STACK #203 Sep 2021

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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LOVING YOUR LAUNDRY

Washing machines and tumble dryers don’t just service your laundry these days, they use smart technology to do it.

C ast your mind back to probably got memories of a top loader thrashing around in the laundry like a space shuttle on re-entry. Snagged clothing, uneven washing powder distribution and litres upon litres of unnecessary water usage were the accepted washing machines when you were a kid. You’ve

norm. Technology in the laundry space has come a long way since then. While you can still buy the cheaper top-loader machines (your nan probably still swears by them), the European front loader design has been adopted as a firm favourite in Australia. Offering better energy and water conservation, it will fit most spaces

and is kinder to your clothes. It’s the same with tumble dryers. Risking your clothes in a dryer was once a gamble that you invariably lost. Clothes would be ‘fired’ beyond recognition in a red-hot tumbling kiln, with adult garments shrunk to child-size. Regular shorting out of the power supply, condensation saturated

walls and windows, and a snow flurry of lint around the house were also par for the course. Alternatives like a heat pump dryer not only treat your clothes with respect, but they’re also far cheaper to run. With advancements in tech, like the washing machine, the tumble dryer has become a lot smarter.

The Connected Clean

the program will start. Machines can determine the type of washing that has been loaded and subsequently apply the right amount of water and energy required to complete the cycle. You’ll even get a notification when the job is complete. Another excellent feature is auto- dosing. Instead of guessing how much detergent and softener to apply to a wash, you fill-up the dispensers with liquid direct and the machine will weigh the load to determine how

much is required for each individual wash. It’s good for the pocket and the environment. And any maintenance and troubleshooting can be sent as a push notification directly to a smartphone. Smart Drying Like its washing machine counterpart, the smart tumble dryer connects to the home network and can be operated using an app through a smartphone or tablet. This means you can set the dryer up to do a load of clothes (you must

Smart washing machines connect to your home Wi-Fi network and can thus be controlled via an app through a smart device like a smartphone or tablet. Rushed out of the house and forget to put a load on? No problem – you can now do it remotely. Some machines even support voice control through Alexa and Google Assistant, so all you need to do is call out and

In The Beginning… Urine was an essential additive for the Ancient Romans' wash day – piles of clothing were placed in a big vat, filled with water, wee and some semblance of soap and then trampled before being hung out to dry. In the late 18th century, hand-cranked barrels for cleaning laundry were first introduced, along with the good old torturous washboard. However, one of the first electric-powered washing machines was introduced in 1908. Designed by the Hurley Machine Company of Chicago, the Mighty Thor had a galvanised tub that rotated one way and then the other to avoid tangling the clothes!

56 SEPTEMBER 2021

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