We've all been there haven't we? Your old washing machine has just broken down and flooded the floor for the third time this month and the repair guy has sucked in his breath or just laughed out loud, when you suggested that he might like to fix it! So, you decide that you will buy another one instead but what washing machine are you going to go for? Choosing a new washing machine can't be that hard can it? Let's run down to the washing machine store quickly and buy one before the dirty washing engulfs the whole house.

A little while later and you are looking at rows and rows of gleaming new machines. You are wondering which washing machine is going to be the best one for you. The salesman can smell the desperation in you and you know he is about to try and sell you the most expensive one there in the shop. What can you do to avoid this situation? I've put together a few suggestions to help you to think about what washing machine might suit you before you go to the store. You probably have a good idea about how much you want to spend so the next thing to think about is what other options do you want?

How many washes a week do you and your family do?

Sounds like a simple question, but it could make quite a difference to the questions that might follow on. To take an example, if you do a lot of washes every week then you ought to think about getting a washing machine that is going to be reliable instead of one that will do everything you could imagine. However, if you only do a few washes each week or you live somewhere that has no place where you can dry laundry, you might want to consider getting a combined washer and drier. The more expensive the machine the more program options they seem to have, but do you need them?

Are you concerned about the environment?

Many washing machines available now will do short cycle washes or quick washes. Some machines give you a half wash, which will use half the amount of water than normal. These options save energy and water and they are therefore better for the environment. Apart from the environmental issues, the short half-hour quick wash on my washing machine is extremely useful I find. I can get my weeks washing done in just a few short hours even if I have many machine loads to do. I rarely use any other programme on the machine. This feature will only work if you're clothes don't get too dirty though. If you have a clean job like mine then this won't be a problem for you, you can use the quick wash to freshen up your clothes and make them smell nice once again. Unfortunately you may need to use the longer wash programmes occasionally if your clothes do get very dirty or you have kids.

Is it economy you are looking for?

Washing machines sold today generally come with an energy rating where 'A' is the most economical to run in terms of less energy. The further you go down the alphabet the more energy it will need and be more costly to use. Be warned though, the energy ratings often don't tell you the whole story. The manufacturers are obviously trying their hardest to come up with machines where the regulations will allow them to put the most economical rating possible on it but how do they achieve this? I don't know exactly what tricks the manufacturers pull but one possible way to make a machine more economical is to regulate how quickly the water is brought to the temperature required. The longer it takes to heat up the less energy will be needed for the wash. If this trick is used to lower the running cost then you may well find that the wash cycles are longer than less efficient machines because the clothes wouldn't get as clean otherwise. The manufacturer will have come to the best compromise they can with efficiency, cycle time and cleaning ability but it will be a compromise. You may well find that the most energy efficient machines do not have a quick wash programme, which might be a mistake for you.

At the end of the day you should consider these questions and others that you might think of, before you go out shopping. Don't forget to think about the all important answers too, you want to have a good idea of what washing machine you want before you head off for the store.