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Post# 378124   9/11/2009 at 15:54 (5,340 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

go to this website www.allbrandservicenaperville.com...




Post# 378125 , Reply# 1   9/11/2009 at 16:28 (5,340 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
Bah. Most of his points are exaggerated and there are errors & omissions in his data table.

Post# 378128 , Reply# 2   9/11/2009 at 16:45 (5,340 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

they arent exaggerated, they are FACTS! i had a front loader LG, and sold it after 2 years, i couldnt stand it anymore! not lg ALL front loaders DO have a shorter lifespan, its a proven fact, i bought my ge filter flo off of craigslist that is almost 30 years old! and still runs FINE! plus, it is also a FACT that speed queen washers are better than ANY on the market. it is also a FACT that over 90 percent of front loaders are made over seas. it is also a FACT that computer boards are very un reliable and tempermeantal, my LG sometimes wouldnt turn on when i would push the button, i would have to push it two or three times. for only a 2 year old machine, that is very unacceptable.

Post# 378129 , Reply# 3   9/11/2009 at 17:03 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        
ALL FL's are unreliable?

aquarius1984's profile picture

Well this one certainly got to 33 years old without any troubles and had its first repair this year


Post# 378130 , Reply# 4   9/11/2009 at 17:05 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        

aquarius1984's profile picture
this one made it to 24 years old before we overhauled it as it started on its way out

Post# 378132 , Reply# 5   9/11/2009 at 17:06 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        

aquarius1984's profile picture
This one is almost 30 and has never had any repairs

Post# 378133 , Reply# 6   9/11/2009 at 17:07 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        

aquarius1984's profile picture
25 years old and amazingly NO repairs

Post# 378134 , Reply# 7   9/11/2009 at 17:10 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        

aquarius1984's profile picture
25 years old, no repairs yet but requires a little motor re tuning when we get chance. Intermittant problem. they all have their little quirks though dont they LOL :)

Post# 378136 , Reply# 8   9/11/2009 at 17:21 (5,340 days old) by mixfinder ()        
With Deference to American machines

This poster can polarize a discussion which may be worth the merits of continuing. To every experience there are more to counter it. It would seem to me, based on experience, listening to conversations and looking on line, American front loaders require more repair than the traditional top loader. This may be due in part to our operating them with no water and 20 pounds of wet laundry smashing down like a sack of potatoes, under loading which makes them spin wobbly and the gigantic and cavernous tubs which are too much weight for a single shaft to support. Before we go to our corners, could we have a deeper discussion into the perforamcne of American washing machines?

Post# 378137 , Reply# 9   9/11/2009 at 17:26 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        

aquarius1984's profile picture
and my Pièce de résistance.....


a line of perfectly white laundry washed in a low water level front loading machine that was achieved without the use of chlorine bleach, tons of water or chemicals other than a regular washing powder.
No additives, no extras no nothing.

My usual weekly wash courtesy of a FL.


Post# 378138 , Reply# 10   9/11/2009 at 17:44 (5,340 days old) by nmassman44 (Brooksville Florida)        

nmassman44's profile picture
I found what the guy had to say was kinda interesting and alot of it was false. Just because someone puts it in print doesnt mean that its a fact. Like his point on 29 inch Whirlpool dryers with the EquaFlow drying system. He says that they have had few problems...not so since this dryer design had been recalled once for a safety issue with catching on fire. Sure its been the standard of the industry and it doesnt look like Whirlpool is going to kill the design anytime soon.
The other thing that frosted my cookies was on how he said not to buy a Miele, Bosch, Asko dishwasher. He said that it would be too expensive to install over an American dishwasher...not so its cost is about the same and these dishwashers can be hard wired if one had to. Plus the water inlet connection has an adapter. Mine happened to be under the sink area and was relatively easy to install. Plus I have a plug outlet there as well.


Post# 378140 , Reply# 11   9/11/2009 at 17:46 (5,340 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)        
human error

laundromat's profile picture
I dissagree with those who believe that front loaders have a shorter life span than top loaders.Most top load owners overload them,use way too much detergent,bleach and fabric softners,do not whipe them off after use and do not leave the lid open for it to air out and let the humidity inside evaprate causing oxidation on the top and sharp edges on the lip.They(most of them) have transmisions with plastic parts that wear out and they agitate so vigorously they tare clothes to shreds.

My L.G.,my GE(made by Electrolux),my Frigidaire,my Askos,my KitchenAids and my old Westinghouse washers were in grerat shape after I had used them a few years and sold them out to those who needed them. The only ones I had issues with were a Kenmore(Electrolux) top of the line front loader that went and took a shit by the berring seals going bad within 1 year and Sears wouldn't cover it.It got as far as 6 court hearings and about $1400.I swore I would never buy another Sears product.The others worked perfectly. The only issue I had was a friend who,while I was in England,decided to try and wash a bamboo rug in it. It got the rug clean but the door latch broke and it was out of commision for 5 weeks.When I returned,I asked her to leave.I always used the right amount of detergent,never overloaded,always selected the correct cycle,ran it through with straight chlorine bleach and hot,hot water once a month,Windexed it once a day,put 1 coat of "NuFinish" on it once every three months to help keep the shine and eliminate the chance of oxydation(rust),and last but most important,I LEAVE THE DOOR ON THE WASHER OPEN AFTER USE TO KEEP ANY FORM OF MOLD OR MILDEW GROWING!!! I would say that at least 75% of the problems folks have withfront loaders is ther own doing,not the fault of the manufacturers.If you want one made in USA,I'd recomend either the Frigidaire or the Electrolux.The factory in Agusta Georgia makes them as well as the Wascomat comercial laundry products.Because of that,The domestic Frigidaires have to pass the comercial standards the Wascomats pass.The GE's are made in China,The L.G.s are made in South Korea,the Whirlpool,Maytag,and Kenmore front loading HE washers are made in Germany by Bauhneckt.
The Speed Queens stand alone.They have both inner and outer stainless steel tubs,Perferated wash arms that are molded on to the actual wash tub.They are covered by a 3 year in home parts and labor warranty.Made in Racine Wisconson.


Post# 378141 , Reply# 12   9/11/2009 at 18:02 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        

aquarius1984's profile picture
Kelly I can appreciate what you say and yes perhaps we should discuss the merits pros and cons for american FL's but it seems to me that most have some resemblence to those available in Europe like the Frigidaire's.

I dont think the capacity issue is a relevant topic to use for FL's unrelaibility just yet as they are reasonably new to the domestic market, a longer period of time will tell if these machines can be made for the right price and to a good standard for domestic use.

Manufacturers are tweaking designs as we speak I imagine.

As for the water argument I stand by my picture and can hand on heart say that the whites picture I posted above was washed in a machine that uses 15 litres of water on 5kg of cottons without bleaches additives or stain removers. Just good old regular powder.


The problem lies is that American FL machines do have rediculously short cycle times to work properly and I believe your detergents are quite different to ours so its only a matter of time before our way of washing catches on.
While the machine is doing its thing we can all be getting along with something else.
Its worked over here for sure.

I will say that my exeriences with SQ TL's have been rather dismal, i remember in the early 90's my mother using one on a campsite in Cornwall to wash our towels on holiday.

She definately selected Hot and the water was piping with steam rising from the lid, she used Ariel powder ( for toploaders twin tubs which is like your Tide) and still the results were no way near as good as the FL could achieve at even lower temps.

I have used SQ's since and found the results leaving far to be desired.
I know other members have had difficulties with American TL's too yet I can get great results with our UK Hotpoint TL which has a heater and long wash and soak times.

I was quite amused at something posted a while back to do with SQ agitators or softener dispensers snagging clothes and the member having several problems with IIRC finding a new FS dispenser that didnt have sharp edges to fit his brand new machine. I did think at the time that if SQ cant source or produce a soft edged piece of plastic that woudlnt damage clothes then they didnt have much of a quality control system.

So much for the being gentle on clothes, kinda throws that argument out the window IMHO.

This could turn out to be a rather good thread for us all to interact with experiences.

R






Post# 378145 , Reply# 13   9/11/2009 at 18:43 (5,340 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

when i posted this thread it was meant for people in AMERICA, not the uk. obviously people who live in the uk are going to like front loaders, i think it is really nice that people from the uk are ALWAYS making comments on here totally bashing top loaders, and ALWAYS swear that front loaders are so much better.

Post# 378146 , Reply# 14   9/11/2009 at 18:47 (5,340 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        

ronhic's profile picture
I'm not in a position to argue for or against American built or designed machines when it comes to issues of reliability and longevity and I would hazard a guess that there are people here that have their favourites that this person has said are rubbish etc....

Is part of the problem capacity disillusionment?

I have to say that I am a firm believer that the way capacity is measured is one of the reasons that people become dissatisfied with their machines.

Bare with me....

What is or constitutes a cubic foot of laundry?

I've read on here somewhere that there was a change in the way capacity was stated partly because manufacturers were making outrageous claims and the poundage/kilo system was becoming a joke. But at least the consumer knows and understands what a pound/kilo is and uses the measurement daily. Additionally, it isn't too hard, if you want to, to find out how much clothing, manchester etc constitutes a pound/kilo (laundry basket, yourself, clothes and bathroom scales do it roughly).

Then to the next problem - capacity and loading.

Australians, Canadians and Americans all understand how to load (Ok, there are some idiots out there) a top load machine so that it will wash and give good results without destroying your clothes. Basically, it comes down to 'drop loading' i.e. drop clothes etc into the basket, don't push them down in, and choosing the appropriate water level compared to how high up the agitator the clothes come....

Front load machines are different and when people move from one to the other for the first time they need to be educated how to load. You shouldn't just shove items in. Sheets and towels washed together can do horrible things to balance and a full load is generally better than a small load especially with HUGE capacity machines.

To give you an idea of what 'Joe public' does and doesn't know, this happened at a laundromat near Russell Square station in London in 1997 and is true....

I had come back from a trip to Europe and was doing the washing when a lady walked in with 2 HUGE suitcases of washing to do. She looked at the row of machines (I have no idea what they were) and started to put washing in one next to me. After putting a couple of pairs of jeans and a few t-shirts in she went to close the door and start on the next machine.....

....so I mentioned that 'you can put more in than that'...
....'oh really?' was the reply. (American accent)

So she started to put a couple more things in...the machine was less than 1/3 full and she went to close the door again.

....'keep going, it'll take much more' said I.
....'Are you sure?' was the reply

So a little more goes in and the machine is STILL less than 1/2 full.....

On my last attempt....

....'you can put much more in there and it will save you using 4 machines'
....'will it wash ok?'
....'you can fill that machine until it is at least to the top of the door and it will wash fine - millions of European mothers and grandmothers can't be wrong!'

Finally, she 2/3 filled it.....and sat and watched the entire cycle like a hawk

The most recent example was a couple of Canadian friends. Both girls and about 33yrs. Came to stay here with us and needed to do washing....so I introduced them to the Hoover I had.

To say that both were amazed at how much 'can fit into such a tiny machine...I wouldn't put all of that in my appartment complex's machines at home'....it was only 4kg/9lb machine....

I suppose that what I am getting at is that when people learnt how to do their laundry in an automatic in Oz, Canada and the US, it was generally in a top load automatic. Mum or Grandma showed us what to do and how to do it...and more often explained why....



Roll forward 20/30/40/50 years....and many many more people are switching to front load machines....

.....but WHO IS SHOWING THEM HOW TO USE THEM PROPERLY??????

