As you’ve heard me mention before, my last washer was a Maytag washing machine. I’d had it for about 15 years since my brother gave it to me when he moved out of state. It was over 15 years old and still ran perfectly.
It’s that kind of reliability that made me want another Maytag washer.
Even though my old Maytag washer still worked, I was thrilled when I got my new Maytag Bravos XL. The innovations that have been made in the last few years are amazing. There are features on my Maytag Bravos XL that I’d never even heard of before. I’ve been getting used to using them over the past few months and they’re pretty cool!
The Cold Wash setting is one of my favorite settings – it gets my clothes just as clean as the warm wash used to, but uses only cold water so I save money every time I use it. Another favorite is the Bulky wash cycle. I used to have to take our thick comforters to a laundromat and use an industrial size washer for them. Now I can fit them in my own washer and with the Bulky setting, the Bravos XL washer measures the size of the washload and adjusts to it.
I’ve also been excited to be have to Allergen cycle. With my younger daughter’s allergies, it’s so nice to be able to wash her clothes on the Allergen Cycle and get rid of up to 95% of the allergens that would otherwise make her miserable. I didn’t even know that was possible, or I would have looked into buying the Bravos XL a lot sooner.
Another feature that’s child friendly for my family is the SmoothClose washer lid that closes slowly. It has a unique hinge design that keeps it from slamming down and pinching fingers or slamming down on hands. With three little ones in our family, I love that feature and am thankful that we have it.
But even with all of the cool features and wash cycles, my absolute favorite thing about my new Bravos XL is the size. I still can’t believe how much I can wash! Look at this washer tub size! The pink and white thing waaaaayyyyyy down at the bottom is a full sized beach towel. There are several of my kids’ shirts and pairs of pants in there too and look how much room is left:
I love being able to wash so much stuff in one load. I can wash ALL of the kids’ sheets and blankets in one load. In the past, I would have had to do one load with sheets and then each blanket in its own load. The amazing tub size of the Maytag Bravos XL makes my life so much easier.
This photo shows one load I did. There are 17 child’s shirts, 2 dresses, a corduroy coat, 2 towels, 3 small child-size blankets and 2 huge thick queen size blankets. All in one load. I love it!!
Even after using my new Maytag Bravos XL Washer and Dryer for months, I’m still excited about them. I was always happy with my old Maytag washer and was so proud that it worked for so many years. But if I had known that the features and tub size of the Bravos XL existed, I would have given my old washer up in a second. It’s such a different experience doing laundry now and makes a chore I never really loved so, so much easier.
If you’re considering a new washer, definitely check out the Maytag Bravos XL washer and dryer. Go see the washer tub and dryer tumbler size in person. Imagine doing one load instead of three. It’s a big difference.
The Maytag Bravos XL HE laundry pairs are available in both top and front-load options with lots of different features at different price points. I would absolutely recommend checking them out. I’m so happy with mine!
Learn more at Maytag online. Follow Maytag on Twitter and like Maytag on Facebook for the latest updates and info.
* Editing to add…
One of the only wash cycles that I don’t have on the Bravos XL is the soak feature. I asked about it when I was touring the Whirlpool laboratories and was told that the different models and cycles reflect the popular features of that time period. So when the Bravos XL was being developed, the other cycles and features were all more popular and in demand.
When I have clothes I want to soak a little bit, I simply wash on the “Bulk” Cycle. It uses more water, fills the tub more and allows me to soak the items more.
I wrote this post participating in an Maytag Moms Dependable Laundry Ambassador program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Maytag. I was provided with the Maytag washer and dryer set to facilitate my post.
Jean Mackelvie says
I don’t agree. I find dry spots on my dark brown sheets after washing even using the extra rinse feature. I don’t see how they can be getting clean.
Mickey says
That’s weird. We’ve done probably hundreds of loads and I’ve never seen a dry spot even once. I think you might need to have your machine checked. 🙁
Hopefully it’s still under warranty.
Elizabeth says
I watched a video about top load HE machines and it says that there may be dry spots on light fabrics because the washing machine spins it so well that it starts to dry it. Maybe you should try pausing the load mid-cycle to see if the clothes are completely wet?
Elizabeth says
I just bought one of these used and I want to be sure it is working properly. When I touch the front of the machine while it is spinning, I can feel the drum kind of pressing against the front of the machine. Is this normal?
Mickey says
I don’t feel that with mine. Maybe you should contact Maytag just to double check. 🙂
Karen says
I have an issue with bulky loads in my bravos xl becoming uneven. If I try to wash a large quilt on the bulky setting it is a nightmare. Constantly having to reposition the soaking wet quilts and restarting the load only to have it happen again and again. I’ve given up and have resorted to taking the quilts to the laundromat when they need to be cleaned. Not what I had in mind when I purchased this large capacity washer.
Mickey says
I’ve never had another washer that was big enough to wash a huge load like a stack of blankets or comforters. Mine does stop because it gets uneven too, maybe once every few of those huge loads. But once I pull it all back into the middle and start the load again, the cycle completes and I don’t have any more problems.
Maybe there is something off on yours? I definitely don’t ever have it happen over and over. I would give them a call and see if something might be wrong with your washer.
Sorry. :/
Spiceman says
One feature that is missing that should be available is a spin only setting. I used that feature frequently with my old Maytag on very, very delicate items I washed by hand. The new Maytag doesn’t appear to allow this, which is an important weakness that should be taken into account before purchasing.
Mickey says
We did ask about why some settings are left off of different models and they told us that they do take those things into consideration. If they have really exciting new features that they want to try, it may need to take the place of something that wasn’t as popular in the past.
But if enough people want the spin only setting, I bet they’ll put it back eventually.
Courtney says
Thanks Mickey for adding that soak question at the end. I NEED to soak for hours and for the life of me couldn’t figure it out! Well duh because you can’t. Guess I’ll go use the bathtub, otherwise I love this washer! 🙂
JD says
I honestly dislike this machine and may just be the only one. My husband bought it for me because I used to complain about my smaller washer where I had to do several loads. That definitely isn’t a problem here; however, I feel when I put larger items such as beach towels or comforters they wash well. They come out smelly as if they have been sitting in water for days. I feel the machine needs to pour more water when washing these items. I have a pool and on any give weekend I have 8-10 beach towels to wash. I got them all in nicely and they only come up to about 3/4 of the container. I have used the normal, towels and bulky settings with the same results. Maybe there is something wrong with it.
JD says
I meant “towels and comforters don’t wash well”
Mickey says
I don’t know why that is. We go through a lot of towels too and I’ve never had that happen. I love fresh smelling laundry and would definitely notice if the towels and bedding smelled bad. I wonder if there is something wrong with your machine too. I’m sorry. 🙁