Whirlpool Brand Makes Living Green Easier With the New Whirlpool® Cabrio® Laundry Pair

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Whirlpool brand, flagship of the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, continues to create new and innovative laundry products that use less energy and water. With the launch of the new Whirlpool® Cabrio® high-efficiency top-load laundry pair, consumers can live green without breaking the bank by using 74 percent less water and 76 percent less energy per load(1).  

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According to a recent online survey(2) conducted on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation by Harris Interactive, 68 percent of consumers say they do their best to be green to the extent that it fits into their lifestyles and finances. The Whirlpool® Cabrio® laundry pair delivers in a big way for this group, providing uncompromised, high-efficiency (HE) laundry at a price point under $1,100. And, the ENERGY STAR® qualified pair can save consumers more than $2,100 in lifetime water and energy costs(3)—more than the total MSRP of the pair. In addition, an Eco Monitor in the washer and dryer shows the eco-friendliness of each cycle or option, while the EcoBoost™ cycle option achieves the cleaning performance while lowering overall energy and water use.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office says that by 2013, at least 36 states could face water shortages. For every household that uses the new Whirlpool® Cabrio® laundry pair, 11,600 gallons of water could be saved each year. If all households in California—12.1 million, according to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau report—used the new Whirlpool® Cabrio® laundry pair for one year, the state could save 140 billion gallons of water and still wash 4.74 billion loads of laundry. Putting 140 billion gallons of water into perspective, one could fill 212,121 Olympic-size pools with that amount of water or both sides of Niagara Falls could run for an entire summer.

"Water is the biggest environmental issue facing us today. It's a resource we can't live without, yet most of us take it for granted as we brush, flush and consume water seemingly without limit. Changing our behavior can be easy. In my book, you'll find hundreds of simple tips for water savings in the home, garden and office to make a difference, without making big changes in your life," said Thomas Kostigen, author of "The Green Blue Book: The Simple Water-Savings Guide to Everything in Your Life." "Some simple changes like soaking your vegetables instead of rinsing them or using ENERGY STAR qualified appliances can make a huge impact. If you're using a six-year-old top-load washer, you may be able to save up to 30 gallons per load of laundry if you switch to a high efficiency washer."

In addition to caring for the environment, Whirlpool brand helps consumers care for their clothes.  The new Cabrio laundry pair is 35 percent more gentle on clothes(4). The Cabrio® washer's impeller and wash basket move independently with unique wash actions to deliver ideal cleaning performance for virtually all fabric types and load sizes. It also features the H2Low™ wash system which uses Auto Load Sensing technology to use less water per load but still delivers better cleaning and gentleness than a traditional washer. In the dryer, the AccuDry™ drying system automatically stops the cycle when the load is dry. Tumbling and heating times are reduced, so clothes avoid shrinking and damage. Dryers with the AccuDry™ drying system use 10 percent less energy than Whirlpool traditional dryers(5).

The new Whirlpool Cabrio washer (WTW5500X/5600X/WTW5700X) and dryer (WG/ED5500X/5600X/WE/GD5700X) will be available in 2010 with an MSRP starting at $599 for the washer and $599 for the dryer. For more information on Whirlpool brand, please go to www.whirlpool.com.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation from November 20-24, 2009 among 2,089 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

About Whirlpool Brand

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. Whirlpool brand recognizes that consumers lead busy, active lives and continues to create solutions that help consumers optimize productivity and efficiency in the home. In addition to designing appliance solutions based on consumer insight, Whirlpool brand is dedicated to creating ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances like the new Duet® washer which uses 74 percent less water and 80 percent less energy than a traditional top load washer manufactured before 2004. When used with the washer, the new Duet® Resource Saver® dryer improves dryer energy usage by 40 percent as compared to traditional top-load laundry pairs, average size load. Whirlpool is one of Habitat for Humanity's largest corporate partners, donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity home built in the United States. For more information on Whirlpool brand, please visit www.whirlpool.com. Additional information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

1. When compared to conventional pre-2004 top-load washers
2. According to a recent online survey of 2,089 adults conducted November 20-24, 2009 on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation by Harris Interactive
3. When compared to pre-2004 conventional washer and dryer, electric dryer models only, based on average use, 10-year life. Savings varies from $1,955 to $2,101, depending on Cabrio washer and dryer model.
4. As compared to Whirlpool brand's best-selling conventional top load washer.
5. Equipped with the AutoDry™ system, electric dryers only

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation