# Do front-loading washers clean as well as top-loaders? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549 "2008-08-01T22:52:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/81 "2012-04-30T14:07:24Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] Which is better at washing braaaiiinnnnnnnss? I thought most zombies did their laundry at the all-night laundromat, rather than buying their own washer and dryer. [/QUOTE] Maybe double-zombies need a double shot of bleach? šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![Deegeea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Deegeea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deegeea)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/82 "2012-04-30T15:26:34Z")
I had a top loader for nine years (before that, just used laundromats) and now Iā€™ve had a front loader for six years. (So itā€™s 15 years or so since I went to a laundromat =D ) They wash equally well. I still have the same dryer. Itā€™s been deteriorating the entire time, and now barely heats up, but itā€™s still enough to dry clothes from the front loader so I donā€™t bother to replace it. The front loader is good because the clothes are not as wet, and also because it uses less soap. We do need to put borax into every load - both to eliminate the pet odors and to help it wash better with so little soap - but not any more borax than we did before just for the odor reduction. In the top loader we could substitute ammonia for the borax, which was a bit cheaper and reduced odors almost as well, but ammonia does not work in the front loader. The front loader cost a little bit more but probably about the same given inflation in the interim (500$ for the top loader 15 years ago and 650$ for the front loader six years ago). They were both discounted some amount or other and reviewed for being decent quality in Consumer reports, but I donā€™t even remember the brand names. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/83 "2012-04-30T15:30:37Z")
> [@Louize](#): > > As for the Candymanā€™s comments, well, they speak for themselves. I bet he kicks little puppies for fun, just by the way he is kicking around others legitimate comments on this message board. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/84 "2012-04-30T15:56:37Z")
> [@Louize](#): > > As for the Candymanā€™s comments, well, they speak for themselves. I bet he kicks little puppies for fun, just by the way he is kicking around others legitimate comments on this message board. **Moderator Note** **Louize** , insults are not permitted in General Questions or most other forums on this board. Since you are new here, I am making this a note instead of a formal warning. However, donā€™t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator PS. You might consider hitting the Enter key every once in awhile to break up your paragraphs. It would make them easier to read. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/85 "2012-04-30T16:27:53Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > What happens if you just need a bunch of water to really dilute the stuff you are trying to get rid of? > > Suppose I just ended up with a ton of mud all over my clothes. Or what If I am washing cloth diapers and there is a lot of urine and some fecal matter? Just getting the clothes ā€œdampā€ isnā€™t going to cut it. > > Does anyone know how front loaders deal with this? > > Is there an immerse and dilute option? Mine has a SOAK option. I also have a RINSE option. I guess if I had something especially muddy or gross, I would put it in and use the SOAK option. Then RINSE it, then do a normal wash. Or Iā€™d just wash it twice. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/86 "2012-04-30T17:00:17Z")
> [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > Even top loaders these days are moving toward high efficiency models that donā€™t have an agitator and use much less water. The days of clothes floating around in a pool of dirty water are likely numbered. Thatā€™s what I was going to say (and yes, I know this thread is a Zombie). We just bought a new washing machine a few months ago. Itā€™s a top-loader, but it has no agitator. It can hold far more than older top-loaders while using much less water. (We were thinking of getting a front-loader but upon measuring we discovered that there wouldnā€™t be room to open the door.) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/87 "2012-04-30T17:18:33Z")
It sounds like maybe the prevalence of (and in some cases, preference for) top-loading machines in America is leaving room for apathy in the supplier market and a general lack of drive towards excellence > [@Louize](#): > > It has to do with how heavy or soiled a load is in accordance with which setting to choose. And as several already pointed out, you cannot soak or immerse clothing etc in the front loaders which I miss very much for reasons I already mentioned in my previous post. Mine has a prewash/presoak function, with a separate compartment in the detergent drawer for prewash solution. Every machine Iā€™ve seen in the UK for the last 20 years had this - itā€™s just a missing feature on your machine, Iā€™d say. > [@](#): > > Incidentally, the instructions that came with my front loader DID say to leave the door open to dry out collecting water which may become sour or stagnate and also to do a regular ā€˜washer cleaningā€™ to kill what builds up from this leftover standing water after a wash. I remember hearing about problems with water trapped in the folds of the door seal on older machines, and this causing it to perish if left standing, but that doesnā€™t seem a problem any more. > [@](#): > > Water just does not drain out well enough in a front loader. No reason why it shouldnā€™t - the drum has to be symmetrical along the axis of spin, or it would be a very bad thing, but the vessel in which the drum spins can be any shape, and can include a funnel-shaped or sloped bottom to facilitate (pumped) drainage. If yours doesnā€™t drain, itā€™s just bad product design, not a fundamental failing of the concept of front loaders. > [@](#): > > This