The 7 Quickest Washing Machines

Missing socks. How is that you put two in and only one ever comes out?! Some swear that socks that go missing from your washing machine turn into Tupperware lids. Which, of course, makes perfect sense.

But once we have made peace with the fact that socks will indeed go missing, the question is: Which machine is going to help us get more Tupperware lids the fastest?

We left that question hanging, looked at some of the top brands and then took them for a spin to find out which are the quickest washing machines:

Servis HydroDrive – This machine claims to do a cycle in just 12 minutes. What makes it so fast? It has two jet-nozzles, as opposed to one. Its maximum load is 7.7 lbs or 3.4 kg (approximately the amount of washing four people create in one day) but at full capacity, the cycle takes much longer, clocking in at just under two hours.

Beko WMB91442L – This machine does an impressive 19.8 lbs (9 kg) in just 39 minutes. For smaller loads of about 4.4 lbs (2 kg), it completes its cycle in just 14 minutes.

Electrolux3 cu. ft. – This model offers a quick cycle in 15 minutes. It is water efficient, yet still pushes out squeaky clean clothes. And its normal cycle is a reasonable 40 minutes.

Panasonic NA-140VZ4 – Panasonic uses innovative technology to improve the effectiveness of the spin with a ‘Sazanami’ drum. It has a skin that is made up of smooth, raised diamond shapes. These create more agitation than your standard machine, which increases the efficiency of the spin. This allows for a clean 15-minute quick wash. But at a considerably full load of 22 lbs (10 kg), this time increases to almost two hours.

Miele WMR 560 WPS – At the maximum load of 19.8 lbs (9 kg) on an average wash, the cycle takes about two and a half hours. However, the machine offers an Express 20 which, you guessed it, takes 20 minutes to complete.
Samsung 9110 Series – Samsung uses SuperSpeed technology to give you a faster wash cycle without sacrificing quality. It has a decent capacity of 12 lbs (6 kg) and promises to wash a full load in 30 minutes.

Kenmore Elite 41072 – A Sear’s in-house brand, it has a large 5.2 cu. ft drum. It can put 8 lbs (4 kg) through the wringer in 38 minutes using its specialised Accela-Wash.

But does a faster cycle mean cleaner clothes? Not necessarily. These fast cycles often come with some very pertinent fine print: The cycle cannot be used on a full load and the clothes (in most cases) can only be lightly soiled. Not keeping these caveats in mind may mean you end up airing your dirty laundry.

There are also other pressing matters you may want to take into consideration when deciding if faster is indeed better. Although some may argue that when compared to speed, size doesn’t matter, you may want to consider what size load the machine can take. How energy efficient is the machine? Does it use a lot of water and what effect does that have on the clothing? What is the average temperature it washes at and does that really influence the efficacy of the machine?

In closing, a washing machine can be a considerable expense, so doing your research before buying one should iron out any questions you may have. But always be sure to buy from a reputable company; you don’t want to buy a sub-standard machine and get taken to the cleaners.