New washing machines
 

I bought a new washing machine recently and discovered that they use very little water. As a result, if you have a fabric that bleeds, it can't move around enough to stop a color from bleeding from one fabric to another. The fabrics sort of stick together and and transfers on color to what's next to it. Also, to be "gentle" on clothes, it doesn't go "wishy washy" very fast. As a result, it takes forever to run a load and it also doesn't move the fabric around enough. I can understand why they reduce the water usage where I'm at, but it sure creates a problem with quilting fabric for me. The color catchers seem not to be able to catch the color unless there is more water moving around but don't work so well when fabrics are basically stuck together. Is anyone else having this problem?

Wow, that doesn't sound so good. Have you thought about running to the laundry mat when you need to wash fabric that bleeds for a wash or two.

I recently replaced my washer. I was having trouble with mine in that every time it was spinning to drain the water, etc. it would get off balance. It too used very little water and basically just made the clothes heavy and they clung together and tangled so bad. The center 'pole' would just do short twists but always in a circle, instead of with a swishing motion.

I finally found a washer that I really like. It is a top load, Speed Queen. It basically has the 'old' time works/mechanisms in it, in how the center 'pole' moves in an actual swishing motions like old machines used too 20 or so odd years ago. It is a new/modern machine, and has a lot of choices of settings, including water levels etc. But what I really like as well, is that it washes and spins without tangling up the clothes/fabric and since having it for almost a year now, it has yet to get off balance, even with heavy blankets or quilts.

just be sure the machine wasn't set to low water and can be changed. A friend had that happen to her and didn't know.

I too have the top load Speed Queen. It is a joy. I spent several months searching the stores for a machine like this. Most of them did not have an agitater and I definetly did not want that model. I don't now how the clothes can wash clean.

I bought a speed queen washer too. It works great, just like the older machines and has a longer warranty.

Yeah, I also have a low water washer. When my old washer died and I was looking at new ones, I was not very happy to discover the vast majority of machines available were of the low water variety. However, if I set it on "bedding" -- which I almost always do -- it really does use sufficient water. I add a color catcher to any load of fabric I'm pre-washing, and also when I wash a finished quilt, and everything comes out fine without any color transfer or bleeding.

I panicked when I learned appliances were hard to come by as my washer was 20+ years old. So I rushed to the store, asked what washers they currently had in stock. Well, they had 3 models A huge one, an even bigger one, and one with a very tiny agitator basket. So I got the huge one which does not have an agitator. It does have a lot of "cycles" to chose from and you can also program a custom cycle. Took me a while to figure it out but I can do two queen sized quilts in it, no problem an I can let the machine decide how much water or I can choose "full fill for both the wash and the rinse if I want to as well as how hard it spins, how hot the water is. So far I am liking it although I can hardly reach the lone sock at the bottom of the basket. I wanted a top loader so if need, I could soak things.

Another happy Speed Queen, top loader, owner!

I have SQ also & like it very much. The automatic water setting stops so I can add more water by holding the “fill knob” to the right. I only do this when the load is larger size.

My daughter works with younger wives and the ones who had machines with no agitators got rid of them and went to models with agitators. That tells me a lot.