Going Green hype or passing fancy (fad) will pass. Itā€™s never been a question of going green, for me. I did choose an energy/water-efficient model last time I had to replace the washing machine, but that was a choice between different kinds of front loaders - thatā€™s all there is on the market here. > [@](#): > > My machine is not a ā€˜dudā€™ it just doesnā€™t do as good a job as a good top loader. I can only speak for the brand I purchased, however I would never again buy a front loader of any brand knowing what I know now firsthand and after also hearing from others who have started using front loaders in general. Only a strong large capacity top loader has ALL the water levels and cycle settings one could need from delicates to heavy work clothes. None of the issues youā€™ve described is a fundamental flaw of front loaders. Your machine (and maybe _most_ machines in your market area, for all I know) must just be poorly designed - because none of the issues you describe are common complaints here, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/88 "2012-04-30T17:25:29Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > It matters if you have several loads to wash. I had a front loader when my boys (now nearing 30) were small and I couldnā€™t wait to get rid of it. Machine capacities vary quite widely - the bigger ones cost more. Given that thereā€™s usually a need to separate colours and whites, and that the machines run unattended, it just isnā€™t a problem to do multiple washes (unless you have a shortage of spare clothes, I guess) > [@](#): > > And then thereā€™s the not-being-able-to-add-another-item problem - perennial when you have small children. Thatā€™s another name for the not-wanting-water-all-over-the-floor problem. You canā€™t open the door when the machine is mid-cycle, for the same sorts of reasons you canā€™t get off a train between stations. Iā€™ve never found it a problem, really - anything that gets dirty just after the start of the current wash just has to wait for the next one. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/89 "2012-04-30T17:39:01Z")
I bought a front loading Kenmore HE3 washer and dryer about 10 years ago, and itā€™s still working. Never have had to have it serviced. Probably need to upgrade soon, but they clean the clothes great havenā€™t had a single problem. Hardly a fad. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/90 "2012-05-01T09:39:36Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Sounds to me like **Louize** just bought a dud, or is otherwise a statistical outlier, in terms of user experience. Since sheā€™s only commented on this thread, and her opinions have been so extremely strong, Iā€™m half-expecting her to come back and shill for her ā€œfavoriteā€ top-loader brand. But maybe I am just getting cynicalā€¦ (Colored diamonds, anyone?) As for myself, Iā€™ve washed the same clothes in my front-loader here in Troll Country, and my motherā€™s top-loader in Pennsylvania, and while Iā€™m grateful to have the chance to do laundry for free while weā€™re in the States, thereā€™s no doubt in my mind that the clothes get cleaner and are rinsed more thoroughly in the front-loader. Of course, it also takes four times as long, but one learns to plan aheadā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/91 "2012-05-01T13:54:19Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I think the image some have of a front loader just spraying the clothes with water or using ā€œjust a couple of cupsā€ is misleading. > > If, for whatever reason, you ever need to interrupt a wash cycle, youā€™ll find the clothes are dripping wet; as if they were completely immersed. > Because they were, just not all of the time. I agree with this. We have a front loader and the clothes get completely soaked. Not just ā€˜dampā€™ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/92 "2012-05-01T14:01:10Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I agree with this. We have a front loader and the clothes get completely soaked. Not just ā€˜dampā€™ Quite - dunno where people were getting this ā€˜dampā€™ notion from. In every front loader Iā€™ve seen, the thing fills up to something like 1/3 or halfway full of water/detergent, then the drum does its thing - the clothes are being lifted/sloshed in and out of the wash water repeatedly - so water is alternately soaking into/draining out of the fabric, and carrying dirt out with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/93 "2012-05-01T14:07:39Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > Of course, it also takes four times as long, but one learns to plan aheadā€¦ This is interesting. Whatā€™s a typical wash-spin cycle time for a standard wash on American front loaders? Mine takes about 45 minutes, I think - it has a ā€˜time remainingā€™ countdown, which is reasonably accurate - changes a bit as it goes, subject to fill times (varies subject to water pressure) and water heating times (varies subject to temperature of mains water) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/94 "2012-05-01T14:11:19Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > How do people wash diapers in a front loader? They have to be soaked in bleach to get the piss & poop stains out. We always soaked our kids diapers a full half hour before turning the cycle back on. > > AFAIK you canā€™t soak clothes in a front loader. You donā€™t need to cover your clothes in water to soak them, and bleach still works in a front loader (though Iā€™m thinking you might be using a bit much, even so). Iā€™ve got friends who regularly clean diapers in their front loader. It just involves using the right settings and also using bleach. My folks ran a dry cleaning business, and it was never an issue with their industrial sized washers (always front loaders). But you canā€™t wash that stuff like normal clothes, either. Temperature settings and pre-washing (i.e. getting most of the ā€œsolidsā€ off first and spot treating the worst stains) are always going to be important. The truth is, most people know just enough about how to use their washing machines to get