Moving out sounds like every Millennial’s dream come true these days; that is, till you’re reminded of what the full package of this rite to independence entails: there’s monthly mortgage or rent to finance, countless bills to pay for, and not to forget the greatest terror of all: household chores.
Still, with technology taking the wheel, we’ve been blessed with a whole sea of household appliances that take the load off our shoulders from the nitty-gritties of housework. Over the Chinese New Year holidays, we’ve chatted with our friends and relatives on what really are their favourite appliances that save time in cooking and cleaning.
We ask 18 Singaporeans to share with us what their best home appliance purchases ever is that helps them cut down the time spent on chores.
Taobao FIVI Portable Dryer
Image credit: Taobao
“I couldn’t afford the Steigen laundry drying rack, so I took my chances with this Taobao portable dryer and it has been a real life changer! For slightly under $200, this dryer lets me dry 8-10 pieces of clothing in 1-1.5 hours and 2-3 pieces of bedding in 2-3 hours. There’s even the antibacterial and antimite function that gives me extra peace of mind. It also is super easy to assemble, and folds down to the size of a small luggage when not in use – 10/10 all around.”
Sam, 33
Chromium Grey Sterra S™ Tankless Water Purifier
Image credit: Sterra
“No regrets buying the Sterra water dispenser for my new home. I truly felt the drastic difference from the past, where I had to manually boil water using a kettle. Not forgetting the extra painful steps of reboiling the water when it goes cold and having to refill the kettle. For someone who drinks warm/hot water for most of the day, this really saves me loads of time since I can get warm/hot water in a matter of seconds.
Also, my favourite feature of this purifier is its UV Automated Sterilisation, which saves me time on washing this appliance. I simply just have to push the nozzle in and it cleans itself overnight. In the morning, it’ll automatically pop right out and be ready for use again. It’s easy to use and hassle free.”
Lynnette, 30
Samsung QuickDrive Smart Washer Dryer Combo
Image credit: Samsung
“One of the best washing machine upgrades I’ve ever made. Not only do I love how I can wash a full cycle of clothes in under 40 mins, the ‘add wash’ function and the little door on the front always helps whenever I discover a stray sock or t-shirt after I start a wash. And because I live in a 3-room flat that doesn’t get much natural sunlight, it really helps on wet, rainy days where sunning clothes outside is not an option.”
Kimberly, 31
Roborock S5 Max
Image credit: @roborock.japan
“It has both vacuum and mop options. Although I do vacuum and sweep every week by hand for overhaul cleaning, having the Roborock to do the everyday vacuuming does help a lot in maintaining the cleanliness of the house. Also because it’s smart, I can program it to vacuum and mop the house while I’m out so my house is clean by the time I get home.”
James, 32
Xiaomi Mijia
Image credit: @joannabloguje
“My Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner! I don’t like to lug those heavy ones with cords around so with this, I just leave it on autopilot and it helps me vacuum and mop (although the mopping part I still have to do one more round for a proper clean).”
Jerlyn, 25
“Although it may not necessarily clean better than manual vacuums, this saves loads of time, and you can even operate it when you’re out of the house through their app system powered by their IoT technology.”
Ting, 20
Dyson V15
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
“I like how with a few buttons and an easy-to-use interface, you can easily clean the dust off the floor, and you can even use the light function to ensure all the dust has been removed. Besides being very effective, it’s also very fun to use it to vacuum.”
Xavier, 24
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
“Since my family doesn’t own a broom, the vacuum is able to get bigger pieces of dirt and dust off the floor easily in one push. Unlike a broom, you need not worry about the collected dust falling off back into the floor, and you can dispose of it easily.”
Ying, 20
Dyson V12
Image credit: Dyson Singapore
“It’s best feature is its laser, which shows you every single speck of dust on the floor. It’s powerful and efficient too, as in you don’t have to go over the same spot several times cos it sucks everything up! Plus, it comes with a bunch of attachments as well to clean sofas, rugs, small spaces. A true blessing for pet owners too because it helps to get rid of like stubborn pet dander all over my furniture.”
