Sssh, we want our machines not to be seen or heard

Small homes rarely have space for a utility room. Our washing machines and tumble driers live right beside us. Maybe the washer drier is in the kitchen, the bathroom or right in the middle of it all, in the open-plan living space. Which is why we should be very interested in appliance decibel levels. 

Whirlpool's quieter new machines

Now, I've never heard them in action, but Whirlpool’s latest Supreme Care range of washing machines and tumble dryers claim to have the quietest spin cycle on the market. They work away at 67 dB(A). 

It surprised me, but you can actually do a quick techie search and find out that that is the equivalent to the level of a normal conversation. Not a whisper, but there are some machines out there that are spinning around near 80dB, which, with my new found knowledge, I can tell you is about the equivalent to a passenger car going at 65 mph, twenty five feet away from you. Food for thought when appliance shopping. 

No mention of a quiet integrated model yet, which is a shame, because we don't want to have to see these things in our open-plan areas either.

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Talking of open-plan, discover why wall units aren't good for open-plan spaces here