit for 10 days.  

This is, unfortunately, going also to include your mattress, but you’ll need to do one more step before that. Take your vacuum and go carefully over every inch of it. Any creases, folds or other places that a louse can hide or burrow need to be gone over before you put it into the bag.

After 10 days, you can vacuum everything again and hopefully have gotten rid of your very unwelcome guests. If not, repeat the process as needed, and inspect other soft surfaces around your home as the potential cause of the re-infestation. 

Short Answer: Yes! Your washer and dryer can kill lice, although it shouldn’t be the only step you take in getting rid of them. 

Will Your Washer or Dryer Kill Ticks? 

Ticks Courtesy of Erik Karits

For those of you who regularly venture outdoors, we hear you. We know ticks are *technically* around all year. However, they do tend to be the *most* active between April and September. While these 8 legged beasties can carry some dangerous diseases, you don’t have to confine yourself inside during the warmer months, even in Texas. You can protect yourself, your pets and your home rather easily. Fortunately, most of them cannot survive and reproduce indoors, according to experts.  So your goal is how to get rid fo them if you have you have brought one or more in with you. 

To start with, check yourself and your pets as soon as you get home. Look under arms and legs, behind ears (or inside them for your fuzzy friends), inside your belly button, between your legs and in your hair.  After that, hit the showers. If you’ve been to an area that you know is likely to have ticks, but they didn’t latch on, a shower is a great way to get rid of them. 

What about your clothes, though? For that, toss them in the dryer first on a high heat setting for at least 10 minutes. The high heat not only kills the ticks, it also kills off any young. Since ticks prefer areas with high humidity, not only will they not like the inside of your home, they really won’t like your dryer. If you went camping, you should be able to check the labels and do the same to your backpacks and gear as well.  From here you can wash your clothing as normal and pack away your outdoor gear like you usually would.  

Short Answer: Yes! Your dryer can kill any ticks in your clothing or camping gear, although it should still be paired with prep-work before you go out and careful checks once you come home.  

Are Bed Bugs Killed In Your Washer or Dryer? 

Bed Bugs  Courtesy of  Pixabay

Our final pest is bed bugs. Just thinking about staying in a hotel with them is enough to make you shiver. And don’t think that just because you prefer the nicest hotels means you’re safe. It’s not agree that very few cases of outbreaks are coming from hotels, the vintage ottoman you just picked up, might be a different matter.  Many items like clothing, boxes and secondhand furniture can be a source of bed bug infestations, as they enjoy hiding anywhere people are.  

That’s why it’s not how clean your house is that is going to protect you, it’s being careful about treating things that come into your home. 

If you or someone in your home is waking up with bitchy red bites, especially under their clothes, it could be bed bugs. 

Your first step is going to be to call professionals. Not only do you need to confirm that it’s bed bugs, but you also need to squash the problem as quickly as possible. The longer you wait, the more the bugs can spread within your home, and if you wait too long, outside of it. 

Make sure to get written estimates from anyone you’re considering. They should be licensed experts, able to offer you a written plan of what pesticides they intend to use, what traps or heat treatments and how they’ll use it. While you can purchase over the counter pesticides, they are dangerous to use without proper guidance and it’s unlikely that you’ll be successful on your own. 

When talking to a company, ask all of the questions. A good company will answer them, and a company that won’t answer or tries to pressure you into setting an appointment, is a company you can weed out.  Always ask them about their success rater and if their treatment comes with a guarantee. If it doesn’t, or if they say you don’t need one, that’s another company weeded out of consideration. 

While you’re waiting on the professionals, there’s still plenty you can do, unless you want to burn everything and start from scratch as one of our team suggested. 

Start by sorting anything that’s infested, bedding or clothing, into clean plastic bags. Sort them based on how they need to be washed, and also include a dry-clean only pile.  Then wash and dry everything at the hottest temperature the material can handle. 

While some bugs will die thanks to a dip in your washer, it’s going to be the dryer that kills them. You’ll need at least 60 minutes in the dryer to get rid of them when it comes to the items that you can wash. 

After they’re dried, put everything into fresh clean bags, and do not remove them until the infestation is successfully eliminated.

Thoroughly vacuum everything. Rugs, floors, furniture, beds, any and all cracks and crevices. By cutting down on your existing population, you’re cutting down on the number that can bite you or repopulate. After you’re done vacuuming, put all of the bags or debris into a tightly sealed bag and put it into an outside garbage bin. 