So we have a couple of problems....

Overly large capacity front load machines.....that need to be loaded properly

AND

A huge group of people who now have these machines but have no idea how to get the best out of them......

...which leads to problems with reliability (unbalanced loads, overloading [though this is more difficult with a front loader], over dosing with detergent, wrong detergetn, closing doors between loads...the list goes on). If we address these issues it is likely that people will be happy with the performance of their machines AND they will be more reliable...


Post# 378147 , Reply# 15   9/11/2009 at 18:51 (5,340 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

the problem is the american machines, one that comes close to a european machine is the speed queen front loader which is a great machine, with the stainless steel baffles and steel outer tub. i noticed that ALL the front loaders in the pictures above have MECHANICAL knobs rather than electronic controlls, that could possibly be the problem with all the machines today.

Post# 378148 , Reply# 16   9/11/2009 at 18:52 (5,340 days old) by norfolksouthern ()        

There is quite a bit of difference between a 30 year old Ariston 950 XD or 25 year old Servis Starlight and a current-model Maytag Epic or Whirlpool Cabrio. One example: I can use a smaller amount of regular detergent in my Italian Zerowatt, and it'll run without a hiccup and rinse out all traces of soap. No problem! If I tried that with an LG Tromm like Toploader had, and I would be begging for repairs later, I'm sure. So, folks. I think comparing a good, solid 25 year old commercial machine with a huge motor and stainless steel everything to a gagetized plastic modern HE marvel complete with its own web browser and internet connection would be like comparing apples to oranges.

Here's a photo of my rusty, but trusty just for good measure.

NorfolkSouthern



Post# 378150 , Reply# 17   9/11/2009 at 18:54 (5,340 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        

ronhic's profile picture
And here's the Hoover....How I loved that machine...15yrs and still going strong at a mates...

Post# 378151 , Reply# 18   9/11/2009 at 18:54 (5,340 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        

aquarius1984's profile picture
No certainly not, just because im British does not mean that I automatically like FL's.

There are a couple of guys here from the UK who love TL's.

Each to their own and my posts were certainly not bashing other machines in any way rather they were making clear facts and findings based upon my own experiences and what has been posted upon this site by other members.

This is a discussion forum where sensible conversations about experiences are what bring us together,

I didnt see any mention that this thread was limited to just American participants only and that nobody else shall contribute if they have soemthing to share.

Perhaps a little input from the Europeans who do know about FL'ers would help you guys across the pond to use your machines to maximum efficiency.

We can all have something sensible and worthwhile to add to this thread.

R


Post# 378155 , Reply# 19   9/11/2009 at 19:10 (5,340 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
In reply to the timer/reliability/repair issue

ronhic's profile picture
Miele has been making electronic programmers for well over 20yrs now and Asko/ASEA for a similar length of time...

Some of the cheaper Euro/British brands, such as Hoover and Servis also had electronic programmer machines in the mid/late 1980's such as the Servis Starlight pictured....

Granted, when they first started coming out, there were undoubtedly timer issues and they can be expensive to replace simply because service agents and manufacturers don't intend them to be serviced as such....but then look at the hourly rate you're paying to have your machine looked at and ask yourself do you want to pay the man for, possibly several hours of, labour to fix it or just replace it and pay the same amount....

I have just had the suspension struts done on the Zanussi/westinghouse....only 3 1/2yrs old, but has done on average 14 loads a week...so I am not complaining...but here is the breakdown of the bill...

Call out - $76.00
Struts - $87.10
Labour - $60.00...for 15minutes! and is fairly standard BTW

Total -$223.10
Tax -$ 22.30

Total -$245.40

So that is about GBP122 and USD$211.....

We may think that manufacturers are ripping us off with parts prices, and they may be sometimes, but give me replacement over repair anytime when the call fee and labour comes to more than 150% of the part price...


Post# 378159 , Reply# 20   9/11/2009 at 19:20 (5,340 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()        

The reapair-techie posted a chart based on his (limited) experiences and his perspectives.

If say there are 100 (thousand) "Alpha" brand machines in his area and and 5% of them need repars, he needs to repair 5 of them. So he "sees" that 5 machine have been repaired. Brand "Omega" has 50 (thousand) machines in his area and 7% need repair. So he has to work on 3.5 of them. Will he not say that brand "Alpha" are less reliable? In actuality which is the worse machine? It is not brand "Omega"?

But unless he knowns exaclty how many machines of each brand are out there, he knows not what is "good" and what is "bad". He only sees some statistics and does not have enough information to properly come to a reasoanble and accurate conclusion.


Post# 378168 , Reply# 21   9/11/2009 at 19:51 (5,340 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
"Here Here!'

ronhic's profile picture
...and how very true....



Post# 378176 , Reply# 22   9/11/2009 at 21:24 (5,340 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()        

The Ariston (means "Excellence" in Greek)950 XD was my aunt's washer/dryer. It was branded Comb-o-matic here in the States and was 110v only (read: horribly slow [low-wattage] dryer).
On our electrical stystem that is a max of less than 1725w @ 115v. Washer cycles/programmes were numbered 1 through 10 rather than system shown.


Post# 378179 , Reply# 23   9/11/2009 at 21:57 (5,340 days old) by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA)        

neptunebob's profile picture
I wonder why the British makers of front loaders did not try to sell their units in America. If maybe we had a good experience like you do with your machines, there would be plenty of them here by now.

Post# 378184 , Reply# 24   9/11/2009 at 22:16 (5,340 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Maytag

I have very limited experience with front loading machines. I am quite certain I would be guilty of under loading a front loading washer. A condo in the early 70's had a Westinghouse stacked set. I was very pleased with the white Cook's uniforms and found it did an impeccable job. My last front loader, an Equator, did a splendid job of washing and a terrible job of drying. The directions said to load it leaving enough room to put your arm in at the top of basket. In the end the tub broke off the drive shaft making the spinning washer a projectile. Fortunately it was confined by the bathroom walls. Peter has a Neptune set that is 9 years old. It received a wax motor and damper update in a machine recall. It has never had another repair. Peter, his sister and father all do their laundry separately. For three years Peter's older sister and two children lived with him. She would literally use her foot to mash clothes into the washer and hold the door until the lock engaged. It is the dryer that seems to have borne the brunt of her over loading. It rumbles and groans, but still works. My son and his wife bought a TOL Sears set and they like it very much. I observe it being grossly underloaded, but then he is my son and I can tell how many pairs of Levis are in the washer just by the sound. Years of preaching against over loading top loaders has stuck. My most noticable issue with front loaders is not rinsing out the soap and as a result, having contact dermatitis from the clothes I was wearing. Peter uses liquid All HE free. On Peter's machine using the Whites setting, which offers a hot rinse helped. Membrane buttons and no clear visual of how to modify the cycle, skip, repeat etc are not options on many front loaders on the market. Dials and timers seem to live in greater harmony with water, steam and moisture than a goofy vinyl coated bunch of wires that cost upwards of $300.00.

Post# 378191 , Reply# 25   9/11/2009 at 22:28 (5,340 days old) by norfolksouthern ()        

They did, Bob. My Zerowatt was labeled under the "excellence" brand name. I'm thinking that mine didn't catch on because of the slower spin speed; similar to that of a coin-operated Wascomat, and smaller capacity. The higher spin speed may be the reason for Asko's and Miele's success here. Of course, those don't sell as well as the HE3t's/LGs/Samsungs because people want bigger capacity and easier loading/unloading. So, they go that route instead.

For something new, yet non-commercial, I would opt for a Speed Queen top loader. If I were wanting a new front loader, I would look for a 20 pound Unimac soft mount. Both of these brands are made by Alliance.

NorfolkSouthern


Post# 378206 , Reply# 26   9/11/2009 at 23:26 (5,339 days old) by jeffg ()        

For us the major issue is time. All my partner and I have known since we were kids have been top loaders, and in our world, anything longer than 30 minutes to wash a load of clothes is just time wasted. Sometimes we'll wake up in the morning, discover we need something washed, and it'll be ready to go 50-60 minutes later, depending on cycle. Try that with most FL washers/dryers!

Post# 378208 , Reply# 27   9/11/2009 at 23:28 (5,339 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas)        

Of course, here is a better link to the original article.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO whirlcool's LINK


Post# 378214 , Reply# 28   9/12/2009 at 00:26 (5,339 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Jeff

ronhic's profile picture
This article started life about reliability, not speed of cycle....

BUT, seeing as you have a valid point......

My machine, in fact most European machines come to think of it, now have a 'refresh' cycle. 30min, 1/2 load (say 5-7lb), 30c...my machine only spins at 700rpm on that cycle so I tend to 'rinse/hold' and give it a hard spin @ 1200rpm...total of 35min...

....so if something is worn 'once' you can run it through in a quick time

...New Bosch have a 15min cycle for small loads, so your scenario holds no water compared to, say, 10yrs ago.


Post# 378217 , Reply# 29   9/12/2009 at 00:44 (5,339 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

launderess's profile picture
If one allows for the fact the man is speaking of things in his own manor, then one finds many of the comments rather true.

Until recently Miele washing machines sold in the United States did have a rather small capacity, but then again so did the rest of the European front loaders. This mania of large and super large capacity did not hit Miele, and the rest until they decided to actually design washers for the way Americans do laundry.

Furthermore, yes Miele parts ARE hard to get (only available from Miele), and they like the appliances themselves are rather dear. OTHO one can get parts for all and sundry Miele appliances right off the shelf in many UK/European appliance parts stores. Much as Americans do with brands such as GE or Whirlpool.

From what one has read, historically yes, top loading washing machines (at least those built in the USA for the USA market), did last longer than say the average front loader, which until recently was really only Westinghouse's front loader.

Why? Simple design differences between the two. Take 10 pounds of wet laundry and it becomes more like 50lbs or more. Suspend in a basket mounted only on one bearing, and work from there. Mind you if the machine was taken care of, then front loaders could and did last long, a look at the many vintage Westinghouse units that pop up is proof to that.

Obviously the man hasn't tested or seen many other front loading units from Europe (where the quality was worked out years ago), and bases his recommendations on things such as the Maytag Neptune.

Even the smallest commercial front loader costs several thousands. Such units are designed properly and made to last the duration. Amercians by and large aren't fully onboard with front loading washers, and if weren't for the federal government pushing the idea, one thinks they wouldn't sell much at all. However costly such uber front loaders say by Samsung, or Maytag, or GE are, they are machines designed to come in at a certian price point.


Post# 378219 , Reply# 30   9/12/2009 at 00:58 (5,339 days old) by askomiele (Belgium Ghent)        
Ok guy's and garls, thought this was a friendly neighbou

but help what are you guys doing. We all know that we on this forum know 100 times more about washers, brands, and other applainces that this guy will ever do IN HIS LIFE! We studied all machines in different forms and different functions. We have testresults that tell us what crap there is on the market and what the good machines are. Never forget that these words are just put together to look pretty on a website or in a magazine!

What we must do:
STOP THE SILLY DISCUSSION ABOUT ARE FRONTLOADERS BETTER THAN TOPLOADERS, because the point is they are better at some points, but they aren't at others. This brings me to my second point. If we all want to save the planet... it's not about how expensive your washer is, it's how you use it! If people want to wash in a GE RAMPOMATIC (sorry can't find the right type, but you know the filterflotypes with HUGE baskets,...) and do full loads, maybe even save the rinse water. What's the big deal?


