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DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

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  • Introduction

  • Front

  • Controls

  • Drawer

  • Interior

  • Sides

  • Back

  • Electricity Use

  • Water Use

  • Cost Per Wash

  • Yearly Running Cost

  • Washing Speed

  • Washing Performance

  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

  • Cotton/Whites Cycle

  • Delicates Cycle

  • Heavy Duty Cycle

  • Quick Wash Cycle

  • Clothes Wear

  • Water Retention

  • Washing Cycles

  • Customization

  • Additional Wash Options

  • Detergent Dispenser

  • Washer Door

  • Ease of Use

  • Controls

  • Efficiency

  • Performance

  • Features

  • Introduction
  • Front
  • Controls
  • Drawer
  • Interior
  • Sides
  • Back
  • Electricity Use
  • Water Use
  • Cost Per Wash
  • Yearly Running Cost
  • Washing Speed
  • Washing Performance
  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle
  • Cotton/Whites Cycle
  • Delicates Cycle
  • Heavy Duty Cycle
  • Quick Wash Cycle
  • Clothes Wear
  • Water Retention
  • Washing Cycles
  • Customization
  • Additional Wash Options
  • Detergent Dispenser
  • Washer Door
  • Ease of Use
  • Controls
  • Efficiency
  • Performance
  • Features

Introduction

Front

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Controls

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Drawer

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Interior

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The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Sides

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Olympus SZ-31MR iHS side views

Back

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Electricity Use

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Electricity accounted for about 11 percent of the {{product.name}}'s yearly running cost, amounting to $4.61 a year.

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Water Use

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The {{product.name}} is closer to a camel than a desert toad in terms of water usage. The Whites cycle was the most thirsty, using 12.19 gallons. Averaging the water usage of all its cycles, the {{product.model}} used 8.15 gallons per wash. That's quite good.

Cost Per Wash

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The Whites cycle is the most expensive that the {{product.model}} has to offer. It'll cost you nine cents to run, or about 13 Kazakhstani tenges, and they only get cheaper after that.

Yearly Running Cost

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Operating the {{product.name}} will run you about $29.98. That's very efficient -- even when compared to other front loading washers.

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Washing Speed

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Washing Performance

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Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

The Normal wash was anything but. It proved to be highly effective, not to mention that it’s one of the fastest we’ve ever tested. Taking 39 minutes to complete, the Electrolux EWFLS70JIW managed to nearly eliminate all the blood and wine stains off our test strips. Anthocyanin, the chemical that gives red wines their color, and most of the particulates in blood are water-soluble. The EWFLS70JIW had the most trouble with oil, a hydrophobic substance. This is the case with most washers, but it was much more pronounced with the EWFLS70JIW.

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Cotton/Whites Cycle

You don’t look your cleanest until your whites are the whitest. Like with the Normal cycle, the Electrolux EWFLS70JIW’s Whites cycle excelled at getting sweat, blood, and wine. The EWFLS70JIW was quick about it too. It finished the whites cycle in 38 minutes. Quick and effective, there isn’t much more than you ask for.

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Delicates Cycle

Sometimes we want to just slap a “handle with care” sticker on our clothes when placing them in the wash. Since that would do nothing, we placed the Electrolux EWFLS70JIW on the Delicates cycle. It took 24 minutes, which is quick for a modern front loader. On average, the laundry we put in retained 67.7% of its weight in water which is good for a Delicates cycle. When all was said and down, the Delicates cycle did as advertised as our test loads showed virtually no damage.

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Heavy Duty Cycle

The Heavy duty cycle is for when you need a little extra oomph from your washing machine. The Electrolux EWFLS70JIW gave us that oomph and more. After comparing the stain strips, the Heavy-duty cycle was about 26% more effective than the Normal cycle. The down side to using this cycle was that it took 43 minutes, the longest of any cycle on the EWFLS70JIW.

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Quick Wash Cycle

The Quick cycle was one of the fastest we’ve seen. From pushing start to the chime only took fifteen minutes. We were very impressed with how well the Electrolux EWFLS70JIW performed. Our stain strips got as clean as they did during the 39 minutes normal cycle. The trade off is in efficiency. Checking our water gauges, we found that the Quick cycle used significantly more water and electricity. Using national averages, we calculate the Normal cycle would cost around 5 cents while the Quick cycle costs around 7 cents.