Now it’s time to search all of your furniture. Again, you’re looking for cracks, crevasses, or places that don’t otherwise see much light, like the sides of your mattress or behind the headboard. Don’t forget about inside the beds as well. Look for black stains, blood and fecal matter from the 8 legged biters, discarded skins and the bugs themselves. 

When the professionals have come and done their thing, follow any and all directions that they have, and enjoy having your home free of pests again. 

Short Answer: Nope. Washing alone will not get rid of a bed bug infestation. However it is a very important step in the process. 

Have you encountered any of these summer bugs? How did you handle getting rid of them? Did we miss a step? Let us know over on our Facebook Page. 

Three out of four of our summer bugs can be killed in the washer and dryer, but what if your washer or dryer aren’t functioning properly? That is where we come in. While we can’t protect you from fleas, ticks, bed bugs or lice, Appliance Rescue Service can ensure that your washer and dryer are working properly. You can call us ((214) 599-0055) or go to our contact page to set up an appointment that works with your schedule. We’ll work with you to find the best time to send one of our experts to diagnose and solve the issue. At Appliance Rescue Service, getting your home running smoothly is our priority. 

6 New Appliances To Consider In 2023

Sometimes you need to go shopping for new appliances. Sometimes you just want to know who has the shiny new things that are going to make your life easier. And that is what this article is. We're looking at six of the best and brightest appliances that are on the market that look to make your life easier. Will show you not only what they can offer your home, but who we think would be best suited to these appliances.

Miele’s Built-in Coffee System

Millie has come up with a beautiful built-in coffee machine that we absolutely are mooning over. The top of the line model comes with built-in water line, an auto descale, and a cup sensor. More importantly though is what it can do for your coffee. Starting with the grinder, the coffee system has the ability to do three different coffee varieties. And can even make two coffees at once. Think of how much coffee you could make for yourself and others!

Price: $ 6,499.00

The obvious answer as to “who is this for” would be the coffee lover. However, the less obvious answer, and the more important one, is the host or hostess. The person who loves to gather friends over for dinner the night before and have everyone stay over. Then enjoying breakfast and coffee together before heading home. 

Beko Refrigeration

We went to start with, we review a lot of refrigerators on this block. Our technicians repair even more. But the Beko 36 in four-door French refrigerator? That's just beautiful. What matters though is not how beautiful it is, it's not the brushed steel finish. It's not the energy star stamp of how much energy it does not use. It's not even the fact that it is top of the line when it comes being both a freezer and a refrigerator with the shift of a button. Beco has created what they call active fresh blue light technology. Which extends the life of fruits and vegetables up to 30 days. Not only does it promote your fruits and vegetables to continue photosynthesizing inside of your refrigerator, it maintains the vitamins within them.

Price:  ‎$3,499.00

If you’re a gardener, this is the refrigerator for you. Think about the crush and bustle of harvest time in late summer and through fall. Think about the frantic push to eat all of the fruits of your labor, to preserve them or to give them away before they rot. Now, think about being able to take just a little bit more time with that. Being able to stretch out how long the bounty of your hard work is able to feed you and yours. 

Beko’s Compact, Recycled Washer 

Becco is bringing their highly applauded compact machines to the US. They have all sorts of features like reducing the number of creases in your clothing, quick washes, and an anti allergy program. What has us most interested though is how their washing machine tub is made of recycled plastic bottles. While it is currently only 10% of the tub, Beko has promised that they will continue increasing that number and working to reduce the carbon footprint of their products.

Price: $494.00

This washer is for the person who wants to reduce their carbon footprint in every way possible. If you’re looking to cut back on every level, what better way to consider it than a compact washer made from recycled materials? Not only does it reduce the electricity used, but it also is made from plastic bottles taken from the ocean. 

Sharp’s Built-in Steam Oven 

Sharp has developed a three-in-one combination steam and convection built-in oven. They claim that their 24-in oven can be installed in a wall under the counter or a kitchen island. It can both steam bake and cook via water bath which has us very curious for making cheesecakes. It also comes standard with superheated steam, gentle and regular steam, and both radiant heat and convection settings. The most important in that list on our opinion is the superheated steam. The sharp oven is capable of cooking foods to crisp without burning using steam up to 485° f. We believe that all of the different options at this oven offers is going to be the way the market turns in the coming years.

Price: $2,499.99

The fitness guru is  the one that would be best served by this oven. When you’re already on the cutting edge of your own physical health, you want to feed that with better food. Learning how to use a steam oven takes time and dedication, but for someone who is determined to care for themselves, that won’t b an issue. 