Post# 378220 , Reply# 31   9/12/2009 at 01:07 (5,339 days old) by norfolksouthern ()        
"they are machines designed to come in at a certian pri

And there's part of the problem with most of today's front loaders. I guess I'm a bit of a contrarian, as I want a heavy spin bearing and a stainles steel outer tub. I also want enough water to flush out the detergent on rinse, and a big motor to provide me with adequate drama and entertainment. I especially like the idea of a heavy suspension that can take what ever gets thrown at it. I think that would rule out most of what's available at the local Home Depot.

Everybody else? Well, they just want to wash cloths. So when theirs breaks down just slightly beyond the warranty, they'll go get another one. The typical U.S. consumer pays for the USE of the product, not the product its self. That's what the throwaway society is all about. Meanwhile, I am still looking for that Calypso that hasn't yet developed any issues or rusted beyond fixing. Some day, I maybe I'll get lucky.

NorfolkSouthern


Post# 378222 , Reply# 32   9/12/2009 at 01:54 (5,339 days old) by vintagesearch ()        
neptunebob said

"I wonder why the British makers of front loaders did not try to sell their units in America. If maybe we had a good experience like you do with your machines, there would be plenty of them here by now"


as neptunebob said i second that although we are opting for a frontloader in the future here in my house they are slightly more repair prone as a group compared to what were used to as a whole, what is that you ask? a toploader!!! it just takes a good purchase on a reliable model and some education on how to use them PERIOD!


Post# 378226 , Reply# 33   9/12/2009 at 04:05 (5,339 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Which is what....

ronhic's profile picture
.....I basically said earlier...

Educate people how to use them, and many of the 'issues' will quite simply go away....


Post# 378230 , Reply# 34   9/12/2009 at 05:55 (5,339 days old) by twinniefan (Sydney Australia)        
Top load vs front load

twinniefan's profile picture
I tend to agree with posters who say this is just a never ending and no win argument, each style of machine has it's own particular benefits and drawbacks it is just a matter of doing some homework and deciding which would best suit your particular needs.
Personally, after my dreadful experience with the Bosch F.L., I am kind of turned off them,but that does not mean at some time in the future I would not consider owning another one,it just would not be a Bosch,at the moment I am really happy with my L.G. T.L.it does everything I expect and has not let me down.
Ronhic ,you make an excellent point about people learning how to use their machines properly to get the best out of them,however,I think most people just go by the theory of chuck the washing in the machine turn a knob or push a key and hey presto all done and they end up disappointed when the wash isn't up to the standard they expect when the real cause of the problem is their own inability to use the thing correctly or by incorrect loading.
The old stuff it all in for one single,quick load still holds sway I believe, indeed my neighbourhood friends don't believe that we don't stick 2-3 days worth of total washing in even though my machine has an 8.5kg capacity we still prefer to wash slightly smaller loads. the water isn't really a problem because the machine senses the weight of the load and adjusts the water level required automatically and if needed I can override by using the keyboard manually.
If I may digress a little I also looked at the tech's article on fridges just to see what he says about G.E.and I am a bit surprised that his views basically mirror the view that Peter,the service tech who fixed my G.E. S.B.S. twice earlier this year in as much as the cost of replacement parts are horrendously expensive and there are regular reliability issues with G.E.i.e.frequent service calls etc, although the tech in the article seems to be anti L.G. and Samsung, yet if one looks at Choice magazine,(our local consumer magazine.)L.G. and Samsung have very high approval ratings by those surveyed around the mid 90% the same as the local Westinghouse/Kelvinator.
Indeed Peter my tech actually went as far as to advise me when the time comes to discard the G.E.(hopefully not for quite a while though.)I should give serious consideration to purchasing a new L.G. fridge as performance wise they match it with any and they actually do keep quite a lot of spare parts for repairs and the spare parts are relatively inexpensive.
I think there is aslo a view in the community that because something is made in an Asian country that it is automatically inferior and will last 2 minutes,well speaking only from personal experience and use, they are not as bad as made out,for example Chinese made Haier T.T. is now 4 years old and going well,Korean made T.V.,7 years old and perfect,Korean made vacuum cleaner 9 years old and still working great,Korean made microwave oven,6 years old going great, but has now been given to a cousin who did not have one and been replaced by another Korean made model,working well,Korean made washing machine, only 18 months old but going quite well.
No offence intended ,but American made fridge/freezer serviced 3 times in one year and before that local Australian made fridge serviced 5 times in 1 year.


Post# 378232 , Reply# 35   9/12/2009 at 06:13 (5,339 days old) by favorit ()        
Listening is an attitude

I don't want to be rude and anyway I apologize about what I'm about to write, in case anyone could be offended by my words.

My guess is this forum is an amazing way to get in touch with different frames of mind.
Despite we're talking about plain things as the likes of washers, indeed we can share our different habits and cultures

This is possible only if we are able to listen to the others, otherwise we don't communicate but just produce (unlistedned) words.
Monologues have nothing to do communication.

Listening doesn't mean just hearing. IMHO we really listen to the others we we are able to "think in their clothes".
We really listen only if we leave aside our frame of mind and try to think as the other would do.

If I guess my thoughts are "the truth", there's no hope to listen to the others .....

So I don't want to be be too serious, enjoy this ....laundromat ! Oh yeah, it's a row of washers ;-)


Post# 378233 , Reply# 36   9/12/2009 at 06:38 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Oh God here we go again *rolls eyes*

Toploader1984...

First of all you cannot say a top loader is more reliable than a front loader. Some top loaders are more reliable than some front loaders (eg.modern Samsung, LG etc) and some front loaders are more reliable than some toploaders (remember Miele make the most reliable washers on the market, that's not opinion thats fact)

You happened to have an LG, these machines are horrendously overpriced and are some of the worst on the market for balancing on spin and reliability. You are judging all front loaders by your experience of this one, which isn't fair.

You sing the praises of Speed Queen appliances, in my dorms at uni last year we had commercial Speed Queen front loaders. These particular machines were actually cold fill only and heated the water themselves, making the cycle times well over an hour. Despite all this, after a few months my whites were more dull and dingy than anything I've ever seen before, despite using copious amounts of Ariel (the leading brand) powder. Perhaps I should have drenched them in chlorine bleach, but my whites are always gleaming from any other front loader without it.

Having also used a 1970s Maytag, a belt drive Kenmore, and modern Whirlpool Toploaders, they all left a lot to be desired, especially where coating everything in lint was concearned.

Top loaders and US front loaders with really short cycle times do clean the clothes I don't deny that, but it seems great lengths are needed to get whites whites, such as soaking, using tons of additives and lots of chlorine bleach. I actually suspect this is more to do with the poor quality and design of American detergents than the machines, as the Aussies don't seem to have the same problems with their top loaders.

In my personal view (now this is opinion which you can take into account or not) washing in a top loader or a US front loader is like washing dishes by hand, whereas using a European front loader is like washing dishes in a dishwasher. Both methods will clean stuff, but I doubt anyone on here would say dishes are cleaner by hand than by machine, and washing them be hand is a lot more effort.

I think if you had actually used European detergents and machines you would think differently about them. I'd say the reason most Europeans will disagree with you is that we have often tried both methods and know which one is best AND most efficient.

Matt


Post# 378235 , Reply# 37   9/12/2009 at 06:45 (5,339 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Repair Prone Front Loaders

launderess's profile picture
This does not have to always be the case.

Miele and other European/UK H-Axis washing machines, especially vintage and or TOL models such as V-Zug are quite rugged machines, and often give years of service before repair is required, if ever.

Again, rubbish in equals rubbish out. Nothing is wrong switching from electro-mechanical timers or even electronic timers to computer controlled machines, long as the parts are up to the job. However often is the case there are more than one weak links, and when the machine fails costs of repair are dear.

Long cycle times with front loaders, at least modern ones are caused by several factors, one of which is the movement away from timers to totally computer controlled machines. On my vintage Miele can make cycles long or short as one wishes, skip rinses and so forth, all by moving the timer.

Today's modern detergents clean quite well with short cycle times in front loaders, and the best rinse cleanly without four or five rinses. Even better in vintage front loaders like mine that use enough water per cycle to get the job done.

Will agree there isn't a "best" machine, just a washer that suits one's purposes. However will say the American man who firs saw Wascomat washing machines on a Swedish ship realised at once they would do for commercial/laundromat applications in the United States. Top loading machines weren't really suited to the hard use of such conditions (or so the man's theory went", and the rest as they say is history. One rarely finds top loading washing machines in commercial laundries. Most laundromats have either totally switched over to front loading washers, or they make up a majority of washing machines. There has to be a reason for this.



Post# 378245 , Reply# 38   9/12/2009 at 08:05 (5,339 days old) by mrwash ()        

I will not say anything for or against top- or frontloaders but only this:

When I was born my mother bought a toploader from Constructa(part of Siemens/Bosch). It ran until I turned 18 years, then we sold it because of a bathroom makeover. It was still working at this time. My mother decided to replace the Conctructa toploader by a Miele frontloader. Guess what: It will have its 10th b-day next year and still running. We replaced the rubber gum one time because of a tiny hole but this was it.

So..what do you guys think, I want to say with my post? ;-)


Post# 378246 , Reply# 39   9/12/2009 at 08:11 (5,339 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
mmmmmm......

ronhic's profile picture
Flo,

Part of me says I should and part says I shouldn't....

...but was the Constructa a top-load, horizontal axis machine similar to those still made by Miele, Blomberg etc?


Post# 378247 , Reply# 40   9/12/2009 at 08:28 (5,339 days old) by vacfanatic ()        
LG Tromm - Approved

I own the LG WM2233HW Washer and the DLE3733W dryer, and love them both! Speaking of that, I just bought another LG washer and it was delivered yesterday. Wanted more of a basic model for "play", and to help keep up with laundry at times. Got the older model WM2010CW for $498, and works very nice. My partner had a hard time getting acustomed to having more than enough vacuum cleaners for everyone on my block, but the washer thing he really tried to fight me on. I won!

Anything electronic can fail, period. I'm sure eventually I'll have to replace something on these, but what appliance don't you have to do this to eventually? You can get most any of the parts you need for these on Sears Parts Direct, and the prices aren't too bad either. Yes control boards and such are spendy, but that is true with any brand.

Everyone knows that nothing is made like it used to be 20 years ago. I would buy LG again for sure, but eventually I'll have a set of Mieles. A bit pricey for me at the moment though, so I picked the LGs. If you go into Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, etc, try pulling out the detergent drawer on every model you can find, then try the LG. To me, every other brand had a real cheapo feeling detergent drawer that didn't open smoothly. Maybe it's just that they are opened 500 times a day by wandering hands. Anyone else ever notice this? I think the worst detergent drawer I "tested" was on a Frigidaire. Yucky.

Andrew


Post# 378252 , Reply# 41   9/12/2009 at 08:47 (5,339 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()        

~Most laundromats have either totally switched over to front loading washers, or they make up a majority of washing machines. There has to be a reason for this.

Yes:

Much less water usage and the lack of a transmission, lack of a water pump, all-stainless tub and drum, can't "overload" them, and timed dispensers.

On a Wascomat one gets a pre-wash, a main wash two or three rinses and a spin/extract. Psychologically that helps the customers beleive they are getting more than a wash /rinse spin of a top-loader. Just don't tell them that the Wascomats use only a bucket or two (two to four gallons) [8L to 16L +/-]of water per fill.

There are 3.78L per gallon- I use 4.0 for ease of estimation.


