How well does the Haier HW80-B14979S Freestanding Washing Machine clean and spin?
The washing machine gives great results. My washing smells good, it tackles stains well and has a good drum capacity for my family’s needs. I like that cycles are easy to pause and you can open the door if you hear any suspicious clanking from items left in pockets, or you need to chuck something extra into the wash.
With 14 cycles to choose from, the machine can take almost any kind of washing a family is likely to throw at it. The cycles are: Cotton, synthetics, duvet, wool, delicate, outdoor, refresh, babycare, mix, express 15, fast, spin, cotton 20C and eco 40-60.
Not one to over-complicate things, I usually use the default setting: eco 40-60, and it does the job very well. However, in the interests of a thorough review, I put some of the washing machine’s various extra functions to the test:
Delay
Delicates
Express 15
Refresh
Stain removal
Steam
Child lock
I gave the delay function a whirl first - popping the wash on the night before to start first thing (it’s nice and quiet so it doesn’t disrupt anyone’s sleep), and it’s ready to hang before I start work.
I tried out the quick 15-minute wash and the refresh function on an armful of school shirts that weren’t dirty but did need a little freshen up. They came out looking and smelling great, and I’d definitely use this cycle again on a less-than-filthy load of washing.
The washing machine doesn’t have a handwash cycle, so err on the side of caution when it comes to your most precious delicate items. I routinely pop my silk pillowcases in on a delicate cycle and it seems to take very good care of them.
Next up, stain removal. I did my best washing detergent advert impression and poured a splash of red wine onto a white cotton tea towel, then put it in the washing machine with a white load, my normal detergent and set a mixed cycle with the wine-specific stain removal function. Other stains mustn’t feel left out - there are programmes for blood, grass, soil, juice and milk too. I’m happy to report that there was no sign of the red wine when the washing came out of the machine. Cheers to that.
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If you have little ones with inquisitive fingers, the light-up, touch screen display - and the fact that cycles can be interrupted on this machine - could prove very tempting. Luckily, Haier have added a child lock to the HW80-B14979S. Simply hold your fingers on the speed and play/pause buttons for 3 seconds, and a padlock symbol will appear. The display will also show the word ‘clot’, which is unexpected, but we’ll let that slide.
Lastly, the steam function: designed with sensitive skin and allergies in mind, it works to kill any bacteria lurking in the clothing. I added the steam function to a wash and my washing came out noticeably wetter than usual. The benefits of the steam setting are, of course, present on a microscopic level, so it’s a brilliant selling point for those in need of super-hygienic washing.
In terms of drawbacks, not all of the extra functions can be used with every cycle - most particularly the eco 40-60, which is the most eco-friendly and default setting. I’m not sure of the thinking behind this, but with other cycles to choose from it’s not too big of a deal to pick cotton or mixed for a delayed wash cycle.
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