Laundry rooms that lack space for separate washers and dryers can take advantage of the washer/dryer combo models that many major manufacturers produce. The machines also typically do not require an air vent, as a normal dryer would, and are therefore easily installed in apartments where this would be hard to install. Although washer/dryer combos are rarely as effective as using separate washers and dryers, they’ve proven very popular for people with limited space.
The appliances can be powered by either gas or electricity, and can be either front- or top-loading. Widths are either 24 or 27 inches, the latter of which is comparable to a normal washer or dryer.
All of the usual advice that applies to washers and dryers applies here — look for a model that’s efficient (carries the Energy Star logo) and quiet, and bear in mind that bigger-brand models will often be easier to have repaired. But there is some advice that’s specific to washer/dryer combos. For example, many models can plug straight into a standard 110-volt power socket, so you needn’t have a heavy-duty socket installed. Make sure you check before buying, as the extra expense of having a new socket installed is not to be taken lightly. More-recent models offer many of the wash programs you’ll find on separate washers, including hand wash and wool wash settings. Some also offer dry-only modes.
What you need to bear firmly in mind is that these appliances are not a full alternative to separate machines. Only go down this route if you don’t have the space for a separate washer and dryer — the drying cycles take longer, and often leave the clothes slightly damp, and the load capacity, at about 15 pounds, is slightly lower than in a stand-alone washer.