As a mature category in the home appliance industry, in the face of the new market situation and demand trends, washing machine companies are speeding up product upgrades and competing in technology and performance, so as to activate the demand for new products and achieve a breakthrough in market scale. With the efforts of many brands, the current new washing machine products show three major trends.
"Healthy sterilization" has become the standard configuration of washing machines
In the post-epidemic era, people's consumption concepts have changed, and health has become the key point to boost consumption, and it has also become an important innovation point for household appliances. Due to the direct contact between clothes and the human body, people's pursuit of clothing health is getting higher and higher, which brings the direction of innovation and upgrading to washing machines.
Judging from the new products on the market, health attributes such as sterilization, mite removal, and disinfection have become the standard configuration of washing machine products, and are used as the main selling point of the product to attract consumers. "As consumers become more health-conscious, sterilization and antibacterial functions are no longer optional, but a vital building block of the value of laundry products. The relevant person in charge of BSH Laundry Products Division emphasized. According to reports, at present, 95% of Bosch washing machines, 100% of Bosch washer-dryers and dryers have sterilization-related functions, 60% of Siemens washer-dryers have the function of "hot air sterilization", and 100% of Siemens dryers have the function of "sterilization and drying". It can be seen that the sterilization function has become the basic configuration of most of BSH's washing and drying products.
Based on the health function becoming the standard, the current new washing machine also shows multi-dimensional innovation at this level.
The healthy sterilization properties of washing machines are first reflected in the diversification of sterilization methods. A variety of sterilization and mite removal methods such as high-temperature boiling, steam sterilization and mite removal, hot air drying and sterilization, silver ion sterilization, ozone sterilization, ionization sterilization and other sterilization and mite removal methods emerge in an endless stream, striving to become the preferred choice for users to achieve healthy laundry care.
Among them, the HP ionization sterilization used in Haier washing machines is a physical sterilization method, the main principle is to use unique polymer to release positive ions when exposed to water, and adsorb negative bacteria and viruses to achieve deep sterilization. "Haier has always adhered to the concept of 'customer first', actively responded to the health needs of consumers, and is committed to providing users with a healthier and safer laundry experience. According to the relevant person in charge of Haier, the functions and programs such as steam ironing and air washing carried by Haier washing machines also have the effect of healthy sterilization.
Whirlpool combines a variety of sterilization and mite removal methods to achieve better clothing sterilization results. "Whirlpool W9 series laundry care machine combines negative ion sterilization, steam sterilization, and hot air sterilization mite sterilization, and is committed to providing a healthier and more caring washing and drying experience. The relevant person in charge of Whirlpool said.
In addition, some companies pay attention to the pain points of sterilization of window doors and door seals of drum washing machines to set up corresponding functions. Washing machine window doors and door seals are easy to hide dirt and dirt, breed bacteria, and may lead to secondary pollution of the clothes in the drum, which is also a pain point for users all along. In this regard, Haier washing machines are equipped with double spray rinsing to flush the window doors and door seals to avoid foam residue while washing clothes. "The windows and doors of Haier drum washers and dryers are also equipped with AMT anti-mold and antibacterial window mats, which can effectively prevent moisture retention and mold growth, and keep the door dry and clean. The relevant person in charge of Haier added.
Whirlpool emphasizes the whole process of sterilization and disinfection from the washing and drying process to the cleaning tube after washing. It is understood that Whirlpool W7 Master Series Washing and Drying Set reflects its latest exploration in the whole process of health and cleaning. Among them, the washing machine uses Hybrid sterilization and mite removal technology to remove mites, plus anti-allergic program, sterilization liquid exclusive program, antibacterial door seal, and intelligent oxygen cleaning cylinder quadruple protection, while the dryer combines plasma sterilization technology, hot air sterilization and mite removal, and adds aromatherapy module to eliminate bacteria and odor in an all-round way, advancing to a healthy life.
Compared with most ordinary people, maternal and infant, allergic and other groups of people have higher requirements for clothing health, and some companies have launched special maternal and infant washing machines and sterilization technologies specifically for the needs of these groups. In particular, BSH has paid attention to the high sterilization needs of mothers and infants, and has launched the "OZONE Washing" technology, which injects an appropriate concentration of OZONE into the drum to penetrate into the fabric fibers without dead ends, so as to achieve sterilization before washing and avoid chemical residues, so as to protect the health of fabrics and mothers and babies to the greatest extent.
At present, the health needs of users have become normalized and evolved into a long-term demand. Then, the healthy sterilization properties and functions of the washing machine will inevitably become the basic configuration. For leading enterprises, the greater test is the continuous exploration and upgrading of providing more intimate, effective and comprehensive health care solutions.
Exquisite washing and care are fully upgraded
In addition to the pursuit of health, the upgrading of user needs is also reflected in the increasingly segmented and professional needs for exquisite cleaning and care. "The growing demand for exquisite cleaning and care reflects the change in consumer consumption concepts and the pursuit of quality of life, and also reveals the differentiated needs of the market. The head of BSH Laundry says that when consumers have more and more delicate fabrics, such as silk, wool and cashmere, their demand for laundry solutions is also changing from simple washing to high-end fabric care, which is both a challenge and an opportunity for home appliance manufacturers.