LG Studio’s New Dishwasher

The LG studio smart dishwasher has both quad wash and true steam. The truesteam technology skips the need for pre-washing or re-washing dishes. It uses a blast of seam at the start of a cycle to dissolve caked on food and is also used during the drying cycle to eliminate water spots.

Price: $1,049.00

LG’s New Dishwasher is great not just for the hostess, but also the college student, wrapped up in their Masters. When you don’t have time to think of anything other than your class load, how do you have time to do dishes? Easy, with this you don’t have to. 

Traeger’s Pellet Smoker with Induction Burners 

Imagine having the versatility of your entire kitchen right next to your pellet grill. That is what traeger is bringing with this smoker. You can make everything from fish to vegetables to delicious smoked meats in the smoker and at the same time make a delicate sauce or a rich pasta using the induction burner at the side.

Price: $3,499.99

We hate having to go with the expected, but for a pellet smoker, it’s going to be a grillmaster that’s going to love this smoker. It’s a very specific type of person though, that we’re thinking of. Someone who enjoys experimenting with food, of seeing how different flavors of pellets and will infused meat and vegetables, fruit and fish. To experiment and see how those then pair with different sauces and serving up strange and wonderful combinations. That’s the type of person this grill would be perfect for. 

If you had to pick one of these appliances to bring into your home, which one would it be? Let us know on our Facebook page or in the comments down below.

If you're still just daydreaming about new appliances and you'd rather fix the ones that you do have that's where our technicians come in. And Appliance Rescue Service, we want to work with you to get your home running smoothly again. We know how frustrating and upsetting it is when your routine is broken because your oven has stopped working or your washer is leaking. Wherever you live in the DFW area, Appliance Rescue Service is here for you. You can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055l, and we will work with you to find a time and date that fits your schedule.

Appliance Deep Dive Round Up

Putting It All Together To See What Makes Appliances Tick

Appliances might not be the most interesting topic in the world, but they are a basic part of the American home. They make our lives easier, most of the time. According to Merriam-Webster, “ an appliance is a device or piece of equipment designed to perform a specific task, typically a domestic one.”  Over the last year we’ve broken down every major appliance in the home, to go deep into what makes the different appliances work and what matters. 

Each of the posts covers the important parts of their appliances. How do the appliances work? What sort of variations are there? What are the differences that are important to know if you’re looking to purchase? What features would you expect to find? So that’s the way each one works. We want to highlight the different posts, make them easier to find, and most importantly, show off something from each of them that might be of interest. 

All About the Refrigerator 

Let’s start off looking at the 5 major styles of refrigerators. When it comes to refrigerators you’ve got freezerless refrigerators, top freezers, bottom freezers, side by sides, and french doors.  Even though the first three are listed by the location or lack of a freezer, they are still refrigerators. Why are they listed by the freezer then? Probably because they’re still refrigerators without much of a change. Even the Side by Sides and the French Door refrigerators are most defined by how they’re set up rather than any change in what they do. While that might seem odd, it’s because refrigerators don’t grow by leaps and bounds in terms of food storage. They grow by tiny moments, small improvements to how long food stays good. So the biggest factor for you as a home owner, is how you want them to look. 

All About the Freezer

The freezer is both very similar and yet very different from the refrigerator. It doesn’t change much from one year to another, but instead, it slowly improves how long food can be kept. Changes to a lack of frostbite or lack of ice building up, they’re great! But overall, the freezer doesn’t change much in terms of its function. Instead, how the freezer is set up is what changes. For the freezer, your types are the portable freezer, a chest freezer,  an upright freezer, and drawer freezers. 

All About the Oven

Ovens are fantastic and have been for quite some time. The earliest ovens have been found in 29,000 BC. The varieties we have now are many, and the features are even more plentiful. We have gas and electric ovens, we have convection ovens, and steam ovens as well.  Our favorite feature though is a toss up between the warming drawer and the steam clean function. No matter how many times we fix ovens that have that feature we have to be grateful for it. 

All About the Stove 

  When it comes to the stove, everyone knows about gas stoves and electric stoves. The fights between the chefs will continue for ages yet, but for us, we love the induction stove. The fact that it’s nigh on impossible to be burned by the stove now is a fantastic thing. We also love that many stoves also offer continuous grates, which is wonderful for making breakfast foods of all sorts. After all, who doesn’t love breakfast? 