Post# 378257 , Reply# 42   9/12/2009 at 09:03 (5,339 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()        

I really want a Euro boil-washer, and from what I hear (thanks Chestermike UK and all others) ASKO is the ticket.

IMHO a heater makes all the difference in performance. Perhaps one day most U.S. laundry rooms will come with a 220v washer outlet for some good heaters in front-loaders! Let's just hope we can get washers with heaters for (our) 60hz rather than ("foreign")50hz.

If only it was known how small the world would become, the entire world could have been engineered for 220v, 60hz (Each beleoved to be the best) and had the same wiring, outlet/power-point configurations and wire-color standards.



Post# 378262 , Reply# 43   9/12/2009 at 09:06 (5,339 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()        

Believed not beloved, although not such a bad typo.. :-)

Post# 378265 , Reply# 44   9/12/2009 at 09:18 (5,339 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

for all of u people from the uk, who keep bashing top loaders forget, this website was started from vintage AMERICAN top loaders! for all of you who own an AMERICAN LG or any other brand front loader besides maytag have had it more than 5 years without ANY proiblems? probably NOT!

Post# 378266 , Reply# 45   9/12/2009 at 09:22 (5,339 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

btw hoover1100, (also rolling my eyes) i have an aunt that AND a friend who bought the duet, my aunt had issues with the computer, my friend kevin got rid of his b cuz of the balancing issue, plus everytime he did a load therte would be a puddle of water on the floor, ALSO! with my LG there would be a small puddle and little dribble of water on the floor after i did a load in th LG, thank go it was in the basement.

Post# 378267 , Reply# 46   9/12/2009 at 09:31 (5,339 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()        

Toploader1984

Why ao angry / argumentative? Believe anything you want, just realize others do to!


:-)




Post# 378269 , Reply# 47   9/12/2009 at 09:38 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
well Toploader1984

This website is dedicated to people who like washing and washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, and any appliances really of any kind in any country of the world.

You say the machines leak from the door, well that is a fault and not a normal trait of front loaders.

I also believe there are members of this site who have had frigidaire front loaders and Whirlpool front loaders, built to the US specification, who have had them longer than 5 years.

The title of your thread states that "EVERYBODY" should read this, not just the Americans on here. If one of us Europeans started a thread moaning and complaining about top loaders, without any real experience of them and just ranting about one or two we've seen/used are you trying to tell me you wouldn't comment?

Now please stop trying to create and AW.org apartheid, where only americans can comment on american threads and only europeans can comment on european threads, and let everyone have their say and input on everything.

Matt


Post# 378270 , Reply# 48   9/12/2009 at 09:53 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
to be honest no one so far in this thread has "bashed&q

merely stated which type of machine they prefer and why. It is you who is "bashing" front loaders.

You also fail to realise that we did have toploaders made and sold here in the UK until just over 10 years ago, they weren't very popular because most people have their washer built under a work surface here.

Also, you can buy Whirlpool/Admiral top loaders here imported from the US. Again these are not very popular due to their size and the fact they cant be built under the work surface. I'm sure the G wash, G energy and D spin grades they get, compared to the A wash A energy and C spin of the worst front loaders on the market, puts people off too.

Matt


Post# 378277 , Reply# 49   9/12/2009 at 11:19 (5,339 days old) by toploader1984 ()        
Toploader1984 Why ao angry / argumentative? Believe anything

obviously i can't believe what i want! i know there are ALOT of people on here who cannot stand front loaders, and would never buy one, there are alot of people on here who only are interested in top loaders, yet it seems like everytime i post a thread, it gets bombarded with tons of people from the uk bashing top loaders, making rude and pointless comments about us using too much water and not caring about the environment. and i really DON'T appreciate people who make comments towards me like " i am rolling my eyes again " that is just rude! you guys arent even giving other people a chance to comment, ur bombarding the thread with nasty comments towards me JUST b cuz i prefer top loaders.

Post# 378279 , Reply# 50   9/12/2009 at 11:22 (5,339 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

the main reason why i dislike front loaders is b cuz there is no washing drama, it is like watching a dryer dry clothes, it is sort of boring, they are all the same. with top loaders, every make and model has a different agitator, different speed and wash strokes, some have a spin drain.

Post# 378284 , Reply# 51   9/12/2009 at 11:38 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
If I'm being very honest Toploader1984

I think the main reason your posts provoke somewhat aggressive reactions is because they come across as being rather antagonistic and aggressive in themselves. If you actually explained what you mean instead of just saying "frontloaders are awful" and leaving it at that you would get more balanced and fair responses.

It's fair enough if you find the action of a front loader boring, but you can't expect everyone to agree. I personally find the opposite to be true but again it all boils down to personal preference.

You can't just say "I hate front loaders" and be shocked and offended when you get responses basically saying "Well I hate Top Loaders" Every action results in an equal and opposite reaction.

Matt


Post# 378294 , Reply# 52   9/12/2009 at 12:15 (5,339 days old) by aquacycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        

aquacycle's profile picture
^Matt, thats very well said. In response to the comment about frontloaders not lasting as long, well my grandparent's Hotpoint 18361 and matching dryer are about 27 years old now and have survived my 5 aunts and uncles washing plus my Dads and my grandma and grandads. My aunt and my 2 younger cousins now live with my grandma and that washer and dryer is in use almost every other day and they STILL run like new. The washer had it's first repair last year and the dryer has never had a repair. I think Matt hit the nail on the head - front loaders take up less space and houses over here are much smaller. I personally don't like that I can't see whats going on inside a toploader and the agitator thing doesn't really convince me. The idea of my clothes being tumbled around in water seems cleaner than having them floating around in a tank of water. The upside for me is that they hold HUGE amounts of washing. We had a Whirlpool American style toploader in my last job that held LOADS but I never thought it washed particularly well. It was replaced shortly before I left with a Miele professional which was much better imo.

Post# 378297 , Reply# 53   9/12/2009 at 12:52 (5,339 days old) by mixfinder ()        
With a View

I was ready to buy the Maytag Neptune and when I found out there was no window I opted for a giant tub NorgeTag which is still running quite nicely. I am a laundry voyeur. I love to watch the clothes roll over in a top loader. A huge to distraction to top load efficacy is overloading which also causes excessive linting. In my experience of house guests and tenants most users familiar with front loading machines over load a top loading washer. I personally believe short stroking modern machine slowed rollover, radically increased noise, bangada, bangada, bangada and don't clean as well as older full stroke washers. The Eggplants (my name for environmental activists) have taken a strangle hold of conservation issues in America and so often the cart gets before the horse in legislative reform regarding energy and water consumption. I love my old 30 year old Maytag and the whitest and cleanest of washes are produced from its lowly and simple design. Digital clocks, 3 minute hamburgers, 30 minute pizza delivery have contributed to America's time consciousness. Most things need to be large, fast and cheap. I am not referring to my love life. In teaching adult students one must first establish a benefit of what's to be gained before the adult learner truly listens. There in lies a great rub. Some may want entertainment, others drama, someone else savings in time or energy. My feeling is a rush to market with machines that are pushed to the limits of performance, have not all been engineered or assembled with the best choice of materials have caused American appliances to suffer in reliability and reliable service. I feel badly anytime the discussion becomes divisive or them against us. I am enjoying the discourse and hearing from home grown experts around the world sharing their experience . A parsimoness use of hot water plagues many American homes, cheap detergents don't help and improper sorting and loading challenge any American washer front or top loading. Laundress, true to her lovely form, has best illustrated my position on front loading machines and yet she owns brands and styles of machines that represent some of what others have criticized. I applaud you laundress for your decorum and wordsmithing, as well as many others from around the world. I apologize for brashness and again request the conversations continue as I find it so very educational. Me, I admit, I'm a soaker. Oxyclean and good detergent have saved many articles otherwise subjected to harsher methods and often the trash bin.

Post# 378298 , Reply# 54   9/12/2009 at 12:53 (5,339 days old) by jeffg ()        

> The idea of my clothes being tumbled around in water seems cleaner than having them floating around in a tank of water. <

For most American front loaders the opposite is true: I cringe when I see a big load of filthy clothes being tumbled around in just a few gallons of water, and people thinking there's actually some way a load of clothes can be cleaned, let alone sanitized in that much water.

And then people wonder why their FL's develop mold problems. Personally the whole FL technology, at least as it curently exists here in the U.S., disgusts me.


Post# 378302 , Reply# 55   9/12/2009 at 13:05 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
U.S. front loaders use enough water, the same amount of wate

So that is not the problem with them. The problem is the wash cycles being about an hour or so too short, so obviously results will suffer. It's like expecting a machine with Bosch Maxx water consumption to wash the clothes with 80s Hotpoint wash cycles. If cycles are of a reasonable length and temperatures high enough, even the biggest (not overloaded) and filthiest load will come out perfectly clean and sanitized with a decent detergent.

There is one reason and only one reason for a front loader to develop mould problems, that is keeping the door shut between cycles. I run a towels wash at 60c once a week, and one at 95c about twice a year, always remove the clothes straight away when the machine is finished and leave the door open between cycles. I have never had mould or smells in a machine.

Matt


Post# 378304 , Reply# 56   9/12/2009 at 13:22 (5,339 days old) by mrwash ()        

Chris,

you are right. I just wanted to say: Prefer what you want, it will be okay. I love to watch the clothes being washed. Thats why I prefer frontloaders. But if someone prefers toploaders thats so okay. Sometimes, I really feel nostalgic and think about if the Constructa ist still working somewhere. Probably not but I have s special relationship with this machine because I lied on top of this machine while my mother changed my diapers. I was really sad when we gave this machine away even if I had no possibility to see the clothes :-)


Post# 378308 , Reply# 57   9/12/2009 at 14:34 (5,339 days old) by aquacycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        

aquacycle's profile picture
^Matt, I agree about the mould. Washing at 30 does that to any machine, especially over a period of time. I've never had a problem with mould and every so often, i'll run the machine at 95 on an empty drum with a tiny splash of bleach in it to keep it clean. And FYI, mixfinder - I find washing clothes in stupid amounts of water which are clearly draining the natural resources AND washing for a stupidly small length of time in mediocre detergent disgusting. You might as well just wash your clothes in a bath with some soap and a wooden spoon. What you said clearly means that you think the clothes I'm wearing are disgusting - I'm quite proud of my clean home and personal hygiene, so thanks VERY much for that.

Post# 378309 , Reply# 58   9/12/2009 at 14:37 (5,339 days old) by aquacycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        

aquacycle's profile picture
SORRY MIXFINDER...that was for JeffG not you :)

Post# 378312 , Reply# 59   9/12/2009 at 14:50 (5,339 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

an hour isnt long enough? who has time to wait over 2 hours for ONE load of clothes to get done, certainly not the fast paced american people.

Post# 378318 , Reply# 60   9/12/2009 at 14:58 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
yeah well

It's like saying you won't wait 3hours for a roast to cook, so you'll just put it in the oven for half an hour and it will be "cooked enough". Yes it will be sort of cooked, but the only way it will be cooked to perfection is to cook it for the correct amount of time.

To me thats how rediculous it sounds when people say a washer should take no longer than 30mins to wash. Clothes just won't be as clean in any way like they will be from a proper wash cycle. If you think they are then you haven't used a machine with proper wash times.

Matt


Post# 378319 , Reply# 61   9/12/2009 at 15:00 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Also who waits for their washer to finish!?

I thought the whole idea of an "automatic" washer is that you put it on, go away and do something else and forget about it till you come back and it's finished.