reasonably clean clothes. But most people still donā€™t actually use them properly. The worst sin seems to be too much detergent. I know the temptation is ā€œmore soap = cleaner clothesā€ but after a certain amount, youā€™re actually making things worse. Top loaders are great for demonstrations of this. Try putting your clothes in a wash cycle without any detergent. Most people will start to see suds forming from all the detergent residue from previous washes. In the worst cases, my folks sometimes got clothes that hardly needed any detergent from all the residue and had to go through 2 cycles - one to remove the residue and one for the actual wash. > [@Mangetout](#): > > This is interesting. Whatā€™s a typical wash-spin cycle time for a standard wash on American front loaders? The ā€œfour times as longā€ was a bit of an exaggeration, Iā€™m guessing. A top loader might take 20-30 minutes, while a front loader might take around 45 (longer depending on the setting and load, of course). Thatā€™s compensated a bit by the shorter drying time. Many complaints about front loaders end up being ā€œitā€™s different than what Iā€™m used to, therefore itā€™s badā€. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/95 "2012-05-01T14:27:09Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > This is interesting. Whatā€™s a typical wash-spin cycle time for a standard wash on American front loaders? Mine takes about 45 minutes, I think - it has a ā€˜time remainingā€™ countdown, which is reasonably accurate - changes a bit as it goes, subject to fill times (varies subject to water pressure) and water heating times (varies subject to temperature of mains water) The shortest cycle on my motherā€™s top-loader, a fairly standard American washer, is just a hair shy of 30 minutes. The typical cycle on a front-loader for the Norwegian market, which takes in cold water only and heats it to the desired temperature, is about two hours, depending on the temperature you select. Mine does have shorter cycles, but I donā€™t really trust them for normal laundry. (Well, the cycles for woolens and delicates are shorter, and I _do_ use those.) Still, in two hours, my washer is using less electricity and water than my motherā€™s machine does for a half-hour cycle. I donā€™t grok. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/96 "2012-05-01T18:47:23Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It sounds like maybe the prevalence of (and in some cases, preference for) top-loading machines in America is leaving room for apathy in the supplier market and a general lack of drive towards excellence. Thatā€™s ridiculous. Thereā€™s been tremendous innovation in washing machines in recent years, both among front-loaders and top-loaders. I just mentioned that I bought a new high-efficiency top-loader earlier this year. It has no agitator ā€“ it uses a completely different washing mechanism than older top-loaders, so it uses much less water. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/97 "2012-05-01T18:55:28Z")
Our top loader does a full load in under 20 min. Time is more precious to me than the price of water. I cannot see how barely making something damp can get something clean. Suppose I have a sweat soaked t-shirt. Itā€™s already damp. Is your 2 gallons of water from front loader magically going to substitute clean water for my sweat? Or rinse away the salt? Someone said their front loader fills up 1/3 to 1/2 of the drum; Iā€™d like to know the brand/model because all the oneā€™s Iā€™ve looked at while shopping seem to brag about how little water they use (seeming less than an 1/8 of the drum). ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/98 "2012-05-01T18:57:15Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Thatā€™s ridiculous. Thereā€™s been tremendous innovation in washing machines in recent years, both among front-loaders and top-loaders. I just mentioned that I bought a new high-efficiency top-loader earlier this year. It has no agitator ā€“ it uses a completely different washing mechanism than older top-loaders, so it uses much less water. We tried one of those and dumped it in a week. Theyā€™re just as slow as the front loaders, and also try to get away with using 3 gallons of water in what appears to be a 30 gallon drum. The worst of both worlds. Not drinking the kool-aid. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/99 "2012-05-01T19:13:12Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I cannot see how barely making something damp can get something clean. Suppose I have a sweat soaked t-shirt. Itā€™s already damp. Is your 2 gallons of water from front loader magically going to substitute clean water for my sweat? Or rinse away the salt? > > . Many have pointed out that clothes in a front loader get soaking wet. I will add my humble voice to that chorus. Itā€™s really really true. Wet. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549/100 "2012-05-01T19:45:36Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Our top loader does a full load in under 20 min. Time is more precious to me than the price of water. I cannot see how barely making something damp can get something clean. Suppose I have a sweat soaked t-shirt. Itā€™s already damp. Is your 2 gallons of water from front loader magically going to substitute clean water for my sweat? Or rinse away the salt? > > Someone said their front loader fills up 1/3 to 1/2 of the drum; Iā€™d like to know the brand/model because all the oneā€™s Iā€™ve looked at while shopping seem to brag about how little water they use (seeming less than an 1/8 of the drum). Yep, the whole of Europe stinks. 400 million reeking people in filthy stained clothes. Me? I smell of sweat, and wee, and poo, and my clothes stand up all by themselves. I gave three people cholera last week just by driving past the on the street. They didnā€™t mind, though, because they were filthy and reeking and already had every disease known to man. Or, alternatively: obviously they work just fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-front-loading-washers-clean-as-well-as-top-loaders/458549.md?page=6)