This “Mega-Capacity” Washing Machine and Dryer Alleviated My Laundry Dread

I know I am not alone in feeling like I am in a losing battle with laundry. As a family of four with two full-time working parents and two young school-age kids, the laundry baskets in our house are always full of dirty socks and school uniforms, play clothes, work clothes, workout clothes, bath towels, kitchen towels, and last week’s bed sheets. Now that we’re getting into warmer weather, we can add swimsuits and soccer uniforms to that list, too!

While I’d love to make all that laundry go away with a swish and a flick, I know we’ll have to do the laundry eventually, lest we run out of clothes (and yes, that has happened before). I recently had a couple of weeks to test-run LG’s newest top-load washer and electric dryer, and it has been the only bright spot in an otherwise thankless chore. Bonus: There is no greater motivation for doing laundry than feeling like you have a big, shiny new toy to play with! 

After a dozen loads of laundry, I’ve been impressed with LG’s top-loading washer and dryer set for a few important reasons. If you’re shopping for a new washer and dryer, and you have kids, this may be the perfect washer and dryer for you. 

Here’s my review.

Let’s start with what I look for in a washer and dryer.

• They have to clean clothes well. Like, really well. This seems obvious, but in the decades I’ve been doing laundry, there really is a difference between machines that kinda, sorta clean clothes well, and those that really do a standup job. (And yes, detergent type plays a role here, but that’s only one part of it.) If I’ve properly pre-treated where necessary and I’m using well-reviewed detergent, I expect clothes to come out fresh-smelling and stain-free. (For reference, I do laundry with Seventh Generation’s Power + Liquid Laundry Detergent.)
• They have to be gentle on clothes: You can clean anything well if you aggressively agitate it, but I want our family’s clothes to get clean and come out looking pretty much how they went in. I don’t want my kids’ cotton clothes to be unnecessarily stretched and pulled in the wash. I also have delicate wool and silk items, and my husband has nice dress shirts that need to be washed, so we need a machine that can deliver on many different cleaning needs.
• They have to be big enough to handle bedding and large loads: Middle-of-the-night accidents, sick days, sleepovers, friends and family visiting. Without even trying, I can suddenly have a mountain of sheets, mattress covers, blankets, and pillows to wash. I want a machine that can take a good chunk of that at one time, and bonus if it has a special bedding wash cycle. And as for large loads in general, I tend to do laundry once a week at most, so I need to clean it all in as few loads as possible.
• They have to be high-efficiency and Energy Star-certified. I want to be a responsible steward of resources, so both of these are essential certifications.
• They must have an excellent warranty and be top rated on Consumer Reports. I want to know that others have looked extensively at these machines and deemed them excellent, but in the event that something does go wrong, I have a warranty to rely on!

• Name: 5.5 cu.ft. Mega Capacity Smart wi-fi Enabled Top Load Washer with TurboWash3D™ Technology and Allergiene™ Cycle
• Model: WT7900HWA
• Wash type: Impeller (no central agitator)
• Current price: $899
  

• Name: 7.3 cu. ft. Ultra Large Capacity Smart wi-fi Enabled Rear Control Electric Dryer with TurboSteam™
• Model: DLEX7900WE
• Current price: $899

Over the two weeks I tested these machines, I did a dozen loads of laundry and tried out as many of the built-in cycles and special features as I could. I washed a lot of clothes, but also sheets, blankets, pillows, bath towels, cloth napkins, and kitchen towels. The items were a mix of cotton and synthetic fabric. Most of the loads were full loads (drum at capacity) but a few were medium loads (drum at half capacity). I used Seventh Generation’s Power + Liquid Laundry Detergent for all regular loads, with some additional stain treatment with Puracy stain remover on dirt, grease, and blood stains. 

I don’t want to buy the lede, so let’s get right to it: I am really impressed with LG’s top-loading washing machine. It looks great, cleans great, and its huge capacity is a major win for any family. It checks off every item on my must-have list above, including a 10-year warranty on the motor, Energy Star certification, and top marks from Consumer Reports. 

My impression of top-loading washing machines prior to this was that they were outdated, and that front-loading machines are more efficient and clean better. Maybe that was true at one time, but in recent years top-loading washing machine manufacturers like LG have pioneered new technology that have earned their machines solid scores on reliability, performance, and energy efficiency. 

Here are a few of the standout features on LG’s model WT7900HWA washing machine.

• The TurboWash3D™ technology: Yep, that phrase is patented, and for good reason. The TurboWash setting gives an 8-pound load of laundry a “powerful yet gentle clean” in just 29 minutes. I used it on a few loads and they all came out exceptionally clean. What I noticed most about this setting is that it provides more oomph and swish of the water and the drum to really get clothes moving and dirt loosened and washed away.
• The Water Plus and Deep Fill features: Sometimes I want to let certain items soak or just make sure there’s a lot of water to really swish and surround the clothes. It’s easy enough to do this at the beginning of a cycle by pushing this button.
• The glass lid! Unlike many top-loading washers which have a solid metal lid, LG’s top-loading washer has a glass lid so you can easily see inside while the machine is running. As someone who likes to see my clothes cleaning in action, I appreciate this feature a lot so I can see in real time how much water is in the drum, how soapy things are looking, how much movement the clothes are getting, etc.
• The numerous special cycles, especially the Allergiene Wash cycle: I have asthma, we live in an old house in an urban environment, and we have a cat, so there is plenty of dust, dander, pollen, and other pollutants to deal with. LG’s washing machine is certified asthma and allergy-friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The Allergiene cycle uses steam to remove 95% of dust, pet dander, and other allergens from bedding and clothing, which can really help reduce symptoms. If you have someone in your family with asthma or chronic allergies, this is a wonderful perk!
• The large, 5.5-cubic-foot “mega capacity” drum: It’s big and deep and can fit a huge pile of laundry. I genuinely think I’ve halved the number of loads I need to do. Plus, that huge size is great for larger items like comforters and pillows. The accompanying 7.3-cubic-foot electric dryer is the same. So much space. It’s fabulous.
• It’s WiFi-enabled, so you can control cycles from your phone: In truth, I did not test this feature out myself, but it’s a pretty cool feature if you want to control your washer and dryer from your phone. You can do things like tell the dryer to select a compatible drying cycle for the washing load!

And let’s not forget about LG’s model DLEX7900WE electric dryer. Here are a few things I really loved about this dryer.

• The dual-opening door: The dryer door (also glass, so you can see inside!) opens not only from the side, but also from the top. I open it from the top when I’m transferring wet clothes from the washer to the dryer, and then from the side when I’m unloading the dryer later. It is so convenient to have those two options!
• The Sensor Dry setting: I appreciate a smart machine that can detect how wet the clothes are and adjust time and temperature as needed.
• The TurboSteam setting: I only had a chance to test this once, on a wrinkly cotton duvet cover, but I can’t wait to put it to more use. This setting pumps steam into the dryer to refresh and unwrinkle fabric. It wasn’t like I’d ironed the duvet cover, but it was noticeably less rumpled!

Honestly, there’s really very little I didn’t love about these two machines. There was only one drawback: Because of the “mega capacity” of the washing machine drum, I can’t reach the bottom of it standing in bare feet. 

I’m 5’4” and I have to strain like crazy to reach the very bottom of the drum when I’m pulling clothes out, and even then I usually can’t reach a sock or two. I now keep a small step stool in front of the washing machine so that I can reach the bottom. If you’re 5’4” or shorter, you will need to do the same! 

This post originally appeared on Cubby. See it here: This “Mega-Capacity” Washing Machine and Dryer Took Away My Laundry Dread