Can a double washing machine reduce your laundry time? Haier thinks so
This week at IFA, Haier will introduce a double washing machine that allows consumers to wash two separate loads of laundry simultaneously.
BERLIN -- Need to wash your whites and darks, but don't have much time for two loads of laundry? Haier wants to solve that problem with its dual-drum washing machine, a product the company will introduce Thursday at the IFA electronics show here in Germany. The Haier Duo washing machine will let you simultaneously wash two separate loads of laundry on different cycles.
The washing machine contains two front-load drums stacked on top of one another. The entire unit is only 128 centimeters tall (50.4 inches, a little over four feet). The top drum holds 4 kg of clothes (8.8 pounds) and has 12 different cleaning modes. The larger bottom drum has a capacity of 8 kg (17.6 pounds) and has 18 cycle options. You control the Haier Duo with a digital touchscreen located above the top washer.
The Haier Duo will be available in China next year. The company will later make the product available in Europe. There's not yet word on the cost of the appliance.
Haier's double washer is the latest in a trend of washing machines equipped with options that let you multitask while you do your laundry. LG's Twin Wash system, which the company introduced at this year's CES electronics show, contains a separate drawer for small, delicate loads that fits under LG's front-load washers. Samsung added a built-in sink to the top of its ActiveWash machine that lets you hand wash, prewash and directly target tough stains.
Haier's take on the double washer doesn't have the visual appeal of the LG or Samsung units. But Haier gives you the ability to wash more clothes with the addition of a full washer drum, whereas LG and Samsung's drawer and sink, respectively, are aimed at washing a few items of delicate laundry.
Find all of CNET's coverage of IFA 2015 here.