All our washers have a quick wash cycle that lasts around 30mins for those few small loads that are needed in a hurry. The full cycles are only used on properly soiled full loads.

Matt


Post# 378328 , Reply# 62   9/12/2009 at 15:32 (5,339 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Ecological Impact

I must agree with everyone of every culture and country, my top loading washer uses more water thana front loader. I must also admit I wash for recreation and not every items needs another dip. I always err on the side of underloading to acheive optimum results, protect the life of the garmet and protect the life of the washer. I try to make up for it by not rinsing dishes before running the dishwasher, taking quick showers and lessening my impact on the grid. If I truly was onboard with saving theplanet I could not defend my top loading washer. I feel the wash water for slipperness and look at the rinse water for evidence of all soap being gone. I could live without touching if you'll just let me watch.

Post# 378331 , Reply# 63   9/12/2009 at 16:17 (5,339 days old) by aquacycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        

aquacycle's profile picture
"i noticed that ALL the front loaders in the pictures above have MECHANICAL knobs rather than electronic controlls, that could possibly be the problem with all the machines today." - toploader1984

I agree with you here. I have to say, I've found a lot of todays machines with computer control's to be horrid and unreliable. However, my Miele has electronic control's and is fine, as does my Mum's Bendix. But you can't beat that old clicky dial.

However, unlike you, as much as I prefer a front loader, I have nothing against people who prefer Top loading machines. They clearly have their reasons for preferring them, which is fine. But for gods sake, don't you dare come on her going "Toploaders are better, FACT!!" because the fact that both sell well in various parts of the world proves otherwise. I don't like bagless vacuums, but millions of people own them and if it works for them, thats great. If they like it, and can back it up with valid reasons why, then great. But all you've done is exactley what you said you didn't like us doing - you've come on and gone "FRONT LOADERS ARE SHIT!!! END OF" but not in so many words. And then you said "this is for americans" so surely a more appropriate title for this thread would be "ALL AMERICANS SHOULD READ THIS" and not "EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS". I think we're included in the "everyone" unless you think everyone in the world is, or should be, American?


Post# 378336 , Reply# 64   9/12/2009 at 16:56 (5,339 days old) by jeffg ()        

I agree on that last point, and I always try to be careful to qualify my own statements (e.g. "here in America", "as it exists here in the U.S" etc). I'm not accusing anyone of intentionally wearing dirty clothes.


Post# 378337 , Reply# 65   9/12/2009 at 17:04 (5,339 days old) by aquacycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        

aquacycle's profile picture
"I'm not accusing anyone of intentionally wearing dirty clothes"

no, but you are saying you think they're dirty. And they're not. I had a baked bean stain on my white t-shirt. Guess what? It wasn't there when it came out of the washing machine. SHOCK HORROR IT'S CLEAN!! And that is in a front loader. I would never turn around and indirectly say "I think your clothes are dirty because you use a top loader". That's just plain rude. So thank you VERY much for that.


Post# 378338 , Reply# 66   9/12/2009 at 17:07 (5,339 days old) by jeffg ()        

Chris, please re-read my comments:

"For most American front loaders the opposite is true: I cringe when I see a big load of filthy clothes being tumbled around in just a few gallons of water, and people thinking there's actually some way a load of clothes can be cleaned, let alone sanitized in that much water.

And then people wonder why their FL's develop mold problems. Personally the whole FL technology, at least as it currently exists here in the U.S., disgusts me."

They were (and are) relevant to what's being sold in the U.S.


Post# 378339 , Reply# 67   9/12/2009 at 17:16 (5,339 days old) by aquacycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        

aquacycle's profile picture
"They were (and are) relevant to what's being sold in the U.S"

Yes, but US front loaders use the same water consumption as most front loaders. A US Miele front loader uses the same amount of water as a UK or European Miele front loader. Your statement clearly implies that you think washing clothes in a front loader machine still leaves them dirty and therefore meaning I am walking around wearing dirty clothes. I've made effort to buy an efficient machine and chose a detergent (through trial and error) that does a good job and what you've said clearly means you think I have chosen an inferior product and that is not the case.

"Personally the whole FL technology, at least as it currently exists here in the U.S., disgusts me."

A front loader is still a front loader anywhere else in the world. So the millions of front loader uses across the globe disgust you, huh? Oh geee...thanks! We're flattered.


Post# 378340 , Reply# 68   9/12/2009 at 17:27 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Well this is my point

The only difference between US and Euro front loaders is that the US ones have (IMO stupid) short wash cycles and Hot fill, both of these things have a negative impact on performance.

To be honest washers in Europe wash better than ever these days, and do so with less water than ever. There is far too much emphasis on low water consumption being a negative thing in terms of wash results.

Most people I know put their washer on before they go out, go to work, go to bed etc and return to clean clothes a few hours later. Like I said before these washers do have a quick wash cycle for those items needed in a hurry. If for some strange reason you are not prepared to wash like this then I guess you would need a front loader to use more water, but even then you can only reduce cycle times to an extent. 15mins DOES NOT constitute a heavy duty main wash as far as I'm concearned, yet that is how some of the US front loaders work.

To sum that up US machines either need to increase cycle time a lot, or increase them a bit and use a bit more water. The first one would be the more sensible choice in this situation IMO.

Matt


Post# 378341 , Reply# 69   9/12/2009 at 17:29 (5,339 days old) by jeffg ()        

> US front loaders use the same water consumption as most front loaders. <

It's not just water levels. E.g. most FL's sold here don't have internal heaters, and many have reduced cycle times compared to their European cousins. Etc.


Post# 378343 , Reply# 70   9/12/2009 at 17:32 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        

"I cringe when I see a big load of filthy clothes being tumbled around in just a few gallons of water, and people thinking there's actually some way a load of clothes can be cleaned, let alone sanitized in that much water."

Your comment only says that the machines use far too little water. This is the point I disagree entirely with you on.

However it is indeed very true about the short cycle times and lack of heater on many US front loaders. This is what inhibits their performace.

Matt


Post# 378346 , Reply# 71   9/12/2009 at 17:46 (5,339 days old) by jeffg ()        

Well, however their performance is inhibited, the fact is they don't perform very well. And now U.S. detergent manufacturers are starting to dumb down their products (e.g. "Tide Basic"). First they did away with phosphates, and now enzymes. What's left is stained underwear.

Post# 378347 , Reply# 72   9/12/2009 at 17:54 (5,339 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Hey, Don't Blame Lack of Phosphates

launderess's profile picture
On detergent makers, that bit comes via various regulations and laws.

Only thing detergent makers could be considered guilty of is no longer wishing to make several variations of product for different markets, such as phosphate verus non-phosphate versions as of old.

As for "Tide Basic", well Tide has always been TOL detergent from P&G. It is the first place every new chemical or advance in that company's laundry product lands. As a result the price of Tide has always been rather high, sadly in these economic times even high end shoppers are looking to save money so something had to give.

L.


Post# 378348 , Reply# 73   9/12/2009 at 17:57 (5,339 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Our detergents haven't had phosphates for years

I recently found some that did, I tried it because of what I'd heard about how "amazing" they are on here. It made no difference to the cleaning power at all. Persil gel tablets with phosphates perform and rinse no better than the unphosphated formula, so I don't see whats so special about them, apart from that they are very bad for aquatic life from what I've heard.

Matt


Post# 378349 , Reply# 74   9/12/2009 at 18:11 (5,339 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
On Board Hot Water Heaters

launderess's profile picture
This thing that all front loaders must have onboard hot water heaters is not entirely spun of whole cloth.

Back when one used to go on THS, this same arguement raged on so one decided to conduct an experiment using our old Malber front loader.

Using tap hot water (130F), tested going in, and measured the water coming out of drain doing a 11 pound wash load for 12 minutes. Drain water temperature was about 125F, IIRC. Certianly wasn't below 120F, and not 100F either.

On board heaters for front loaders do make a difference if the unit is located far from the source of hot water, and or one wishes wash temps above set hot water temp. Of course in Europe things are different since by and large it has long ago been designed that all appliances requiring hot water heat it themselves, rather than rely on hot water from a central heater (if there was one).

What American front loading washing machines mainly have is a water "booster", and even then they will take ages to bring water up to temperature. I mean there is only a certian amount of heating power available from 115v/120v 15amp power service. Even less when one considers the machine must divert some of the power to the motor and electronics. Less than even that once one factors in NEC codes that require no more than 80% of a circut should be drawn.

Miele and other European washers had the right idea using 220v power, but Americans by and large did not wish to install such lines where they did not exsist in numbers to make sales viable.

Perhaps if front loaders went back to the design where tumbling was slower during the heating phase, thus allowing more power to be drawn via the heaters, but as motors use about only 100 watts or less, even then there wouldn't be a huge difference.

L.


Post# 378353 , Reply# 75   9/12/2009 at 19:00 (5,339 days old) by golittlesport (California)        
blah blah blah

golittlesport's profile picture
...to each their own. There are benefits and disadvantages to both types of machines.

In the 50's our mothers and grandmothers were debating automatics vs. wringers. Automatics took too long, didn't clean as well, used too much water, were not dependable and broke down too often. Wringers were not safe, were too time consuming and too much work. So some folks stayed with wringers and others bought automatics.

IMHO vintage top loaders are cool and fun to watch but the current offering of top loaders does nothing for me. I personally have had excellent results from Electrolux-built (in the USA) front loaders. One still in the extended family is ten years old, going strong, no repairs and no moldly smells...and it is the bomb in the cleaning dept. I am also lucky enough to own a 55 Frigidaire Unimatic top loader. So I live in the best of both laundry worlds as far as I'm concerned. :-)

Some folks can't stand seeing a machine go through a rinse cycle and not see waves of water, and the next can't stand listening to a washer filling, and filling, and filling, and filling. So everyone enjoy the type of washer that works best for their needs and just keep your little secret that your kind is really the best. No need to try to convert the world to your religion.

I saw Wanda Sykes once and she said "I don't see what all this debate is over gay marriage. If you don't believe in gay marriage then don't marry someone of the same sex." Same goes for this TL/FL debate.


Post# 378354 , Reply# 76   9/12/2009 at 19:04 (5,339 days old) by qsd-dan (West)        

qsd-dan's profile picture
Several reasons why a front loader won't work for me:

1. I soak and submerge whites in oxygen based bleach for 12 hours (hot, 140F water, of course). Can't do that in a front loader.

2. I soak and submerge greasy/oily clothes in Tide with Clorox 2 color safe bleach overnight for at least 12 hours. Can't do that in a front loader.

3. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats and need a machine that will effectively filter out and remove hair. Front loaders do a poor job in that area.

4. I need a machine that doesn't wake up the household, or for that matter, the entire neighborhood when it goes into spin if I decide to a load of laundry at 2AM (which I do often). All front loaders I have played with have VERY noisy spin cycles.

5. I need a machine that will thoroughly do a good job in 40 min or less, especially for those monthly routines where I strip couch covers, bed sheets, dog beds, and several loads of regular laundry. That total comes to at least 9-11 loads for one days worth of laundry. I don't have 18-22+ hours of spare time get this accomplished!!

6. I need a reliable machine! The old Maytag has been routinely abused for 24 years with only a belt replacement at 21 years of age. I don't think ANY front loader (or top loader, for that matter) made in the last 10-15 years can even begin to come close to those reliability figures!