Jess, 34
Samsung Bespoke Airdresser
Image credit: @jessicamagazinehk
“We all have clothes where they are too clean to be washed, but also too dirty to be put back into the wardrobe. This airdresser allows you to disinfect your clothes so you can wear them again, and it’s good especially for luxury items where you need to take extra care of the garment materials. Plus, it’s also a neat and aesthetic way of keeping them.”
Vic, 28
Miele Fully Integrated Dishwasher with Cutlery Tray
Image credit: @miele_japan
“You may think that dishwashers consume way more energy, or that it’s simply not as effective as washing by hand. Actually, it saves a lot of energy and water. Plus, all you need to do is wipe your dishes clean with a little bit of grease on top, stack it nicely and it’ll be thoroughly soaped, jet sprayed, and you can leave it on the countertop to dry a little bit more afterwards – all while you’re relaxing away from the kitchen.”
Pam, 43
Tomal Freshdew water dispenser
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
“Water dispensers may sound like a waste of money, or that they’re a hassle to sort out the piping to the water source, but no. Now, you don’t have to worry about filling up jugs of water to put into the fridge for a few hours before they become chilled, or get the kettle to boil hot water for your coffee.”
Yoke, 57
Philips Daily Collection air fryer
Image credit: @yarenlifeblog
“It’s very easy to use. On days my mom doesn’t cook and I don’t feel like spending money to dabao food back home, I can easily pop in a few frozen nuggets, dumplings or any finger foods and air fry till it’s crisp and very tasty, and it’s not difficult to wash too. It even makes for a good quick snack if you’re randomly hungry throughout the day.”
Yongjin, 19
Tefal Easy Fry Oven & Grill
Image credit: @jack.cook.ing
“Tefal’s easy fry oven and grill is oil free, making life easier when you want to bake, roast or grill any of your meals as you don’t have to spend time cleaning up oil stains. This counts for one cooking “hack” that saves you time, and motivates you to cook more regularly.”
Joshua, 23
Steigen Solar Ultra Automated Laundry Drying Rack
Image credit: @weenaay
“The rack makes drying your clothes much easier especially on rainy days, since it has a built-in dryer with a UV-disinfection function. You can easily build it into your laundry room at home, and you no longer have to wait for sunny weather to hang your clothes outside your window, and worry about getting them inside when the sky looks cloudy.”
Ayden, 27
Iona Multi-Cooker
Image credit: Steph
“Here I can slow-cook lotus root soup for hours, cook stew or even sayur lodeh and it can remain warm all through dinner. This makes it easy to cook dishes like these without using the gas stove, and it’s easy to clean.”
Anne, 40
AliExpress Desktop Vacuum Cleaner Robot
“Just like your floor, your tables also collect a lot of dust, and we may often neglect to clean them. This mini desktop vacuum I bought does its job well, and it’s very affordable too where it cleans my dining, coffee and working tables well.”
Kaiteng, 20
Airbot iClean PRO
Image credit: Airbot
“Even if it’s handheld, it still saves a lot of effort vacuuming the floor. It can clean the most stubborn stains and dust on the floor in one swipe effectively.”
Hun, 22
Rainbow SRX vacuum cleaner
Image credit: eBay
“On top of being a good vacuum, it has a special function where you put water and an in-house chemical inside and it’ll automatically soak up the dust on the floor. It also serves as a diffuser to clear the air.”
Pach, 23
Midea Portable Dishwasher
Image credit: Midea
“My mom bought a portable dishwasher recently. It’s honestly a godsend for saving loads of time everyday on dishwashing chores. Plus, it being portable makes it easier as you need not worry about any electrical wiring work, and it’s easier to maintain if it becomes faulty.”
Matthew, 22
Best appliances that save time on chores the most
Granted that there are countless products on the market to choose from, the selection for good household appliances out there can be overwhelming. What most of us would want are appliances that are not only effective, but are long-lasting enough with an affordable price tag.
To make your search easier, we’ve asked these friends and families of ours for their first-hand input on what some of the best home appliances in Singapore are. Hopefully, you’ll be able to make the best purchases once and for all, as these will be your greatest lifesavers that get you through everyday life at home.
For more tips at home:
- Best Standard Products items under $20
- Clever space-saving furniture options
- Designer dupes at Ikea
- Coolest smart home devices
Cover image adapted from: @weenaay, @revolt.thesail, @joannabloguje
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