The Candy Multiwash has three drums and I’ve called it Mickey Mouse
The Candy Multiwash has three drums. You can control each one individually and use them simultaneously. But does that make any difference? I put it to the test to find out.
The one with a round head and two round ears – for almost 100 years every kid has come across this iconic character. With its one large drum and two small ones, the Candy Multiwash is very reminiscent of it. That’s why my family immediately started calling it Mickey – and not Candy MQD 410CBL9-S, as it says on the spec sheet.
How the three drums work
Not only is the Candy Multiwash’s design unusual, but so is its overall concept. The washing machine has three built-in drums: one large one that holds ten kilogrammes and two small ones, each holding one kilogramme of laundry. They work like three separate washing machines. You can adjust the settings individually and wash one, two or three loads.
However, having three appliances in one also means that the Multiwash is larger and heavier than a standard machine. So you’ll need to measure the space in your bathroom or laundry room carefully. The washing machine is 107 cm high, 60 cm wide and 59.5 cm deep. And it weighs a hefty 117 kilogrammes.
You operate the washing machine using two touchscreens on the doors of the small drums – that is, on Mickey’s ears. The left screen is for the left drum, and the right one is for the right drum plus the large drum. Here, you use a touch button to switch between the settings for the smaller drum and larger drum.
By the way, the small drum on the left operates independently. With the right, split control panel, you have to wait about 30 seconds after starting a wash cycle before you can set the next cycle. So you start the program for the large drum and then wait half a minute before you can switch to the small drum, where you have the full menu to choose from.
I don’t like touchscreens on household appliances. I regularly curse our stove because it doesn’t reliably recognise my inputs. I’m pleasantly surprised by Mickey – if it’s going to be a touchscreen, this is how it should work. The display is large and easy to read. It responds quickly and precisely to my fingers. All I had to look up on the manual in the beginning were the symbols for the wash cycles. Not all of them are self-explanatory. It would have been helpful to have a laminated reference chart stuck on the machine for the first few weeks.
Does more drums equal better?
Maybe you’re asking yourself the same question I did before the test: what’s the point of three drums? I couldn’t imagine it – but now I get it.
The Candy Multiwash is great for the following:
- Small loads: The small drums are ideal for quick loads in between regular washes: smelly sports clothes, your favourite shirt with a fresh stain or baby clothes that repeatedly get dirty. These are all things I’d want to clean right away. Instead of running an eight-kilo machine, you can save water and energy by using the one-kilo drum. You can put a couple of T-shirts on a 15-minute quick rinse without feeling bad about it. If you did this in a standard-sized washing machine, it’d use about 70 per cent more water and energy, according to the manufacturer’s tests.
- Sorting laundry: You can wash your white socks, black underwear and a colourful mix of shirts and trousers all at the same time, but separately. Doing so saves time. This helps you avoid running extra loads with small piles of laundry. The small drums are also great for laundry with more specific washing needs: pillowcases or flannels you wash at 60 or 90 degrees, or a wool sweater on the gentle cycle.
- Large loads: Most machines hold seven or eight kilogrammes of laundry. The Candy Multiwash manages a total of 12 kilogrammes per wash. For families, this is a huge plus.
Yes, you can do all of this with a standard machine. But, using three drums makes the entire process faster and easier. When I tested it, I took full advantage of the 12-kilogramme capacity for my weekly laundry. And, to my surprise, I’d often have one of the small drums running.
I washed tomato stains off my shirt and dirt splatters off my jeans right away. That way, I didn’t have to run a large machine just for a single item of clothing, nor wait for the dirt to dry. I quickly rinsed out sweat-soaked towels and baseball caps so that they were ready to face the summer heat again in no time.
It’s clear from my test that three drums are a luxury I absolutely love having. Other top-of-the-line models from Candy also cost between 800 and 1,000 francs. When you think about it, the Multiwash doesn’t cost much more and lies mid-range when compared across the board.
Impressive down to the last detail
The machine’s rated in the top energy efficiency class, A, and runs surprisingly quietly. Even when several drums are spinning at the same time and I’m stood right next to the machine, the noise measures around 56 decibels. If I go into the next room, I can’t hear it anymore. Mickey also doesn’t beep particularly loudly when the wash has finished. So I prefer to set an alarm when I’m working two rooms away.
For the detergent, fabric softener and additional detergent, there are three dispensers built in. I hadn’t not seen this before and was so excited to try it out. What’s cool is that you don’t have to measure out a new dose of detergent before every wash cycle. The machine takes care of this for all three drums. Before the wash cycle, you can choose whether to use more or less detergent. Whether you use detergent pods, detergent strips or no detergent at all, you can also deactivate the dispensers.
The dispenser trays can hold 1.5 litres of washing detergent, 1.0 litre of fabric softener and 0.5 litres of additional detergents. It would have been helpful if Candy had put this information right next to the dispensers instead of hiding it on page 24 of the instructions. Still, the machine warns you if you pour in too much. But this only works when it’s turned on. You can’t see how full the trays are, but you get a notification when they’re almost empty.
Personally, I also really like the specific programs for small items, such as baby clothes, towels, socks, underwear or sportswear. Thanks to the touchscreen, you can quickly and easily find the right settings.
I grew particularly fond of Mickey over the test weeks. That’s not because of how it looks, nor the world’s most famous mouse. The best thing is the practical benefit – three drums make doing my laundry way easier.
In a nutshell
Three washing machines in one
The Candy Multiwash combines three separately controllable drums in a single unit. You can use different programs on it at the same time. That’s handy when you have separate washing piles that you want to wash at once. The small drums are ideal for sports gear, baby clothes or a heavily soiled T-shirt.
The Candy Multiwash costs just under 1,000 francs or euros. It’s a steep price, but fair considering the features. The machine can wash up to 12 kilogrammes in a single load. It takes up a lot of space and weighs 117 kilogrammes – so you should keep that in mind when placing your order.
Pro
- 3 individually controllable drums
- Quiet
- Wide range of features
- Detergent and fabric softener dispenser
- Easy-to-use touchscreens
Contra
- Takes up a lot of space
- No bargain
Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