The relevant person in charge of Whirlpool believes that three adjustments are needed to meet the refined cleaning and care needs of users. "First, in the whole process of washing and drying, through the optimization of each step of the program, reduce the damage to the clothes caused by the operation of the machine, and wash and dry the clothes gently and efficiently; the second is to enrich the experimental types of washing and drying as much as possible, and design exclusive programs according to the characteristics of the clothing material and cut; third, according to the identity characteristics of the consumer group, to provide more focused washing and drying solutions, such as maternal and infant groups, business people, etc. Based on the comprehensive interview and market situation, the reporter of "Electrical Appliances" found through observation that in the continuous upgrading of exquisite cleaning and care, enterprises mainly make efforts from three directions.
The first is to set up the corresponding washing and care plan according to different clothing fabrics, especially the professional washing and care functions of silk, wool, down, shirts and other special fabrics to meet the needs of different groups.
Whirlpool W7 Master Series Washing and Drying Set matches the intelligent washing and drying intelligent judgment of clothing material, clothing dryness and humidity, and sets the appropriate washing time, temperature and intensity to achieve washing and stopping, rinsing and drying, and caring for clothes in an intelligent and simple way; The diverse dress characteristics of fashionistas can easily cope with a variety of social scenes such as business and banquet ceremonies.
The second is to reduce all kinds of wear and tear and deformation of clothes in the process of washing machine operation through washing technology innovation, program adjustment and increase or product structure design.
BSH's washing machine products are representative in this respect. "The Siemens Cleanmark Series washer-dryer has an 80L ultra-large inner cylinder, which increases the capacity of the ordinary inner cylinder by 26%, making the clothes more stretched, and with the innovative low-pressure air cushion texture design in the cylinder, it can form a thin air film between the clothes and the inner cylinder, reducing the wear and tear of the cylinder wall and clothes during washing and dehydration. According to the person in charge of BSH Household Appliances Cleaning Products Division, the product is also equipped with an innovative intelligent jitter program, which can effectively reduce the probability of entanglement of clothes, reduce the generation of wrinkles, and thus reduce wear.
On a technical level, BSH's innovative OZONE technology keeps clothes clean and fresh without the need for washing, while reducing wear and tear. The head of BSH Laundry explains that the advantage of the technology is that it decomposes odors and virus particles hidden in the fabric fibers without additional heating, thus minimizing the possibility of damage to the fabric by high temperatures.
The third is the drying upgrade. In recent years, washing machines with drying functions have become more and more common, but the drying temperature is too high, which will lead to the deformation of the fabric and irreversible damage to the clothes. For example, the heat pump drying technology equipped with Bosch washing machines has a professional drying program, which not only makes it easy to dry down jackets and woolen sweaters, but also carefully cares for silk quilts to make them softer and fluffier.
There is also a molecular sieve low-temperature drying solution launched by Roborock with the so-called "third drying technology in the industry". It is reported that the working principle of low-temperature drying of molecular sieve is to send the moist air of the clothes to the molecular sieve turntable for adsorption and sterilization through the double-air air circulation system, and at the same time turn it into a dry and warm airflow and return to the tube, so that the clothes can be dried repeatedly to avoid damage caused by high temperatures.
From the cases of these washing machine companies, it can be found that the realization and continuous upgrading of exquisite cleaning and care require relevant innovative technical support. "Demand first, technology follow, product presentation" of a delicate cleaning track is in full swing, which can promote the new demand of the washing machine market and bring new increments to the industry.
The aesthetic freedom of "ultra-thin flat embedding".
With the continuous improvement of consumers' requirements for the overall aesthetics and comfort of the home environment, the trend of home appliance integration is gradually emerging. "Ultra-slim flush" washing machines are often designed as ultra-slim models, which can be perfectly integrated into the home environment, not only saving space, but also harmonizing with the style of home decoration, so it is gradually favored by consumers.
Casarte Washing Machine has launched the concept of "1m2 flat embedded laundry room", integrating the washing machine into the balcony and bathroom cabinet with the original pure flat embedded design, and building a customized washing scene from healthy partition to efficient washing and drying through different product combinations such as partitioned washing and washing and drying integrated machine and wall-mounted washing machine, which significantly improves the utilization rate of balcony and other spaces.
"For users, flush washing machines mean more beautiful design, more reasonable space layout and a higher quality of minimalist lifestyle. The relevant person in charge of Haier believes that the flat embedding of washing machines has brought about the upgrading of family use scenarios, and has also given birth to the home decoration trend of "Keyang integration".
It can be seen that when Haier launched the flush washing machine, it took more into account the embedded scene of the product and the use of it with other related products.
"Ultra-thin flat embedded" is not only a change in the appearance and use scenarios of the model, but also an improvement in the aesthetic level of the home. This not only tests the manufacturing ability of the enterprise, but also tests the aesthetic and design concept of the enterprise.
The person in charge of BSH Household Appliances Washing Products Division believes that the emergence of "ultra-thin flat insert" washing machines will gradually move the aesthetic style of home decoration closer to the minimalist style. In this regard, the Siemens iQ300 prism series washing and drying set follows a new design concept, in accordance with the law of "from curved to straight, from scratch", integrating a suspended mechanical knob, a flat control panel, a bezel-less display and a hidden handle to achieve visual harmony and unity. "It's an aesthetic that simplifies the complex, especially with the chrome strip at the bottom of the panel and the new door ring. He stressed.
Nowadays, new washing machine products have made a lot of breakthroughs in the three major trends, and representative products and technologies have also appeared. What new surprises will the washing machine bring in the future? Perhaps time is the best answer.