Leak-proof laundry from Bosch

I might even enjoy doing laundry with these machines.

(Credit: Bosch)

Some years ago, I awoke to find a very large puddle of water on the floor around my laundry machines--never a good sign. It was made much worse by the fact that the floors in that area were newly installed laminate. Not fun.

You can avoid my tale of tragedy and woe if you get a washer from Bosch with its new AquaStop Leak Protection System. In the event of a leak in the machine or the hoses, AquaStop kicks in to stop the water. It automatically shuts off the unit and pumps out all the water in the machine if the overflow switch detects water in the base. Its double-walled inlet hose can also recognize a leak in the hose and immediately stop the water supply at the source.

You can get AquaStop on Bosch's new full-size front-load laundry line, Vision (it's also available in dishwashers). The Vision line features EcoSmart technology, which continuously analyzes the wash cycle and automatically adjusts water level, temperature, and suds level. Other energy-friendly technologies with capital letter names: ActiveWater, a system that uses 70 percent less water per load than the industry average, and EcoAction, a button you can press to reduce energy use by up to 20 percent per wash load and 10 percent per dry cycle. That last one's a little confusing to me; I wonder what you are giving up when you press it?

The Vision line comes in stackable and side-by-side configurations. Prices run about $1,000 to $1,500 per appliance.