All About the Dishwasher

For dishwashers the types you might have include built-in, drawer, portable, countertop and integrated. Dishwashers are constantly changing though and offering new tools and techniques to make them better. When researching this we found that our favorite feature was the sensor wash.  This one feature makes it much easier to manage your water bill, and only uses the amount that’s needed to clean the dishes. 

All About the Washer

We’re tempted to say that the best part of the article is adding ‘laundry’ to the list of things that are consistent in life, but that would be a rather morose thought. Instead, for us it was learning about the existence of washer-dryer combinations. It’s not an efficient machine. It’s not an easy to use machine. The fact that it exists though, is where any appliance starts, as it can’t get better if it doesn’t exist yet. 

All About the Dryer 

And finally we have dryers. There are so many different types of dyers. They can all be said to do the same thing, but how they go about it? That’s wildly different. You’ve got gas dryers and electric dryers, but that’s just the power source. More important are the heat pump condenser dryers which use a technique similar to a refrigerator to make a dryer work many times more efficiently than the dryers any of us grew up with. 

And that’s that! If you’re looking to find out more about the options as of right now (2022) these are the posts to check out. Upgrades will come with time and we’ll update the page as well, diving in and letting you know what we’ve found as always. Let us know on Facebook or in the comments below, which article do you find the most useful? 

If instead you’re here because one of your appliances is making the holidays a nightmare, we can help with that! You can reach out to us on our contact page, or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). Even with the holidays, we’ll work with you to find a time that works best for you. At Appliance Rescue Service our goal is to get your home running smoothly again, whether it’s an oven that won’t stay lit, a dishwasher that isn’t draining or a dryer that’s squeaking.

Deep Dive On Washing Machines- Part Two

What Do All Of Those Features Actually DO?

Last week we walked you through the basics of different types of washing machines. This week we're tackling the most common features. What do they mean, what they do, and are they worth it? We'll give you our opinions below, lets get started. 

Table of Contents: 

Compact

Stackable

Portable

Pedestal Storage

Door Window

Adjustable Legs

Cycle Status

Washer/Dryer Set

Delay Start

Pause Button

Adaptive Fill

Steam

WIFi Enabled

Soft Close Lid

High Efficiency

Compact

If after last week you decided that an all-in-one washer dryer combo isn't for you, this washing might be. It's still just as capable as a standard washer, has all the bells and whistles, it's just compact. If you're looking to build a tiny house in your yard or as a getaway cottage, this would be perfect. 

Our opinion: 8/10 - Definitely a good choice if you need space. The only downside is it being smaller than a standard machine. 

Stackable

If you're looking for saving space, this is a feature you definitely want. The machines are built so that they can handle the weight of a dryer stacking on top of them, or stabilized so that they can stand on top of a dryer.   As long as both machines are well seated, you're good to go. 

Our opinion: 7/10 - If you've got a room with a high ceiling, this is for you. You save on the floor space and don't lose out on functionality. Our only concern is the difficulty of making sure they're seated properly. 

Portable

A portable washing machine is small enough that you can use them almost anywhere. Whether you live in a dorm, an apartment without a laundry center, or an RV as you travel, this is an ideal machine. It's a little different from the compact machine because you can use them anywhere, whereas the compact stays where you put it. While it can only handle a few items at a time, it counterbalances that by having a 'dehydration basket' for drying your clothes instead of needing a  separate dryer. 

Our Opinion: 7/10

Pedestal Storage

If on the other hand you have enough space for a full washer and dryer but you need more space for laundry extras, a pedestal storage unit might be for you. You can make up for having a smaller laundry room or closet by storing your detergents and other cleaners under the washer. The only downside that we have is that you need to be slightly taller in order to still easily reach the control panel. 

Our Opinion: 9/10 

Door Window

Just what it says on the tin, your door, either top or front loading, has a window. Although we think it's so you can keep cats and small children mesmerized, engineers say no. They say i'ts so you can keep an eye on your laundry as it runs. 

Our Opinion: 5/10 it's useful, but it's not necessary unless you really need to keep your kids preoccupied. 

Adjustable Legs

We've talked before about how a rocking washing machine can be caused by your floor being uneven. Most of us try to fix it with bits of wood or cardboard. Some fantastic engineer figured out that adjustable legs would be more useful. Now you can easily level your washing machine with this feature. 

Our Opinion: 10/10  We think this one is absolutely needed for anyone, no matter what other features you get. 

Cycle Status

Have you ever checked on your washer, noticed it said it had 30 minutes left, and walked away? Except you come back later, and it says it’s still got another 10 minutes. 