Post# 378366 , Reply# 77   9/12/2009 at 19:32 (5,339 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        

ronhic's profile picture
It seems that everybody does agree (from previous posts and topics) that we would all prefer to have our machines the way they were 15-20yrs or so ago. By that I mean with higher water levels in the wash and (especially) the rinse phases.

It appears that toploaders on the US market, with the exception of Speed Queen and maybe a few others, have done what they can to comply with the US Fed and reduced water consumption etc whilst trying to innovate. Some have had success, others less so.

Some Fisher and Paykel machines use a raised 'plate' or 'low rise agitator' (you choose) and low water levels. Consumer tests here have shown them to clean and rinse well and not use HUGE amounts of water. However, they are shown in tests as not being particularly gentle on fabric AND leave detergent deposits/lint.

Electrolux via SImpson and the Electrolux brands have taken a different approach. They have retained the same basic design of central agitator and changed the number and design of holes in the drum which, when used in conjunction with a pump means they can retain 'full tub' water levels yet reduce consumption by restricting how much water flows from the inner to the outer tub and quickly pumping this back to the inner tub, you keep a high water level, yet are not 'wasting' the water between the 2 tubs. You can manually over ride the auto select and choose your own water level too...

....Unfortunately, they don't do well in CAPACITY tests, but loaded the way most of us wash, they probably would.

ON THE OTHER HAND....

Front loaders have gone a different route. Launderess has many times told us of the need for certain things to occur for washing to be clean:

Change the variables too far one way or the other and the results will suffer.

With top load machines, short cycle times, lots of water and lots of chemicals (detergent AND bleach) leads to clean clothes. Older Australian machines are NO different here, though our detergents may have been as we tended not to use bleach heavily....my mother never.

Front load machines used to be the same to some degree. Still had longer cycle times for a couple of reasons.

- traditionally 3-5 rinses
- often heating water from cold

BUT, they used up to DOUBLE the water then compared to now. What has changed? Well they rarely rinse more than 3 times on a standard cycle (though with ASKO/Miele/VZug and certain Electrolux/Zanussi machines you can alter this) and they have reduced the standard amount of water in each component of the cycle....and wash cycles have increased accordingly.

Launderess is correct in refering to a lack of 220-250v power being one of the major issues. Short cycle times are fine with a reasonable amount of water that comes in warm/hot...I know, my oft refered to Hoover was hot/cold connect with NO HEATER yet cleans beautifully at capacity...but then it used about 80litres of water for 4kg compared to the 75litres for 6.5kg my current machine uses...and had short times 21min MAX wash component total cycle at max wash time was 55min including 3 rinses and intermittant spins (it still used less than 2/3 of the water of the equiv. top loader available when new).

So something has to give in the US front load market.....

People have to build a bridge and basically 'get over' the time issue as it is quite evident that the cycle times need to be increased, probably by as much as 50% to be truely effective with low water levels. Or at least give people the option of a long cyle by introducing a system similar to Electrolux/Zanussi's 'Time manager' where you tell the machine how dirty it is and it increases or decreases the time.

Ideally

- Option of longer cycles for large/capacity loads on a 'user chooser basis. i.e. - you decide.
- Option of additional rinses
- Heater
- Educate people how to use them
- reduce the capacity....they'll last longer (particularly bearings)

the last one is a little controversial I know in a 'Big is better' society

...BUT...

most people never capacity load a top load machine and generally speaking a front load machine one size smaller in capacity will swallow and wash well (with space to spare) what we would normally put in a top load machine one size larger where the user thinks it is 'full'....

...Statistics in both the UK and Australia confirm that we tend to wash, on average, 4-4.5kg (9-10lb) at a time...



CLICK HERE TO GO TO ronhic's LINK


Post# 378371 , Reply# 78   9/12/2009 at 20:21 (5,339 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

people act like its so bad to use a little extra water to wash clothes, nobody says anything about the new cfl light bulbs with mercury getting into our landfills and polluting the ground and water.

Post# 378372 , Reply# 79   9/12/2009 at 20:23 (5,339 days old) by suburbanmd (Maryland, USA)        
Soaking vs. extended tumbling

12 hours soaking = x hours tumbling, where x is ????

x is probably much less than 12, if for no other reason than because tumbling continually brings fresh detergent and bleach into contact with the fabric, in contrast to quiescent soaking. Also, tumbling takes place in a machine that maintains the water at 140F, in contrast to soaking, where the water will cool down over such an extended period. Per the detergent manufacturers' trade association site, "Water temperature affects the bleaching rate of oxygen bleaches. Hot water accelerates the bleaching action. As water temperature decreases below 130 degrees F, exposure time must be increased substantially."


CLICK HERE TO GO TO suburbanmd's LINK


Post# 378378 , Reply# 80   9/12/2009 at 20:41 (5,339 days old) by suburbanmd (Maryland, USA)        
Launderess' temperature drop experiment

Can we assume that the old Malber uses a lot of water, compared to current front-loaders? Less incoming hot water means a larger temperature drop.

Post# 378382 , Reply# 81   9/12/2009 at 20:49 (5,339 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Yeabut

launderess's profile picture
One of the benefits of oxygen bleaching is that it can be controlled via water temperature. Persons for instance engaged in textile conservation and or restoration like using oxygen bleach (sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate or hydrogen peroxide liquid), in cooler water temps and long soaking because it is much less aggressive. Sure one could shift stains and yellowing by boiling or using hot to very hot water, which certianly would speed up the bleaching process, but it also very well would damage fragile textiles.

Of the oxygen bleaches, sodium percarbonate will bleach even in cool or cold water on it's own. Sodium perborate really needs temps >130F to get going, with >140F better still. Hence all those European washing machines with temperatures settings up to 200F. OTHO when one uses a bleaching activator, both the disenfection, whitening and stain removal properties of perborate bleach happen at lower temps. Indeed the sweet spot is between 120F to 140F, however activity still occurs at 100F or lower.

European commercial laundries have access to detergents with activated oxygen bleach certified to provide full disenfection at 140F with minimum of ten minutes contact time. Such detergents are mainly used by hospitals, nursing homes, and so forth or commercial laundry services for the same.

L.


Post# 378403 , Reply# 82   9/12/2009 at 21:54 (5,339 days old) by andrewinorlando ()        

Toploader1984.....

I sold my 1997 Frigidaire Gallery front load washer and matching electric dryer with reverse tumble action (neat feature) to my next door neighbor when I moved here in 2000 because I needed a gas dryer in my house. That machine is still going with no problems for her family of 4 people. Not one repair, not one problem with either the washer or the dryer.

I guess that blows a big hole in your argument...it's much older than 5 years old since it will be 13 years old in February. And that's just a Frigidaire!!


Post# 378467 , Reply# 83   9/13/2009 at 02:59 (5,338 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)        

laundromat's profile picture
Fact:The first automatic washer was a front loader.

Fact:Proctor and Gamble "brainwashed" customers that the more suds you see,the cleaner your clothes/dishes/floors will get.

Fact:Suds do not get your clothes clean.It's the softness of the wash water along with anionic and nonionic serfactants which trap and hold stains and dirt out of the fabrics.

Fact:Oversudsing retards(slows down) the washing action in both agitator type and horizontal axis type washers.It also,when excessive can cause overflowing onto the floor and posibly oxydation of metal washer parts and cabinitry.

Fact:Agitator type,especialy oscilating ones,ware out and damage fabrics.You want proof? wash a load in a top loading washer and another in a front loading washer.Be sure the dryer lint screan is clean before you dry each load.After the cycle ends,check and see how much less lint there is in the load washed in the front loader.

fact:Front loaders,within 5 years,save you enough money on water,detergent,bleach,fabric softner,energy use,dry cleaning bills and clothing replacement to pay for themselves.Two years to make up the difference in price as aposed to buying a top loader

Fact:Front loaders have absolutely no transmission.
Some actualy have no pullies or belts (L.G.).

Fact:Front loaders are much,much quieter than top loaders.

Fact:Most issues regarding service calls are caused by customer ignorance. For Example,the mold/mildew found to be an issue nationwide is because the owners refuse to leave the door of the front loaders ajar after finished doing laundry.Answer me this,Would you leave a refrigerator/freezer door closed if you turned it off for a few days????Why not? you leave your washer door closed right after you stop washing a few days. Not one of my front load washer customers who followed my advice ever called me complaining about mildew forming in their washer.Those who ndid not follow my simple advice were the ones who had constant issues.I have seen many with the shipping tape covering the electronic control panels stiil there.I had one customer bitch at me because the washer she got had a blue control panel on it and the one she saw and bought had white!!!!---Don't go there.I am embaressed to tell you what I did.

Fact:All front loaders have a "Quick cycle" available as well as an extra rinse option.If you don't want an hour to two hour long cycle,just select the quick cycle option.I used it frequently on my L.G.and it had a wadsh with two deep rinses and a final 1200 rpm spin.It took only 28 minutes from start to finish and did an outstanding job.my Askos also had that option and took only 35 minutes from a wash and 4 rinses followed by a 1600 rpm final spin.

I do not hate top loaders.The Speed Queens are great.Before the take over,I liked the Maytags.There durability was great and the porcelain on zink steel tubs rarely rusted.I had some issues with Whirlpool(belt drives spin too slow and dds tore up my clothes) and hated the GE Filter Flo method.Seeing dirty/sudsy backwash coming through a slit with lint hanging out of it just doesn't seam to be that clean to me.However,the mini baskets made great plant pots!!The Frigidaires would be almost as good as the SQs if they'd get that damned indexing tub system redesigned.However,it's a bit too late for that because I think that top loading agitator washers are going to be heading the same direction as wringer washers,obsolete.
I always wonder how things would have been had P&G not promoted suds as a major importance in laundry washing.I remember many of the Bendix (washers and washer dryer combos),Westinghouse and GEs that neighbors had that did a great job and many of the owners Realy did a fantastic job in upkeep using the correct detergent OR using less than the Tide,Oxydol,Cheer,Wisk,Vim boxes recomended for their washer.The Bairs had a 1954 Westinghouse DeLuxe laundromat and Alice liked Vim.She bought and used it the first time and had lots of oversudsing.She read her Laundrofile and changed her formula by breaking the tabs in half.Not only did the suds become almost non existant but the wash got real clean.After they stopped production(Lever Brothers),she switched to Salvo and used twice as much.She went back to Dash after that.She (God rest her soul)and I both miss Vim and Salvo.The Tide and Wisk tabs weren't anywhere near them in aroma and performance.O.k. I'm off my soap box. LOL


Post# 378473 , Reply# 84   9/13/2009 at 04:01 (5,338 days old) by hoovermatic (UK)        

Having lived in Australia in the late 1980's/early 1990's I used only TL machines. I imagine their laundry habits are similar to in the US but am sure someone will correct me on that if it isn't the case. Initially I selected warm water but on discovering Cold Power I only used cold. Setting aside the temperature debate totally, my laundry was always spotlessly clean. I didn't develop any skin conditions or allergies and my clothes always smelled fresh and clean. I could not fault the TL machines at all in their performance. Yes, they used a lot of water and I was on a meter but that was the way it was, TL machines were the machine of choice. All the houses and apartment/units I lived in had utility/laundry rooms so the size of the machine was not an issue.

Proir to moving to Australia and since I came back, I have used only FL machines, or h-axis TL machines. They use a fraction of the water and take longer but that is what we are used to in the UK. Similarly, my clothes are spotless, I do not have and skin conditions or allergies and my laundry always smells fresh and clean.