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Clothes Wear

To test how destructive a wash can be on clothing, we toss in pieces of cloth with five one inch holes in them for the machine to abuse. Typically speaking top loading washers with a pole agitators dish out the most damage. You can learn more about how we test here. The Electrolux EWFLS70JIW did a fair amount of damage to our test loads. Only the Delicates cycle didn’t seriously fray our mechanical strips. Best avoid putting two hundred year old lace in this machine.

Water Retention

The perfect washing machine is soaking wet and soapy during the wash, but dry at all other times. The Electrolux EWFLS70JIW did exceptionally well in this area. We weighed our loads before and after every wash and found the laundry to retain, on average, 43% of their mass in water. Anything under 50% is considered a good score. It means that your energy bill will be lower since your dryer doesn’t have to work as hard. It also significantly reduces the chances of your clothes getting that musty smell should you leave them in the machine.

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Washing Cycles

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Customization

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We suspect that Goldilocks designed this washer. It has the option to adjust everything to your liking. On the LCD screen we were able to control everything from temperature to spin speed. We were even able to save our preferences to the Favorite cycle setting. Using a complex set of calculations known as combinatorics, we surmised that there are 96 unique settings. If you have items that require very specific conditions to washed, the {{product.name}} has you covered.

Additional Wash Options

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This washer came with a lot of additional item specific cycles like jeans and stuffed animals. Thumbing through the manual, we also discovered that the {{product.model}} also has cycles for pet bedding, children's clothing, and wool.

Detergent Dispenser

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Detergent is poured into a drawer. It's a fairly standard arrangement with separate compartments for fabric softener, pre-wash, and main wash. We did notice that after a few washes, the powder detergent we used started to build up. We would suggest that you clean out the drawer every dozen washes or so to prevent blockage.

Washer Door

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The door on the {{product.name}} has a push-to-open door. There were a few times when we had to hit the door Fonzie style to pop the door open. The biggest problem we had was with closing the door. The spring wouldn't fully compressed and the door would swing open. Closing the door required a good shove. It felt a little strange using so much force on an appliance. We test washing machines. We're not aggressive people, except when there's a blood moon.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Ease of Use

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For the average consumer, using the the {{product.name}} will be simple. It's a matter of turning the dial to the desired setting and pressing start. Things like temperature and spin speed are already preloaded, but we appreciated the fact that we could adjust everything for those rare occasions. After every cycle completed, our test loads clung to the sides of the drum. You'll really need to bend down to get every piece of laundry out. The {{product.name}} did, however, automatically turn on its interior light when a cycle ended, a rarity amongst washers. One feature that this washer had that impeded our use was the odor. The {{product.model}} has its own deodorant to keep it from getting the musty smell many washers get after use. Some people really liked the smell or didn't mind it, but we cringed a little when we opened the Electrolux's door.

Controls

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The control scheme reminds us of the front panel of a VCR. There is a tracking knob that controls cycle selection. There's also a start/pause button. Plus, there's four buttons that aren't clearly defined that are used to tweak your preferences like temperature.

Efficiency

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This Electrolux will cost you about $30 a year to run. That's a bargain when compared to other washers. In conjunction with your other appliances, the Electrolux is a team player. Its last spin cycle on average removes 47% of the water from your clothes, allowing for your dryer to expend less energy.

Performance

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The {{product.name}} wowed us with its ability to remove stains. Wine and blood were no match for the Electrolux. However, the {{product.model}} was a little rough around its interior. We placed test strips into the washer to see how frayed they became. All cycles except the Delicates cycle unraveled cloth a tad more than we would have liked.

Features

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The {{product.name}} possesses 96 unique settings. From pet bedding to active wear, this washer has you covered. The sheer number of options can cause a little of bewilderment, but the controls are clearly spelled out on the LCD screen. The {{product.model}} did have a few features that we didn't care for. We found the door unpredictable. Sometimes it opened with a tap while other times it require a shove. Also, the smell that emanated from the interior drum didn't appeal to us, but some people did enjoy it.

Meet the tester

Jonathan Chan

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

@Jonfromthelab1

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

See all of Jonathan Chan's reviews

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Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

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