[Electronics-Talk] Accessible Washing Machines

Sun Jan 8 18:24:44 UTC 2023

The GE Ultra, mentioned in my first message that started this thread, has a
mode you can turn after the laundry is done that brings fresh air into the
washer to dry it out.  A friend that has this model says that it really
works and they no longer leave the washer open.

-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
Aaron Spears via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2023 11:33 AM
To: Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Aaron Spears <valiant8086 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Washing Machines

Hi.

For our samsung, it has an autoclean cycle that runs water as hot as it can
get it on an empty run with no clothes in it that will clean it, but we've
never used it. You leave the door open to avoid the mold build up, and that
also helps protect the seal. Our seal still looks brand new after 7 years,
hasn't dripped a single drop that we know about and our clothes feel super
clean. I'd probably have to say that front loaders are actually cleaner than
top loaders but I'd mostly just be referring to how detergents congeal
around the top of the drum on a top loader and becomes a pain in the butt to
clean, whereas our front loader model feels super clean and shiny like a new
car all over inside the drum. I can't account for what it feels like outside
of the drum area though. I know if I stick my head in there I don't smell
anything. That's the concern probably is the part that doesn't have the
clothes rubbing against could grow the mold and such as it doesn't get
whiped down, but top loaders have that also.

I guess another favor for the front loaders is they usually can spin faster
than top loaders so your clothes end up more dry and your driar doesn't run
as long.

Btw, our situation is ideal for leaving the door open, it doesn't block us
from going through there, since the washer is against the wall anyway. If
one's situation is not like that I could imagine it being a problem. But we
always leave our door wide open. Also some front loaders have lights, which
ours doesn't, but I'm thinking that if it wasn't possible to disable the
light or if it didn't have like a 5 minute timer, one wouldn't like the idea
of having it burning all the time.

Cheers:
Aaron Spears, AKA Valiant8086 General Partner at Valiant Galaxy Associates
"we make (VERY GOOD AUDIOGAMES) for the blind comunity"
http://valiantGalaxy.com