Many of us don't have utility/laundry rooms so the machines sit in our kitchens. I would love the space for a utility room purely because it means I would have room to get a TL machine to play with!!

At the end of the day, I don't recall seeing Australians walking around in dirty smelly clothes nor Americans come to that. Similarly, I don't see people in the UK/Europe wearing dirty smelly clothes.

What I am trying to say is that from my experience, BOTH types of machine work equally well if they are used the correct way and we both have our faves because in general, that is what we are used to, we grew up with and we are comfortable with.

This argument will always rage on and I can only base my opinions on my own experiences. I love 'em both equally!!!


Post# 378475 , Reply# 85   9/13/2009 at 04:15 (5,338 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Minor Correction Regarding Tide Suds

launderess's profile picture
P&G at first created Tide that did not make much froth, but housewives conditioned by years of equating froth with cleaning power (which is true when one is using pure soap for laundry), stayed away in numbers. Once "detergents" made as much froth as soap, the final holdouts were converted.

Remember when Tide was introduced it's main competition was not other petrol based detergents, but soap.

Even today many housewives and other laundry consumers do not believe laundry detergents without froth are cleaning well. Go into any laundromat and one will find machines so full of froth that the final rinse looks the same as the pre-wash! *LOL*

L.


Post# 378478 , Reply# 86   9/13/2009 at 04:40 (5,338 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
imagine their laundry habits are similar to in the US but a

ronhic's profile picture
There are a couple of main differences....

- Our machines don't have bleach dispensers (ok, the majority)
- Our detergents advise AGAINST using LCB...another reason for few machines having dispensers
- The MAJORITY of Australians do the MAJORITY of their washing in cold water
- Almost ALL our detergents are capable of washing well in cold water and some are specifically designed for it (front loader users may buck this...not sure)

....and the only Australians who 'smell' only do so because they don't wash either themselves or their clothes....not because of the water temperature...


Post# 378501 , Reply# 87   9/13/2009 at 08:35 (5,338 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()        

~What I am trying to say is that from my experience, BOTH types of machine work equally well if they are used the correct way and we both have our faves because in general, that is what we are used to, we grew up with and we are comfortable with.

APPLAUSE!

One simply works around each type's deficiencies.

A gas cooker/stove will alwaye be "home" because that is what everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE, not nearly everyone)) in my city uses. A top-loader brings back memories of my youth, unmetered water service and the attitude of "plenty".


In many cases a front-loader cleans better (stain removal) and surprises many of us who are used to top-loaders in that regard. However for mud, dirt, grease and true filth one can not deny that use of abundant water makes all the difference. For the vast majority of household use, that kind of muck is not an issue a front-loader does very nicely.

I had the honor of doing scores of laundry loads for a guy whose home was flooded and there was mold on every item of clothing. Let's just say without a heater in my front-loader my top-loader came to my rescue.


Both types have their merits and draw-backs!

An intelligent user with a mind towards applied science/physics will work around the mechanicals to achieve the best possible results.



Post# 378504 , Reply# 88   9/13/2009 at 08:58 (5,338 days old) by andrewinorlando ()        

Very, very well put Steve!!

Post# 378539 , Reply# 89   9/13/2009 at 11:45 (5,338 days old) by norfolksouthern ()        

In many cases a front-loader cleans better (stain removal) and surprises many of us who are used to top-loaders in that regard. However for mud, dirt, grease and true filth one can not deny that use of abundant water makes all the difference. For the vast majority of household use, that kind of muck is not an issue a front-loader does very nicely.

I recently found a Maytag N2LP wringer, which many here claim is obsolete. It will do a better job at removing ground in dirt and grass stains from socks and jeans than my other machines, including my Zerowatt front loader. I think a lot of this has to do with the amount of detergent I can use, as well as time and the vigorous action of those huge agitator fins. It will pull stuff down remarkably well, while still controlling the amount of suds. Many wringers are being put back into service, and their value has been increasing in recent years. Go figure.

NorfolkSouthern



Post# 378549 , Reply# 90   9/13/2009 at 12:45 (5,338 days old) by hoovermatic (UK)        
Detergent

One thing that took me a while to get used to using a TL was the amount of detergent one needs to use. I was still using the same amount for a TL as a FL and it was pointed out to me by a housemate that I was using far too little and that was why I was complaining that my formal shirt collars were not coming out clean. Working as a bar attendant I had to wear white formal shirts which used to get filthy dirty and was moaning about the fact that they were ALL stained, even after washing. As soon as I was put right on that score and was using the right amount of detergent things were just fine, even in cold water.

My mother had a Whirlpool TL for a year and while she loved the traditional agitator it took about an hour to fill with water. As with many UK homes, the hot water was gravity fed and painfully slow. As I have a combi boiler then a TL is a very attractive option but don't have the space for it. I had a twin tub for a while and had similar problems gauging the right amount of detergent to use. With so many pre-measured formats such as tablets, gel capsules and strange dispenser caps, free pour detergent is a lost art, much like free pour gin at the local pub!!!!


Post# 378631 , Reply# 91   9/13/2009 at 16:52 (5,338 days old) by toploader1984 ()        

our detergents here for front loaders are HE high efficency, the amount you use is the same as a top loader only it is a low sudsing formula. tide claims u should NOT even use regular tide even if u use a quarter amout of the detergent. could be because our front loaders use so little water. i like the front loaders in the laundromat that fill half way up the door.

Post# 378636 , Reply# 92   9/13/2009 at 17:00 (5,338 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
I think....

ronhic's profile picture
....did I, yes I did just read that correctly....

^^^^faints...


Post# 378637 , Reply# 93   9/13/2009 at 17:36 (5,338 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
The reason you must use low sudsing (HE) detergents in a fro

Is because the action is so vigorous that with a high sudsing detergent it would whip up so many suds they'd be gushing out of the top of the machine and all over the floor. The water consumpion of the machine dosen't dictate this, it's the fact the water is being moved through the clothes, rather than the clothes being moved through the water as in a top loader.

If I get told that U.S. front loaders use less water than European machines one more time I swear to God I will go mad lol. It just isn't true. The Zanussi FJS1425W in the house I am currently renting uses 44l (11-12 U.S. gallons) to wash a full 5-6kg (11-13lb) wash load. That is a wash with an "invisible" water level and 3 rinses with "barely visible" water levels. It washes and rinses even the largest, dirtiest and most absorbant loads perfectly every time, providing it is not overloaded, underdosed and a good quality detergent is used. I never have to use the extra rinse option and have never needed to pre-treat, pre-soak, pre-wash or use any additives (except detergent) on anything. Yes the wash cycle takes 2hr8mins, would I have it any other way? Not a chance!

Matt


Post# 378639 , Reply# 94   9/13/2009 at 17:40 (5,338 days old) by fridgiman ()        

Lets see:

Just for arguments sake we'll say that a typical top loader takes about 30 mins to wash a load of whites. And for a FL, 2 hours. We'll also, for agruments sake, say a typical family of 4 washes about 10 loads a week.
For the TL that means the machine is running for about 5 hours per week.
And the FL: 20 hours per week.
For one year the TL has run about 260 hours
And the FL: 1040 hours

Which machine do you think will, in general, last the longest ?

Now a white work shirt:
Which work shirt do you think will last the longest?
The one washed every week in the TL that is agitated in hot water and detergent for 30 mins (rinses included of course) or,
the one in the FL that is agitated (tumbled) for 2 hours in hot water and detergent?

In one year that white shirt was washed for:
26 hours in the TL or,
104 hours in the FL

For me the numbers speak for themselves.


Post# 378641 , Reply# 95   9/13/2009 at 17:49 (5,338 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Yes, but

In a front loader the clothes are merely lifted and dropped, in a top loader they are thrashed around by the agitator blades.

It's obvious that a top loader causes more wear on clothes than a front loader by the amount of lint they create, compared to a front loader creating merely negligable amounts.

Having seen how a modern Maytag toploader left my friend's cottons tshirts and jumpers bobbled, stretched and with small holes in them, despite being loaded correctly (if anything underloaded) and a lot of them being washed in wash bags. This is after about 3 months usage. I can certainly say of all the clothes I own which are similar and in some cases the same items, are bobble and hole free after, in some cases years or front loader washing. Have never had anything stretched either, this is also without using wash bags.

So sorry but I cannot accept that a top loader is more gentle on clothes than a top loader.

Matt


Post# 378643 , Reply# 96   9/13/2009 at 17:54 (5,338 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
I cannot accept that a top loader is more gentle on clothes

I meant to say

"sorry, but I cannot accept that a top loader is more gentle than a front loader"

Matt


Post# 378646 , Reply# 97   9/13/2009 at 17:58 (5,338 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        
why that answer is easy,

aquarius1984's profile picture
The one that will last the longest is the one built with better quality materials.

It makes no odds to cycle times whatsoever the longevity of a machine.
Nor can one generalise so much,

Thats like saying bicicles will travel you for a greater distance than a pair of rollerskates.

Whats to say the rollerskates in question were TOL proffessional ones and you were comparing it to riding a plastic childs tricycle.

There are plenty of plastic TL's that would seemingly not be able to do more than a couple of washes a week for 1 year yet Asko machines etc do 2 or three loads a week for 20 to 30 years.




Post# 378683 , Reply# 98   9/13/2009 at 20:31 (5,338 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
I'll weigh in on this

ronhic's profile picture
I've used both top and front load machines...my mother has owned both...

Firstly,

Generally speaking a top load machine 'lightly loaded' and using a high water level will wash gently without EXCESSIVE pilling, linting or wear.

However.....

Generally speaking, a front load machine will wash at capacity with much less water, more gently, negligible pilling and next to no linting or wear on clothing...

The 22yr old (yep...22!) pair of chinos, 14yr old sheridan towels (which are now getting thin having been tumble dried so much, but have no pulls) and several rugby tops that are also over 12yrs are testament to this.

On the work shirt issue, I wear the same 5 shirts to work every week and replace maybe 1-2 a year....this year I threw out a pale blue one where the collar had started to go with wear....it was 5yrs old and only cost me about $15....not bad for a cheap 'made in china ' shirt that has been washed and ironed well over 200 times.

Time and time again, our consumer magazine has shown that front load machines cause less wear and tear on clothes despite the fact that 'normal' cycles can, depending on the machine, run for up to 2:30


Post# 378685 , Reply# 99   9/13/2009 at 20:45 (5,338 days old) by jeffg ()        

> Time and time again, our consumer magazine has shown that front load machines cause less wear and tear on clothes <

Not surprising, as the corkscrew agitators used on most TL's today (e.g. Whirlpools) are downright brutal. But 20+ year lifespans for clothes are common with better and/or classic agitators.


Post# 378701 , Reply# 100   9/13/2009 at 21:33 (5,338 days old) by qsd-dan (West)        

qsd-dan's profile picture
"Having seen how a modern Maytag toploader left my friend's cottons tshirts and jumpers bobbled, stretched and with small holes in them, despite being loaded correctly (if anything underloaded) and a lot of them being washed in wash bags. This is after about 3 months usage."

Not sure what brand Maytag (perhaps the Orbitals?) but I have towels that were passed down 3 generations of use to the early 60's that were washed in my great grandmother E2L wringer, my grandmothers HA806, and my A712. They ALL show minimal wear, especially since they saw repeat use from day 1 up until I permanently retired them to the closet last year.

