The Great Debate Top Loader vs Front Loader
I recently did a Facebook Poll of my friends/family and was
surprised to see that many of them preferred a top loader to a front loader.
My family has owned laundry mats for the past 40 years and
overtime seen the shift from customers and personal friends using top loaders
to converting to front loaders over the past 10 years. Today it seems that in
Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, etc. you tend to see more front loaders and this is
the new trend in washers/dryers.
My parents personally own top loaders and always have. I
owned a top loader the first 8 years of my marriage and recently switched this
year. We now have a front loader and I have been very happy with. My main
complaint with my top loader was how long a cycle took, knowing water was
essentially just standing in the tub for a long period of time and how loud it
was when going into the spin cycle. If you have ever noticed top loaders tend
to shake, rattle and roll as I like to call it on the spin cycle. This is
typically due to being overloaded. I will never forget one of the first
arguments I had with my husband. He decided to wash about 12 pairs of jeans in
one load the machine was unbalanced and wouldn’t finish the cycle. He argued
with me saying it could handle the load as I shifted the jeans around to
balance the machine again. I walked away saying, “my family has been in the
business 40 years I know what I am taking about.”
With top loaders you have the advantage of being able to
Soak your clothes before the cycle begins
Adding items to you cycle
Life expectancy and cost of repairs is less
Purchase price is less
With front loaders you have the advantages of
Much gentler wash cycles
Water and energy savings, they use far less water
Detergent savings, you don’t need as much
Front loaders have a different washing action, which tumbles
your clothes in an up and down motion similar to hand washing. Top loaders use
a central agitator which moves your clothes in a circle and causes more wear
and tear of clothes getting caught.
The main complaint I hear with front loaders is the smell!
With some extra care you can eliminate these smells. The main causes of the
smells are the humidity that stays in the washer. We are used to leaving the
lid of a top loader open and this remains true for a front loader, keep the
door open. Because of the lower water level in a front loader you may see
excess grime and dirt build up. To prevent this from happening follow these
simple steps...
Leave the door and dispenser unit open after the laundry is
done
Never leave a wet load in the washer overnight or for
several hours
After a load is done rotate the drum with you hand, things
could stick to the top and sides of the washer drum
Use softener sheets in the dryer vs using fabric softener in
the washer
Liquid detergent is better than powered formulas
Dry the washer door and seal after each load
You can also buy products like afresh to run though the
cycle
I personally prefer to turn my machine to the sanitize cycle and run some vinegar though it when I notice a smell.
I have had my personal front loader since March and have never noticed a strong
smell from it.
Front loaders spin your cycle much faster which allows you
to cut your dry time exponentially.
