For efficient laundry care in nursing homes

The name says it all: The washing machines from Miele's 'Performance Plus' model range require considerably less electricity and water than conventional machines. At the same time, they meet the highest of demands with respect to hygiene and user convenience – and therefore readily rise to the challenges posed by nursing homes. The machines cater for loads of between 10 and 20 kg.

More than 90 standard and special-purpose programmes, for instance for disinfection, pillows or kitchen laundry, as well as additional memory slots for more than 100 customised programmes characterise the three machines from the 'Performance Plus' range. These machines are recognisable at a glance by their stainless-steel fronts. In addition to this, Miele also offers two entry-line models under the 'Performance' label – in octoblue and with six practical direct-access buttons for programme selection.

All machines from the 'Performance' and 'Performance Plus' ranges feature a patented door lock mechanism which allows the door to be opened and shut at the touch of a finger. The slightest of pressure suffices to activate the lock and start a cycle. Additional ergonomic advantages are offered by the porthole door which has been increased in diameter by 12% to a current 415 mm compared with the previous generation.

The patented honeycomb drum 2.0 goes a long way towards ensuring economical energy consumption. Its modified shower ribs convert the 40 l of water in the drum into up to 500 l of water which is repeatedly showered onto the laundry from above. This arrangement of perforations in the shower ribs makes for particularly thorough wetting and drenching of loads. Additional long holes at the base of the ribs ensure the fast and improved removal of coarser debris. Furthermore, the sculptured body of the Miele honeycomb drum lets garments glide gently on a thin film of water. The combination of the two features allows thorough washing whilst at the same time ensuring exemplary gentle fabric care.

This is also one effect of the EcoSpeed wash process which relies on different rotational speeds. At the start of a programme, low-speed rotation ensures that the shower ribs scoop up the maximum possible amount of water. The shower effect then wets textiles in the of times, even when the water level in the drum is low. After that, the drum speed is continuously increased. This results in the load being 'plastered' against the body of the drum, squeezing water out of fabrics and thereby increasing detergency. The laundry load relaxes once more and is able to absorb more wash liquor as soon as the drum slows down again. This alternation between showering and compression is repeated many times over – resulting in perfect wash results in combination with low consumption.

The oval-shaped outer drum has no corners, nooks or crannies where detergent residue and particulate matter can accumulate. The outer drum, or suds container, hugs the inner drum tightly and creates the pre-requisites for the efficient use of water and energy. That is why Performance Plus machines use for instance around 20% less water and 30% less energy than the previous generation of machines. Models from the 'Performance Plus' range with their integrated, optionally available weighing plinth use even less water, detergent and electricity. These built-in scales determines the precise weight of the load, however small, and gauge the supply of resources accordingly and with great precision.

Transportation to the installation site, too, is now considerably simpler and more convenient as all the plinths on these models allow palletiser access and because the machines pass through standard doors with ease, thanks to their compact dimensions. Additional convenience is guaranteed by the extremely smooth running properties of all the models. The secret behind this is a combination of additional shock absorbers and a patented system comprising two independent sets of suspension springs which noticeably reduce vibration during spinning.

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Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Business Unit Professional). The Miele company, founded in 1899, has eight production plants in Germany as well as one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2016/17 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.93 bn with sales outside Germany accounting for 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 19,500, 10,900 thereof in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.