On 1/8/2023 5:32 AM, Donald Moore via Electronics-Talk wrote:
> True on both counts.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf 
> Of Andy Baracco via Electronics-Talk
> Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2023 12:45 AM
> To: Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Andy Baracco <wq6r at socal.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Washing Machines
>
> I was always told that top loaders clean better, and that if you use a 
> front loader there is some kind of chemical that you need to run 
> through to keep mold from developing.
>
> Andy
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Annette Carr via Electronics-Talk" 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> To: "'Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances'"
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: <amcarr1 at verizon.net>
> Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2023 5:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Washing Machines
>
>
>> I too will do everything I can to be able to use a front load washer.  
>> They are easier to get things in and out, they use less water, they 
>> are gentle on the items being washed, and they clean better than the 
>> top loader.
>>
>> Annette
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On 
>> Behalf Of Aaron Spears via Electronics-Talk
>> Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2023 6:44 PM
>> To: Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances 
>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Aaron Spears <valiant8086 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Washing Machines
>>
>> Hi.
>>
>>
>> I love front loaders for a variety of reasons. I'm trying to make a 
>> rule here at the house that we'll never get another one that isn't a 
>> front loader, but that's just us. I think they clean better, they use 
>> less water, they may last better, at least the one we have now is 
>> older than we managed to get the previous 3 sets to go.
>>
>>
>>
>> Cheers:
>> Aaron Spears, AKA Valiant8086 General Partner at Valiant Galaxy 
>> Associates "we make (VERY GOOD AUDIOGAMES) for the blind comunity"
>> http://valiantGalaxy.com
>>
>> On 1/7/2023 4:15 PM, Sherry Gomes via Electronics-Talk wrote:
>>> I just replaced my LG washer and dryer with traditional buttons and 
>>> knobs
>> washer/dryer by whirlpool. I got them at Lowe's. I had really liked 
>> my friend's LG set, and had used it for two months while waiting to 
>> move into my new house. but on my set, the digital display was so 
>> sensitive that I swear breathing too hard near it changed thing. 
>> walking by and a sleeve touching it, a dog's wagging tail. I loved 
>> them because I had wanted a front loader for years. I can't reach the 
>> bottom of top loaders. But I broke down and got these whirlpools and 
>> I'm reasonably happy with them. My sister helped me put some locator 
>> dots on them, and they are 100 percent accessible.
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On 
>>> Behalf Of Annette Carr via Electronics-Talk
>>> Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2023 1:08 PM
>>> To: 'Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances'
>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: amcarr1 at verizon.net
>>> Subject: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Washing Machines
>>>
>>> As you can probably guess from the subject line, we are in the 
>>> market for
>> a new washer.  Saw 4 potential options at Lowes, so was wondering if 
>> anyone has experience with any of them.  I am pleased to report that 
>> the sales person went and got an extension cord and plugged in the 
>> machines we wanted to look at.
>>>
>>>
>>> Here are the models with notes about what I was able to observe.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> LG washer model WM4200HBA
>>>
>>> And
>>>
>>> LG washer model WM4000HBA
>>>
>>> * Has a stand-a-lone physical power button.  I think it also had a 
>>> stand-a-lone physical button for starting.
>>> * The cycle selector has defined clicks that you could easily feel 
>>> as you turned the knob, along with an audible tone.
>>> * However, the knob did not have an indicator/pointer, and a 
>>> complete revolution of the knob did not return you to where you started
from.
>>> * When you turn the machine off and then turn it back on, you are 
>>> back at the "Normal" cycle and its default settings.  You could keep 
>>> a braille
>> list of the cycles in the order of their position around the knob, 
>> and just count the clicks/beeps.
>>> * There is a touch screen with buttons along the sides and bottom.
>>> There is a very thin seem around the outer edge of the touch screen.
>>> * If you drag your finger across the buttons on the touch screen or 
>>> accidentally touch one of the buttons, it will be activated.
>>> * There is some room around the outside of the touch panel to place 
>>> abbreviated braille labels or at least an indicator dot so that you 
>>> could
>> get lined up with the button.
>>> * When you touch the touch screen, there is a beep.  There are only 
>>> 2 different sounds.  One indicates that something changed, and the 
>>> other
>> indicates that there was no change.  The beeps do not tell you if you 
>> have cycled through all of the choices, so you do not know how many 
>> options there are.  Whether a feature is available and the number of 
>> options for it, is different for each cycle.  For my current washer 
>> that just bit the dust I had a document on my computer that outlined 
>> each of the cycles, the available features and their options.  I had 
>> always planned on brailling it up, or finding someone to do it for 
>> me, and never did.
>>> * Although we did not test the dryer, it looks like the controls are 
>>> set up like the washer.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> GE washer model GFW550SSN2WW
>>>
>>> * The Power and Start Button are combined on a small touch pad, but 
>>> it is easy to use it.  The Power is at the top edge, and the start 
>>> is on the
>> bottom edge.  I can't remember if they required pressure to activate, 
>> I think it was just a touch.
>>> * The cycle selector knob clicked and had beeps, along with a pointer.
>>> You could add braille labels and this would be pretty accessible.
>>> * There is a touch screen to change the settings for the cycles.
>>> * There are buttons on the sides and bottom of the touch screen.
>>> * There are thin lines between the buttons, but if you drag your 
>>> finger from button to button you will be activating each button you 
>>> touch.
>>> * There is some room around the outside of the touch screen where 
>>> you could place tactile indicators or abbreviated braille labels.
>>> * You will need a cheat-sheet of some type to know which features 
>>> are available in each cycle, and what the available options are for 
>>> each
>> feature.
>>> * There were audible beeps, but they were hard to hear in the store.
>>> It was not apparent if there is a volume control.
>>> * Although we did not test the dryer, it looks like the controls are 
>>> set up like the washer.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Samsung washer model WF45B6300AC
>>>
>>> * There is a touch screen to control everything accept select the 
>>> cycles.
>>> * The buttons are on the sides and bottom of the touch screen, but 
>>> there is some braille and tactile indicator dots.  Yes, actual 
>>> braille and
>> tactile marks.  The sales person was as shocked as we were.
>>> * The Power button is on the top-right corner and there is a braille 
>>> "P" off the right edge of the touch screen.
>>> * Below the Power button is the start button and there is a braille 
>>> "S" off the right edge of the touch screen.
>>> * All other buttons along the left and bottom have a single dot to 
>>> indicate where they are.  You would have to add your own braille labels.
>>> * If you drag your fingers across the touch screen, you will be 
>>> activating the buttons.
>>> * There are beeps for every time you touch the touch screen.
>>> * If a feature being activated on the touch screen has multiple 
>>> options, the pitch will change for each press of the button, and 
>>> when you
>> get back to the top of the list the tone starts from the first pitch.
>> This
>> helps you know how many options there are for that feature, within 
>> that cycle.  This is how the beeps worked on my now non-working Whirlpool
Duet.
>>> * The cycle selector knob does click and does beep as you turn it.  
>>> It does not have an indicator/pointer and one revolution is not 
>>> equal to
>> navigating through all of the cycle options.  Did not test to see if 
>> when you turn the machine off if it goes back to the default settings.
>>> * Although we did not test the dryer, it looks like the controls are 
>>> set up like the washer.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> These were not the actual models we were looking for, but they are 
>>> what
>> Lowes has.  We are going to do a bit more research and I will let you 
>> know what I learn.  If anyone has any additional information about 
>> these models, good or bad, I would love it if you would share.  Of 
>> course, any recommendations for a washer you found to be accessible 
>> is welcome.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Annette
>>>
>>> hear
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Annette Carr
>>>
>>> Let me make you sparkle!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Independent Consultant
>>>
>>> ~Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski~
>>>
>>>    <mailto:amcarr1 at verizon.net> amcarr1 at verizon.net
>>>
>>> 703-915-2837 (call or text)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> View the online catalog and see all that TouchStone Crystal by 
>>> Swarovski
>> has to offer!
>>>    <https://sites.touchstonecrystal.com/sites/annettecarr>
>>> https://sites.touchstonecrystal.com/sites/annettecarr
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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