Hoover H-Wash 300 H3D4852DE Freestanding Washer Dryer, Sensor Dry, 8 kg/5 kg Load, 1400 rpm, White

Product Information

Izzy says, “You can also amend the programme you are using to a lower or higher temperature, or a lower or higher spin setting. We have found the variable spin feature in particular very handy. In the winter when it takes clothes longer to dry, we put this to the maximum setting (1600 spin) so that our clothes come out drier.” In compliance with the New Energy Label, this B class washing machine not only reduces consumption starting from 43% compared to a G class, saving energy and respecting the environment, but also contributes to helping you save money on your utility bills. For the most part, you’ll operate the Hoover H-Wash 500 HWB via the controls on the front of the machine. First, there’s the control dial that lets you select the wash programme; you’ll need to refer to the manual to find the right wash for each load. There are plenty of options to choose from, however, including modes for whites, wool, fitness gear and allergy care. Its Eco setting helps to reduce energy consumption and costs, and it uses less water per cycle than most washing machines on the market. This special program removes allergens and bacteria by increasing the washing temperature up to 60° C for a prolonged time and by extending the rinsing phase. It is the ideal program to sanitize baby clothes, ensuring the best hygiene for you and your family.

Our tester, Izzy, and her husband have been using the Hoover H-Wash 500 twice per week on average for the past three years. The Active Steam program will relax the creases in your clothing, allowing you to easily iron dry clothing. The Steam Refresh program will release steam after the cycle to help relax the clothing and leave fewer creases. As with all washing machines, the Hoover H-Wash 500 has to have its transport bolts removed. These comprise one plastic part with a rubber bung on the rear. My attempt to remove them resulted in the the rubber part coming away from the plastic part on two bolts, with the plastic bit dropping inside the machine. I had to then remove the thin rear panel to retrieve these items before I could turn on the appliance. This model has a traditional pull-out detergent tray, with space for washing detergent, pre-wash detergent and fabric softener. You’ll need to determine the correct amounts by yourself, rather than relying on the machine to do it for you, but this isn’t much of a hardship. With an ‘A’ energy rating, the Hoover H-Wash 500 is one of the most energy-efficient washing machines on the market, using 0.49 kWh of energy per cycle. The H-Wash also uses less water than most (46 litres per cycle). In the UK, the average water consumption for a washing machine is 48.8 litres.Admittedly, this job will need to be done only once – and likely by the person who delivers the appliance – but less fiddly bolts would have been appreciated. There are some faster cycles you can run for lesser-soiled items, but the main programmes on this washing machine are quite slow. With a ‘C’ rating for noise emissions and noise level of 80db, it’s not the quietest washing machine on the market, but this is only really noticeable if the spin speed is at its max. The Hoover H-Wash 500 is a rather standard-looking washing machine, with a traditional control panel layout. There’s a programme selector dial at the centre, with a secondary control panel used to fine-tune programmes. This secondary control panel is brimming with symbols, not all of which are particularly clear. I had to keep the manual to hand at first to work out what everything meant. Read next: The best steam irons to buy What's the Hoover H-WASH 500 9kg Freestanding Washing Machine like to use day-to-day?

The All in one 59 wash cycle allows for a mix of different fabrics to be washed together in just 59 minutes, and there are an additional three rapid wash cycles of 14, 30 and 44 minutes if you want your washing done in even less time. There’s also a dial position to turn on Wi-Fi, letting you connect the washing machine to the Hoover hOn app. It’s important to note that you can only use the app while the machine is set to Wi-Fi mode; if you use a different programme, you’ll lose the remote connection. This means that using the app requires you to programme the machine with the app. This is different to the way the Samsung WW9800T works; it lets you use the app at any point. Izzy says, “The Hoover H-Wash 500 was very easy to set up. We connected the pipe ourselves and have not had any issues with the connectivity.”Izzy says, “There are two people in our household and the 9 kg-capacity washing machine works well for us as we don’t have a huge amount of washing each week. If the utility space for the washing machine was larger, we would have opted for a bigger machine so that we could use it even less.”

HOOVER H-WASH 300 LITE boasts the most complete set of washing cycles to take care of all your favourite clothes, preserving fabrics and colours for longer, without any effort. It offers the most complete set of washing cycles to preserve the fibres of all your favourite clothes for longer, without giving up on the best washing results. With 14 different cycles to choose from to suit your needs, with run times ranging from 14 minutes to 330 (and a variation in maximum load depending on what cycle you choose), the Hoover H-Wash 500 is a versatile machine well suited to family life. To test the effectiveness of the Hoover H-Wash 500, I ran a few test washes to see how well it copes with stain removal. I started out with the white wash set to 30ºC, which used 0.57kWh of power and 41.7 litres of water – decent, but not the lowest I’ve seen. Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet. Mum to a one-year-old, she is fully invested in finding the best and most affordable products for families.Izzy says, “It is very energy-efficient and it cleans clothes well. For white items, however, I always pre-spray clothes with stain remover to make sure they come out extra clean and bright.” Is it noisy? While the 1600rpm spin setting is louder than we’d like, it nevertheless helps to reduce drying times, meaning you won’t have to rely on a heated clothes airer or tumble dryer to get your clothes dry at speed, even during the colder months. What we like

Our tester Izzy says, "The washing machine is very energy-efficient, which delivers good value for money. As there were very limited options for affordable machines this size when we were looking to buy, we felt this represented the best value for money in comparison to the others available." About the author The benefit of a freestanding washing machine is that it’s generally much simpler to install than an integrated washing machine. In terms of technical design, it has an LED touchscreen display that’s easy to read and operate alongside a spin dial for selecting the 14 different programmes. The test strip included (left to right) red wine, orange juice, ketchup, vegetable oil and gravy stains. On the 30ºC wash, the image below shows that stain removal was pretty good, although you can still see a clear outline of the red wine stain, plus a mark from the ketchup. It’s decent performance, but more expensive machines – such as the LG V9 F4V909BTS – clean better, albeit at a higher cost. The wash took just over two hours to complete. To get an accurate picture of how well the Hoover H-Wash 500 performs day to day, Izzy scored the washing machine on a number of different criteria, including ease of use, features and programme length, results (clean, rinse and spin), design, noisiness, energy use, ease of cleaning and value for money.While there are certainly more budget-friendly washing machines out there, for the number of programmes and features it offers, as well as its low energy and water consumption, this is a washing machine that's both versatile and affordable to run. Izzy says, “The machine is generally very easy to use, and you can also set and delay the timer so that the H-Wash starts a wash cycle whenever you want it to.”