How to choose a washing machine

7, 8 or 9 kg: which drum size is right?

The right drum is the one you fill on a normal wash, not the one that swallows a duvet twice a year.

A bigger drum heats more water and moves more weight, so per wash it usually uses more electricity; per kilogram of laundry it is often more efficient, but only when it is full. A single person who washes small loads every other day gains nothing from 10 kg. A family that runs full loads daily can save washes with a larger drum.

The label figure is weighted: the eco 40-60 programme is tested at full, half and quarter load and the results are averaged with fixed weights, so partial loads are already part of the number. The table shows the typical yearly cost per drum size on the EU register; the washing machine overview links each size to its ranking.

What do the numbers on the label mean?

Everything on the washing machine label refers to one programme, eco 40-60, which is why it is the only fair basis for comparing models.

Since March 2024, new machines over 3 kg must reach an efficiency index that keeps them out of the bottom classes F and G. Our washing machine label explainer covers each field in detail.

Why does eco 40-60 take so long, and should you use it?

It is slow because it cleans at a lower temperature for longer, and it is the programme to use for normally soiled cotton that would otherwise go on at 40 or 60 °C.

The name is reserved by law: only the programme that can clean a mixed load of 40 °C and 60 °C cotton together may be called eco 40-60, and no other programme may carry “eco” in its name. Its length is capped by a formula based on capacity. At full load the limit is 137 minutes plus 10.2 minutes per kilogram, never more than four hours; for an 8 kg machine that works out at about 3 hours 40 minutes.

Every machine must also offer a 20 °C programme for lightly soiled cotton. Most of a wash’s electricity typically goes into heating water, so dropping the temperature saves more than any difference between two neighbouring classes. Quick programmes heat faster and usually use more energy per kilogram; the manual has to list indicative values for them.

What decides the yearly bill?

Four things: how many washes you run, at what temperature, how full the drum is, and what you pay per kWh.

Our yearly figures assume 220 washes on eco 40-60, the basis of the previous EU label; set your own number in the bar at the top of each page. The cheapest machines to run in the most common drum size look like this:

The same washes cost noticeably more in some countries than in others, which changes how much an efficient model is worth to you. Electricity prices by country has the current figure for yours.

Does spin speed matter, and how loud is a washing machine?

Spin matters mainly if you use a tumble dryer, and the noise figure matters if the machine stands in or near a living space.

The spin-drying class is based on remaining moisture: class A leaves less than 45 % water in the laundry, class G 90 % or more. Every litre left in the laundry has to be evaporated in the dryer. On a clothes line the difference is mostly drying time. Our tumble dryer guide covers the other half of the equation.

Noise is measured in the spin phase, the loudest part of a wash: class A is below 73 dB, B from 73 to 76, C from 77 to 80 and D 81 dB or more. If the machine sits in a kitchen or a flat with thin floors, compare the quietest washing machines.

Is the water figure worth comparing?

Yes, if you pay for water by volume; the label gives weighted litres per eco 40-60 wash, and our model pages turn it into cubic metres per year.

EU rules set a maximum water use per wash that depends on capacity, so very thirsty machines are no longer sold. Low water use should not come at the cost of rinsing: the same rules set a limit for detergent left in the laundry after the eco 40-60 cycle.

How long will it last, and can it be repaired?

Spare parts for washing machines must be available for at least ten years after the model leaves the market, which makes repair a realistic option for most faults.

Under Regulation (EU) 2019/2023, professional repairers can order the motor and brushes, the drive between motor and drum, pumps, shock absorbers and springs, the drum with its spider and bearings, heating elements, hoses and valves, circuit boards, displays, pressure switches, sensors and the software. You can order the door, hinge and seals, the door lock and plastic parts such as the detergent drawer yourself. Delivery must take no more than 15 working days.

EU countries must also apply the right-to-repair directive (EU) 2024/1799 from 31 July 2026: the manufacturer has to repair on request, free or at a reasonable price, also after the legal guarantee has run out. Ask for a quote before deciding that a broken machine is a write-off.

Is it worth replacing a machine that still works?

Rarely on energy alone; it pays when the old machine uses clearly more per wash and you wash a lot.

1. Find the old machine’s use per wash: measure one typical cycle with a plug-in energy meter.
2. Take the new model’s kWh per 100 cycles from its label and divide by 100.
3. Multiply the difference per wash by your washes a year and your electricity price.
4. Set the yearly saving against the price over the years you expect to keep the new machine in the total cost of ownership calculator.

Labels before March 2021 gave kWh per year for 220 standard washes at 60 and 40 °C. They are not directly comparable with today’s eco 40-60 figure, so a measurement is the better basis.

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