A good washing machine is a must for the home – especially if you have a family.
Without it, you could spend hours every day, just dealing with the inadvertent messes of living each day, and who has time for that?
This begs the question, ‘how long do washing machines last?’
Thankfully, this is pretty solid technology, and new washing machines tend to last between 10 and 13 years on average. They can last even longer if you take care of them with regular maintenance and a mindful approach to using them properly.
Today we’re going to explore this in a little more depth.
We’ll tell you which washing machines have the best warranties for your buck, talk about preventative maintenance to stretch their life expectancies, and even give you some tips on making them last longer.
Let’s talk about washing machines and extending their service life!
Which washing machines have the best warranties?
Based on what many service techs say, two of the best brands out there for warranties are Speed Queen and Maytag.
This is good to know — good warranties have become somewhat of a rare thing these days and most of the time, you only get a standard ‘1-year parts and labor’ and then you’re on your own.
So, what do you get with Speed Queen and Maytag washers? Well, if you opt for their extended warranties, you can usually get a solid, 5-year parts and labor warranty that will help to protect your investment and definitely provide you with some piece of mind.
While these aren’t the only brands to provide this (check around if there’s one that you really like), these are two of the most prominent and it’s good to know that some of the vendors out there are confident enough in their products to offer a guarantee at this level.
Just a little food for thought when you are shopping for a new washer and want to make sure that you don’t accidentally end up with an expensive lemon!
Is there preventative maintenance for washers?
Yes, but you need to be careful to make sure that it doesn’t void out your warranty.
Most of the time it won’t, provided that you go with technicians who are certified to work with your specific washer or dryer.
If that is the case, a yearly checkup during and after warranty time is a good idea, especially if your washer gets a lot of use.
Problems can crop up that won’t be noticed until they become worse and more expensive issues.
By getting your washing machine checked by a certified specialist just once a year, you can keep preventative maintenance costs low and spot problems early.
This is one of the best ways to squeeze a few extra years out of your washer and it’s well worth the minor expense of a quick, yearly checkup.
How else can I make my washing machine last longer?
You don’t always need a licensed technician to get a little more time out of your washing machine, as there are definitely a few things that you can check and habits that you can get into that will help maintain your washer as well.
Here are a few examples that can definitely help you to get the most out of your washer:
- Don’t let wet clothes sit unattended for too long – this can cause grime and buildup in the washer over time and affect the overall service life.
- Clean your washer through on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Even if you get the laundry out very quickly, it’s only natural for a little buildup to occur from time to time. Alternately, self-cleaning models are available and this feature is definitely worth it. You can also run an empty cycle on the ‘hot’ setting and this helps, too.
- Avoid oversized loads. You’ll use a little more water (unless you are careful with settings) but this will help to ensure that you don’t wear the washer down with more weight than it is technically rated to handle.
- Check pockets before loads – failing to do this results in coins and other non-clothing items spinning around at high speed and eventually this is going to do some damage.
Some closing words on washing machines and their longevity
Today we’ve answered the question ‘how long do washing machines last’, and while it’s an average of 10 to 13 years, you can certainly extend that a little with some preventative maintenance and common-sense care.
Clean your washer monthly or bi-monthly, don’t overload it, and consider a self-cleaning option – it’s fairly common these days and well worth it.
Finally, check the pockets of your shirts, shorts, and pants to avoid objects in the washer that don’t belong there.
It takes a few extra minutes, but with a little care and maintenance, you might just get a 15 or 20-year return on your investment, and in our opinion that’s definitely worth the time!