If you are currently in the market for a new washer and dryer, it can be tempting to try to find a set that has all of the latest features. However, not all of those features are necessary. Use this guide to help identify features that will save you money and will be beneficial down the road, and those features that are not worth the investment.

Features To Avoid

Most of the features listed below don't work as they were designed to, are unnecessary, or will end up costing you money in the long run.

• Special Cycles: It is nice to have a few special cycles, like delicates. However, if the washers and dryers you are looking at have over ten special cycles, it is probably overkill. You can easily find sets that have over thirty special features. Take a few minutes to read all the special cycles; if you don't have a need for them now, you probably will not need all those extra cycles in the future, either.
• Eco-Cycles: This may seem counter-intuitive, but eco-cycles often do not end up saving you any money. Instead, your clothes just end up drying for significantly longer using a lower heat setting. By using the regular settings on your dryer, you can save more energy than many of the pre-programmed eco-cycles can on their own.
• Steam Settings: You can find both washers and dryers with steam settings. On washers, the steam setting is supposed to help remove stains from clothing. However, a little stain remover is all you really need. On dryers, the steam setting is supposed to make your clothes wrinkle-free; however, that is not what always happens.

Features To Look For

However, there are a few features that are worth looking for. These features will make it easier for you to do your laundry and may even save you some money down the road on energy and water bills.

• Temperature Control: This feature will prevent you from draining all the hot water out of your water heater every time you run a load of laundry. Most older washers are designed to release a set amount of hot and cold water based on the settings you choose. New washers that have a temperature control setting will actually measure the temperature of your water, and use that information, along with the size of the load, to determine how much hot and cold water goes into your load.
• Load Size Sensing Feature: This feature essentially is just a scale inside of your washer and dryer that measure the weight of your load. Your washer and dryer than use that information to select the size of your load. This will help ensure that you are only using the amount of water and energy that is absolutely necessary to clean your clothing.
• Full Capacity: Finally, if more than one individual will be using your washer and dryer, and you have the room for it, purchase a full capacity set, and run full loads through it. Over time, you will run less loads and incur less wear and tear on your new laundry set when you go for the full size instead of economy version.

When you go shopping for a new washer and dryer, keep in mind the features that really are just a little more than you need and the features that will actually benefit you down the road. The key is to choose a washer and dryer that fits your needs; not to choose one with every extra feature on the market today. Doing so will ensure you get the most out of your washer and dryer and don't have to call a repair service, like American Appliance INC, as often for repairs.