A cycle status instead shows you where in the process your machine is, so you can plan around that. Is it in the rinse cycle or spin? Take that into account, and it's so much less frustrating than a pseudo-timer. 

Our Opinion: 20/10   (Nope, that's not a typo, we just really believe it's needed.) 

Washer/Dryer Set

These are washer and dryer units that are matched aesthetically. If you want a magazine perfect laundry room, this might be what you're looking for. They'll have their own additional features, but the machines will be perfectly matched. 

Delay Start

There's nothing worse than having to weigh staying up late to do laundry vs not having enough water pressure for your morning shower. A washing machine with delay start solves that. You can set your machine to wash before you wake up, toss them into the dryer and have warm, wrinkle free clothes when you're out of the shower! In winter at least, that's perfect.  In summer, well, at least you know you're going to be looking fantastic and wrinkle free. 

Our Opinion:  8/10 Definitely something we want, but it's not something we absolutely have to have. It's close though. 

Pause Button

Picture this, you've sorted your laundry and loaded the machine and you're getting on with something else. You notice you dropped a shirt while carrying the load. It used to be that you would have to wait and do an entirely new load of laundry. With a pause button, you can pause the wash where it is, toss in the shirt and continue with your day. 

Our Opinion:  10/10 Definitely a needed feature. 

Adaptive Fill

Some of us have trouble telling whether a load of laundry is 'small' or 'medium, 'large' vs. 'extra-large.' Adaptive fill was built for people like us. The machine senses how full it is and puts in the amount of water needed. This means you're only using the amount of water you needed, and your water bill will thank you for it. 

Our Opinion:  6/10 It's really useful and definitely fantastic, BUT we won't say this one is a necessity. 

Steam

Have you ever taken your clothes out of the dryer and found they were still wrinkled? It happens because of how the agitator works, throwing clothes against the fins and the side of the machine. Normally, you put it onto a hanger and hang that in your bathroom while you (or one of your family members) take a shower. By the time you're done with your shower, your clothes are perfect. A steam feature gets rid of the need for that. The steam allows the water to soak your laundry more thoroughly, saturating it, rather than risking sections being covered by other clothes. The steam feature can also be used after washing to soften, sterilize or de-wrinkle your clothes. It also means that you're cutting down on ironing. The downside here is that you are using more energy to heat the water, which is going to push up your electric bill. 

Our Opinion: 7/10 While it's more expensive to purchase and run a machine like this, if you need your clothes looking sharp all the time, this is a fantastic feature to keep an eye out for. 

WIFi Enabled

It's not the washing machine of the future, but it's close. Earlier, we talked about delayed starts. This is better. With a wifi-enabled washer you can check on your laundry from anywhere. You can start or stop it, and you can see how much longer it has left. YOu can even see what stage its at in the wash cycle. It can't transfer laundry over to the dryer, but that's only a matter of time. 

Our Opinion: 8/10 We're still sketchy about how manufacturers use and protect your information, but we think it's fantastically useful aside from that.

Soft Close Lid

If you've ever caught your fingers in a washer lid, this feature is for you. Engineers made it so that the lid 'catches' itself in the fall and closes slowly. No more smashed fingers or loud, sudden bangs! 

Our Opinion: 10/10 Smashed fingers are always to be avoided. We think all washers should have these.

High Efficiency

Rounding out our list of features, there's a high-efficiency washing machine.  Much like with Energy Star ratings (see the additional reading below) an HE machine has standards. In order for a manufacturer to be able to apply that term to their washer, the machine has to meet guidelines for detergent, water and energy consumption. They have to use less of all three of those than what a standard machine does, or else they can't make use of the label.  On top of being better for your pocket, an HE machine can handle a larger load and removes more water during the spin cycle, meaning less time in the dryer. All around, we think a high-efficiency machine is dead useful. 

Our Opinion: 9/10 We want to say that everyone should get one of these machines, but we know that's not always possible. If you can get one, though, they definitely have our vote. 

So, what do you think? Which features are your favorites, and which ones can you do without? Let us know in the comments or over on our Facebook page.

 If your washing machine is broken and that's why you're here, we can help. Whether you live in Dallas or McKinney, Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. We want to work with you to keep your home running smoothly. 

You can call us at ((214)-599-0055) or set up an appointment by going to our webpage. 

Additional Reading:

What Does Energy-Efficient Even Mean?

How To Level a Shaking Washing Machine