A Japanese approach that’s changing the way you do laundry

Good design not only introduces visually pleasing aesthetics but improves functionality and user experience. Great design, however, fully transforms routines and lifestyles.

When it came to its latest washer dryers, Hitachi drew upon the Japanese design ethos of subtraction to reveal a new laundry companion – the Hitachi Linear Smart Washer Dryer BD-D120XGV.

“An important feature of Hitachi’s design is simplicity; we seek to keep unnecessary elements to a minimum,” said Mr Atsushi Ishibashi, who designed the BD-D120XGV with Mr Masato Ninomiya. “When I looked at photos of washing machines, I felt that they didn’t match the interior decor. That discovery was the start of our design project.”

The final product is an elegant, minimalistic-looking showstopper that blends artfully with contemporary furnishings. A glass touch panel makes operation a breeze while a discreet interior light and a wide door opening facilitate your laundry activities.

Sleek looks aside, the two designers had to incorporate new technologies into the machine as well, such as Hitachi’s Wind Iron technology. “Putting that into a small body involved a lot of technical difficulty, but the result was spectacular,” shared Mr Ishibashi.

Thanks to Wind Iron technology, a powerful jet fan with high air flow speeds of up to 270km per hour efficiently spreads clothes against the large drum to ease out wrinkles. This means you get dry, wrinkle-free clothes that you can wear straight from the appliance. The technology has the most pronounced effect on smaller loads of 1kg to 3kg, and even makes towels fluffier as they dry, says Hitachi.

TODAY’S CLEAN COMES IN MANY WAYS

Technology has given us more ways to clean, and Hitachi’s Steam Iron function is for those times when one needs to quickly ready a piece. Steam Iron creates a similar high-speed air flow to that of Wind Iron, but adds a high-humidity environment inside the drum to clear out the creases. It takes just 15 minutes to get two shirts prepped, and the feature even eradicates odours – great for clothes that smell a little musty.

The global pandemic has also heightened the need for hygiene but sending items like soft toys and suits for regular dry-cleaning can be both time-consuming and expensive. With the Air Wash function on the BD-D120XGV, circulating air works to gently but effectively reduce bacteria and suppress virus activities on items, delivering clean and deodorised loads after every treatment. For those suits, shoes and odd-shaped items, it’s a game-changing function. 

And when it comes to cleaning, the Hitachi Linear Smart Washer Dryer BD-D120XGV aims to offer a deeper wash. Detergent, while good at dislodging dirt and imparting fragrance, doesn't kill bacteria and germs as much as people think. Setting heated washes at 60 degrees Celsius accomplishes the task with aplomb – deeply sanitising the clothes without the use of harsh chemicals, says Hitachi. An antibacterial and mould-proof shower lifter and door gasket have been added for boosted hygiene, so you don’t have to worry about stray contaminants.

SMART ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE

The new Hitachi Linear Smart Washer Dryer makes laundry tasks easy with clever automation. Besides conveniently integrating your laundry routine into one machine and cycle, it also comes with a smart AI wash system that calibrates the right setting for your laundry.

The washer dryer touts a feature called 8 Smart Sensing, which computes a variety of factors – from the type of detergent to the load volume and the textile type – to recommend the ideal washing method and duration. Combined with the Auto Dosing System that automatically dispenses the optimal amount of detergent and softener, your laundry will always get the safe clean it deserves.

In addition, the BD-D120XGV comes with its own IoT app – Hitachi Washer – so you can receive notifications on your wash, programme scheduled cycles and even remotely control washing methods after someone has loaded the clothes in the machine.

The direction might have come from subtraction, but Hitachi has certainly added a milestone laundry appliance with the Linear Smart Washer Dryer BD-D120XGV.

Get the Hitachi Linear Smart Washer Dryer BD-D120XGV and up your laundry game.