Integrated or free-standing
Integrated washing machines are designed to fit into your kitchen and be hidden from view behind a door; free-standing washing machines are plainly visible. For integrated washing machines you'll need to have the necessary kitchen cabinet and matching front door - you can remove this from an existing kitchen or plan it if you're having a new kitchen fitted.
Spin speedThis states how fast the drum spins in revolutions per minute. In simple terms, the faster the drum spins the more water is extracted from your clothes, the dryer your clothes when they're removed, the quicker they'll hang dry or shorter the drying cycle you'll need. 1,200rpm is standard, on most washing machines but you can get up to 1,600rpm.
Wash capacityThe higher the wash load, measured as dry clothes in kg, the more clothes you can fit in one wash. This can help you save money, as you can get away with fewer wash cycles every week. The other advantage is that you can wash larger items, such as duvets. Look for 5kg or 6kg as standard, but 7kg, 8kg or 9kg are also popular, with 11kg the largest