To Pedestal or not to Pedestal?

Front loading Washers and Dryers as you know, are much more energy efficient than their Top Loading Counterparts. But bending down and reaching into them can be a pain. 

The proper way to bend would be to spread your feet apart to give your body a wide base of support, stand close to the object you are lifting, bend at your knees, not at your waist, and tighten your stomach muscles as you lift. It is important not to twist your back while you bend to reach the object, lift the object, or carry the object. Most of the time though, we bend at the waist and pick up whatever it is we need, but this 90-degree flex is the source of a lot of trouble. It puts strain on your back and can lead to muscle aches and pains, or worse.

To make life more convenient, there are pedestals for our front loading washers and dryers. They give the average person more comfort when working with Front Loading Sets. People will tell you, it's a Marketing Scheme, or a waste of money, and that may be true for certain people. But what pedestals are really about is you. 

Do you want to fold your laundry on top of your machines? 

Then you shouldn't get pedestals because they will make the top of the machines too high for you to fold clothes on top of. (I personally like to fold laundry in front of the TV)

Do you want more storage?

Some people say they never use storage, some people like to store their detergent on top of the machine, and some people have cabinets in their laundry room for storage. Again, it's personal preference. (I personally store rags and cleaning supplies in my pedestals)

Do you have back problems?

If so, and bending makes it worse, pedestals would be a definite plus.

Try going to one of our showrooms and taking a look at those on pedestals vs those without. Open up the door and pretend you are reaching in to retrieve a sock way in the back and see which one is more comfortable for you. 

Built ins vs Pedestals

Built-ins can look especially nice in the laundry room underneath Front Loaders. And there are many DIY blogs that tell you step by step instructions. In my first house, I had a built in and in my second house I got pedestals. Again it's all about personal preference, but the main reason for me was that with built ins, they are just that, built in. I found that I prefer pedestals because they can be moved much more easily. Which is especially important when it comes to maintaining your dryer, and you have to move it around, which we outlined in this post here. 

The best advice is to go try it out, see what fits for you. You can find our store locations here.