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  • Introduction

  • Front

  • Controls

  • Drawer

  • Interior

  • Sides

  • Back

  • Electricity Use

  • Water Use

  • Cost Per Wash

  • Yearly Running Cost

  • Washing Speed

  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

  • Cotton/Whites Cycle

  • Delicate Cycle

  • Heavy Duty Cycle

  • Quick Wash Cycle

  • Dirt Removal

  • Clothes Wear

  • Water Retention

  • Washing Cycles

  • Customization

  • Additional Wash Options

  • Washing 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
  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle
  • Cotton/Whites Cycle
  • Delicate Cycle
  • Heavy Duty Cycle
  • Quick Wash Cycle
  • Dirt Removal
  • Clothes Wear
  • Water Retention
  • Washing Cycles
  • Customization
  • Additional Wash Options
  • Washing 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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In a typical year filled with a variety of wash cycles, the Whirlpool WET3300XQ will use more than 99 kWh of electricity. That's much more than an average washer.

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Water Use

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A top-loader, the Whirlpool WET3300XQ uses a lot of water. Even with a 2.5 cubic foot capacity, its delicates cycle still uses 22 gallons of water -- and other cycles aren't too far behind.

Cost Per Wash

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The Whirlpool WET3300XQ is cheaper than a laundromat, but more expensive than other washers. Its heavy duty cycle costs 18 cents per wash, and other cycles range between 11 and 14 cents each.

Yearly Running Cost

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In an average year, the Whirlpool WET3300XQ will set you back $56.25 in water and electricity costs.

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Washing Speed

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Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

In just over a half hour per wash, the Whirlpool WET3300XQ managed to shift some of the standardized stains in our test loads of laundry. Other washers do a much better job on this cycle.

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Cotton/Whites Cycle

We turned up the temperature to “hot” for the cotton/whites cycle. It still only reached 100 degrees, and the longer cycle only took 36 minutes. We’d recommend using this cycle for all washes, as it did a good job lifting stains — even tricky oil-based ones.

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Delicate Cycle

The Whirlpool WET3300XQ had a pretty impressive showing in the delicates cycle, able to remove most of stains in a very short time with little agitation and in a cold water wash.

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Heavy Duty Cycle

If we owned this washer, we would choose hot water for a heavy duty cycle. Even when set to “heavy,” a warm water temperature still barely broke 80 degrees. As a result, set in stains remained — especially the oil-based ones.

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Quick Wash Cycle

All the Whirlpool WET3300XQ’s cycles were quick, but the Quick Wash was particularly impressive. It proved worthy of cleaning lightly soiled loads in under a half hour.

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Dirt Removal

Most top-loaders have trouble with debris removal, and that’s certainly the case with the Whirlpool WET3300XQ. In our dirt tests, we added a measured amount of sand to each wash. Loads emerging from the Whirlpool still felt gritty, as did the inside of the washer tub.

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Clothes Wear

We use mechanical action strips to see just how rough a washer is on clothes. The Whirlpool WET3300XQ left our test strips with more frayed edges and loose threads than average.

Water Retention

Most cycles ended with clothes still logged with 2/3rds their weight in water. When a washer leaves clothes wet, it means a lot more work for the attached dryer.

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Washing Cycles

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For our tests, we chose the recommended temperatures for the most popular wash cycles in order to test the Whirlpool WET3300XQ's performance and efficiency.

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Customization

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Wash cycles can be customized by adding fabric softener or by changing the temperature. Some cycles can be made longer for a more thorough wash.

Additional Wash Options

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The only available option is a pre-wash on the normal and heavy cycles. There's no way to delay a wash or add a sanitizing cycle or steam wash.

Washing Options

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Detergent Dispenser

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Like most top-loaders with tall agitators, detergent is dispensed through the center of the agitator. After most washes, we found that some detergent remained caked on the inside of the agitator.

Washer Door

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To make room for the dryer above, the door only opens to about a 45 degree angle. That makes loading and unloading difficult, especially when clothes are soaking wet and heavy.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Ease of Use

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The Whirlpool WET3300XQ's combination of a manual control and shallow door opening means that it's more difficult to use than a more modern, standalone washer. Still, it's easier than carrying laundry to wash in a remote location.

Controls

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If you're used to washers and dryers with digital displays, the Whirlpool WET3300XQ may be a blast from the past. There's a single dial to choose a cycle. Turn it clockwise and align it with a wash cycle starting point, then pull the dial to start the cycle going.

Efficiency

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This washer uses almost twice the water and electricity of some standalone units. It also must be plugged into a 240v outlet, so you may have to call an electrician if you've never before had a laundry room hookup.

Performance

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The Whirlpool WET3300XQ's washing performance is good -- not great. Still, it lifts stains well enough that you can ditch the laundromat, and you shouldn't consider buying a bigger house to fit a more capable washer.

Features

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There's one feature that matters here: size. The Whirlpool WET3300XQ can fit where other washers can't, and that's why you'd buy it. If you can fit a bigger washer, it may be a better value.

Meet the tester

Keith Barry

Keith Barry

Former Editor in Chief, Reviewed Home

@itskeithbarry

Keith was the Editor in Chief of Reviewed's appliance and automotive sites. His work has appeared in publications such as Wired, Car & Driver, and CityLab.

See all of Keith Barry's reviews

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