SIOUX CITY | Washers and dryers are much larger and have more features than they used to.
In the past, when customers wanted a large washer, Karl's TV, Appliance & Furniture store manager Marquis Cook said they had to go with a front-loading one. Today, both washers and dryers have large drums that can handle bulky items such as a king-sized comforter.
"You can get two king comforters in here very easily," Cook said as he stood next to a white top-loading Mega-Capacity washer from LG.
How do you know which type of washer or dryer to purchase? Cook said there are different features with every brand that you'll either love or hate.
He said it comes down to personal preferences. Some people, he said, will have trouble reaching down into a top-loading washer to pull out a lone sock stuck in the bottom corner. He said they should consider a front-loading washer.
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If price is the main issue, Cook said a top-loading washer could save you some money. The pedestals that front-loading washers and dryers sit on cost $250 a piece.
Always consider your style of washing. Cook said he wouldn't recommend that a farmer purchase a high-efficiency top-loading washer.
"I'd want to look more toward an agitator style," he said. "It really comes down to what's going to work best for your household."
Maytag makes models with the agitator inside, while LG doesn't. Maytag models, Cook said, allow users to select a deep water wash even though the washer is high-efficiency. LG washers, he said, offer a wave force action during the wash cycle.
Drum shapes also vary between brands and models.
"Some of your models are going to have a shallower drum, but a wider drum," Cook explained. "Some are going to be deeper but narrower."
Karl's, 4445 Sergeant Road, started selling the LG SideKick, a compact mini-washer about two months ago. Instead of placing a pedestal underneath an energy efficient LG front-loading washer, it teams with a SideKick, a smaller washer that sits underneath it.
"You could use it for delicates. You could use it for sportswear," Cook said. "Let's say you have a full load already, but you just have a few whites that you want to do as well, you can run all of that at the same time."
The SideKick can also be used independently.
Cook said one of his customers talked about placing the SideKick outside by her pool to wash swimwear. Another woman thought it might work in her small apartment where she can't fit a full-sized washer.
The SideKick retails for $730. Front-loading LG washers range from $699 to $1,050, depending on the model.
Steam cleaning, Cook said, is trending in both top-loading and front-loading washers and dryers offered by a number of brands sold at Karl's Furniture, including Maytag, Whirlpool, LG, Electrolux, Amana, GE and Hotpoint.
In a washer, Cook said the steam helps break down clothing fibers to get a better clean. He said clothing that isn't heavily soiled can be placed in a dryer on the steam cycle. The clothing will emerge refreshed as if it had been washed.
"If somebody gets sick I can put their sheets inside that steam cycle and actually sanitize them," he said. "Let's say I have a shirt that I just want to freshen up. I can actually throw that shirt in that steam dryer and it will freshen that shirt and it's ready to go."
This process also works for pillows and blankets that normally couldn't be washed in a washer. The steam cycle, Cook said, is effective at killing bedbugs and could reduce the number of trips you make to the dry cleaners.
"You're always going to have certain items that still need to be done at the dry cleaners. But for instance, we no longer take our blankets to the dry cleaners. We just use our steam features," he said.
