X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

If You've Ever Ruined Sweaters in the Wash, Whirlpool's New Machine Has a Fix

The built-in basket keeps socks together and shields delicate sweaters from the wear and tear of everyday washing.

Headshot of David Watsky
Headshot of David Watsky
David Watsky Managing Editor / Home and Kitchen
David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. David earned his BA from Northeastern and has toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.
Expertise Kitchen tools | Appliances | Food science | Subscriptions | Meal kits
David Watsky
2 min read
A sweater in delicates basket in washing machine

Whirlpool's built-in delicates basket aims to save your sweaters from damage.

 David Watsky/CNET

If you've ever pulled a sweater from the washing machine to find a tangled collection of yarn, you wouldn't be the first. Whirlpool's new washing machine has a feature that aims to solve the issue without requiring hand-washing or running a dedicated delicates cycle.

The new Whirlpool top-load washer includes a built-in delicate basket that sits inside the drum, shielding sweaters and other fragile items from the agitation of a regular wash cycle. The basket also corrals socks in one place, making it easier to match and fold them when laundry time is done.

delicates basket sitting on top of washing machine

Serial sock losers will appreciate Whirlpool's industry-first delicates basket. 

 David Watsky/CNET

While LG's sidekick pedestal washer makes a similar claim, that version features a separate wash bin under the main drum. Whirlpool's is a simple plastic basket, large enough for a sweater and plenty of socks, that sits right on top of the machine's impeller inside the drum. 

washer shot from above with delicates basket in the center

The basket can be removed to retrieve your delicates or left out for a wash that doesn't require it. 

 David Watsky/CNET

I saw the soon-to-be-released machine at KBIS in Orlando. Just weeks before, I'd ruined one of my favorite sweaters by machine-washing it, so the feature won me over. The idea is so simple and smart, yet this seems to be the only modern washing machine to incorporate it. 

washer shot from above with delicates basket in the center

Whirlpool debuted a delicates basket for soft sweaters and socks at KBIS 2026.

 David Watsky/CNET

While we weren't able to see the machine in action yet (it was only on display), a Whirlpool representative told me that clothes placed in the center basket remain there through the cycle, thanks to the distinct water flow patterns. 

Best Washing Machines We Tested See at Cnet

The basket is easily removed with a gentle squeeze of the handles, so you can extract your delicates and socks. You can also leave the basket out if it's not needed for a particular wash cycle. 

Pricing was not available but the washing machine is set to launch at national retailers in September.Â