I still wear clothes from 1993 when I was a freshmen in highschool (yeah, they still fit). The only wear is from use, especailly since I have retired them to working on cars and vintage washer/dryers, as well as garden work since 1999/2000. Also, keep in mind, until I became a member of this site in 2006, the Maytag was severally overloaded......every load......and yet wear was still minimal, if any at all.


Post# 378763 , Reply# 101   9/14/2009 at 04:34 (5,337 days old) by deeprinser ()        
Water required !

Call me old fashioned ....

I still cannot see how modern FL machines can wash and rinse a full 12lb + load properly with only 45-50 litres of water !
Rinses are essential for removing soap/detergent/soil/scum from the fabric.
I have to rinse each full load 10 times with my FL .Truly.

After that rant I'm now retreating to my bunker ....
I have supplies !





Post# 378771 , Reply# 102   9/14/2009 at 06:40 (5,337 days old) by favorit ()        
Yesterday frontloaders vs today ones

Let's try to make out why older FL use(d) higher water levels.

1) Most of vintage water level sensors weren't so accurate as modern ones. In case of a very adsorbant load (e.g. terry towelling) many machines didn't sense the level had dropped down because of the high adsorbancy. So the trick was to use high levels.

The same trick is used in some laundromats. Owners want their washers free as faster as possible, to have more customers on each washer (higher productivity). High levels saturate loads faster and are "forgiving" on "overloads"

2) Mrs Average Housewife felt guilty to run the washer if it was not totally loaded (sometimes overloaded...). Go figure "delicate" cycle was considered a waste of water/energy cause the machine can be loaded only up to one third of the cylinder, so many people kept on using "elbow grease" cycle

In the last 20 years EU housewives changed their frame of mind. They needed to wash dayly SMALLER loads, often more times a day

The half load button/level was no more enough for these new habits. Lets' see why

1) If very small cotton/permapress loads are washed in too much water the frontloader doesn't lift and tumble them. They rotate while floating as in a gentle cycle, so there isn't enough mechanical action.

2) Another problem was the lack of speed control : half loads are lighter, so the drum rotated faster than with a full load.
Sometimes small loads weren't washed properly cause they went stuck on the drum as the machine kept on washing on a somewhat distribution speed (typical mid 80's Candy bug)

So washers were redesigned to be self adaptive. Smaller loads has more place to move. With proper level and wash speed they lift and drop more effectively, so the wash bath time can be cut down. Oterwise on full loads the motor senses a bigger load to move so the board increases washing times, number of rinses, spin profiles ....

IMHO Zanussi's Jetsystem (mid eighties) is a milestone in this scenario. Not a case Electrolux inherited it and keeps on using it after 25 years.
Others use rainwash systems / watermill-wheels system where baffles lift and spray water on the load to achieve a faster saturation

Here is a pic of Larry (CleanTeamofNYC)'s E'lux frontloader.
From a european P.O.W. it seems underloaded (or it could be a proper permapress load). But this machine has a wash bath lasting from 9 up to 21 minutes only, so these whites can get really white within 20 mins only if they have all this place to tumble freely.
As Ronhic said, just wonder why E'lux doesn't put Time Manager sys even on american washers

RINSING: despite they use less water (well built) modern frontoaders rinse better than old ones. My miele W844 (52 litres per a 5kg cotton load) rinses better than the W780 (115 litres per 5 kg cotton load). The older machine really spins before the last rinse, the newer one spins @ 1000 rpm at the end of the wash bath and of each rinse.

The older permapress rinses poorly cause has final spin only, the W844 has a nice permapress rinse cause of interim spins

Last words : yesterday I boilwashed a single bed set, 4 terry towels and a couple of kitchen towels in my 10 y.o. miele
It took only 75 mins from tap cold water to final spin, where it usually take 2 hr for a full load. Then ran shirts & trousers on permapress short 30°C (40 mins). Frontloaders don't always take hours to wash ...



Post# 379019 , Reply# 103   9/14/2009 at 19:39 (5,337 days old) by fridgiman ()        

Hey guys,

Of course I was speaking of American made FL's. I can't speak of European models as far as quaility goes. What I do know however, is that FL's in America are junk. With the long cycle times they just do not last long.

As far as gentleness of wash, I'm afraid that maybe I wasn't clear enough. With any toploader you have to watch the agitation speed. Most people just don't know how to wash. You have to choose agitation speed carefully and no overloading with a TL. You cannot wash a washable dress shirt, slacks or dress on fast agitation and expect no damage. I had a 1989 Maytag TL for 15 years (sold it with my home), washed everything in it and never had any damage, pilling, etc. All my clothes lasted forever and were very clean.
So I stand by what I said. If a TL is used correctly, you have less damage than washing the same garment for 4 times longer in a FL. Even Consumer Reports, who has been a strong advocate of FL's has finally admitted that the new longer wash times on FL's are hard on garments.


Post# 379052 , Reply# 104   9/14/2009 at 22:27 (5,337 days old) by golittlesport (California)        
2 hours???

golittlesport's profile picture
Fridgiman, Not sure where u get the two hour cycle for FL's. I have a Frigidaire FL and the normal cycle is 45 minutes. That is not much longer than a top loader cycle.

Glad you like TL's and that you have one. But I doubt I will ever go back to a "modern" TL. I've used both types and get better results from a FL. To each their own.


Post# 379096 , Reply# 105   9/15/2009 at 02:31 (5,336 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
You cannot wash a washable dress shirt, slacks or dress on f

ronhic's profile picture
Maybe not in a Top Loader...

...but I sit here in the knowledge that I wash 95% of our washing on the Normal cycle of my front loader...

A fairly normal load would be

10 x business/dress shirts
5 x undershirts
10 x t-shirts

plus a couple of other smaller things...

This is not a capacity load, more 'comfortably full' or about 2/3 and gets done on the 'Normal 40c' cycle which even when 'quick' is pressed is still 68min....

Fridgiman, I really don't need to think as such as to which cycle I use for the vast majority of my clothes. Cottons and synthetics all tend to get washed on the normal cotton cycle all mixed together in a warm wash at no less that 2/3 - full capacity.

Wool tends to be the only thing that I ensure that I use the appropriate cycle for.

And that is why us 'front load users' tend to bang on about wash action and gentleness...provided we aren't doing a 'Hot' wash, we really don't need to pay anywhere near as much attention to the overall contents of the machine. We KNOW that we can fill it and the materials won't suffer. A 'normal' tumble wash in a front load machine is much more gentle then the 'normal' agitation speed of a top loader and as a result, less consideration needs to be given when loading.


Post# 379110 , Reply# 106   9/15/2009 at 06:58 (5,336 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
The only thing that I wouldn't put in the normal cycle i

are silks and woollens, not that I have any. My washer has never damaged a thing, and this is with 3 hour cycle times.

Don't really appreciate you suggesting my friend dosen't know how to wash, he is a member on here and most certainly does. The wash results from this (orbital) Maytag were disgusting to say the least on the heavy duty cycle, so it was a case of do you want clean (and I use this term lightly), ruined clothes or dirty clothes? In that situation what would be the point in running a cycle where the clothes will come out even less clean than from the heavy cycle?

Looks like I am once again forced to stress that the only difference between US and European FL's is that they US ones don't have long enough cycle times.

Matt


Post# 379141 , Reply# 107   9/15/2009 at 09:17 (5,336 days old) by gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)        

I have an old Philco Bendix Combo (a gift from Kim) from the early sixties and a 1997 FriGEMore I bought new. I find they both do a good job with most of my laundry although the ground-in heavy soil from a day of working in the garden will prove hard to remove. I sometimes must double the detergent----not usually a problem in the T/L's but I have to be careful in the F/L's or I get sudz-lock. The Sears detergent is nearly suds-less so it works great for the most part.
Now that I live here in Roanoke, I prefer the phosphate-laced Mexican detergents (FOCA in particular)because our water here is fairly hard.
The P/B Combo is pretty quick about getting a load done and does not mess around deciding whether to spin or not. The FriGEMore wastes a lot of time deciding whether or not it will die a terrible death by spinning slightly out of balance.
The P/B Combo also uses a lot more water. I like that.

If these two F/L's were the only two machines I would ever have to use for the rest of my life, I'm sure I would be just fine with them.

However, whether it be front-loader or top-loader they are both a hell of a lot more gentle on clothes than pounding them on a f%#king rock or rubbing them on a ribbed washboard. and since it is the turbulence that forces the water through the fabric and cleans the clothes, then I'll go for more turbulence every time! I love turbulence!

I have become jaded and spoiled by all the wonderful vintage American top-loaders that line my basement walls. They are all water-hogs. The used all kinds of methods to create turbulence, agitating, agravating,pumping,occilating, you name it.
All I can tell you is that no matter how dirty my clothes are, I can put a large load in most of my top-loaders, dump in some good phosphated detergent such as the old VIVA, walk away and when I come back at the end of the relatively short cycle, those clothes will be clean.

I have my favorites. The 1964 Maytag "Highlander" is truly the most "dependable" in every catagory. When all else fails, that machine will get the load clean no matter what.

The late '60's solid-tub SQ does a great job also. it has an over-flow rinse and is a great water-hog.
I have come to think that the over-flow rinses are really thorough for loads containing greasy soils such as kitchen towels or work schmattes.
The '63 Frigidaire CI "rings the bell" as its over-flow rinse must be five minutes long!

Then there are the Unimatics. Wonderful for summer clothing (no long-sleeves or legs to tangle!) and fabulous extractors!
Hot water is all that goes to my daily-driver Unimatic. They are great washers.The best towel washers ever! What action!

My fairly new (compared to most of my collection) Whirly (a gift from John) belt-drive does a great job on shirts. I like the "Gentile" cycle as a friend of mine calls it, and even on the "Normal" speed, the spin is slow enough as to not set a lot of wrinkles.

I am blessed to have the option of choice.



Post# 379228 , Reply# 108   9/15/2009 at 16:34 (5,336 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
The overly-presumptive table in the link is just silly. All machines have their good and bad points - that's why there are so many to choose from.

Choice in laundry chores is truly a blessing! There are machines for every laundry task in my basement - towels go in a Unimatic Frigidaire, ground-in soils get a long wash in the WP Duet front-loader, on and on. What would I do if I could have only one washer? Perish the thought!

Vacfanatic - the new LG looks good but where will we put that Maytag A700 now?? Well, I just leave it in your driveway anyway ;-)


Post# 379624 , Reply# 109   9/17/2009 at 08:50 (5,334 days old) by fridgiman ()        

Matt,

I don't know your friend and never even mentioned him. It was a general comment based on my observations on how people wash, from reading the posts on this site and seeing pictures on how a lot of people stuff there machines to the breaking point.
If you like your long wash cycles then so be it.

As far as where I'm getting the 2 hour wash cycle, I'm talking about the European FL's. Also, per Consumer Reports the new American machines are approaching this amount.
All I can say is that I don't want to have to do wash every day to get my weekly laundry done.
And just for interests sake, my daily driver is a Maytag Neptune FL and I love it. Normal cycle is 56 minutes and I get great results.
And I stand by my opinion. 30 mins in a properly operated TL is less wear and tear on clothes than 2 hours in a FL.


Post# 379633 , Reply# 110   9/17/2009 at 09:49 (5,334 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
30 mins in a properly operated TL is less wear and tear on c

It's obviously not if you have to put things like shirts and trousers on a more gentle wash.

Not forgetting all the lint that a top loader creates.

Personally I'd find a toploader or US front loader extremely labour intensive compared to what I'm used to. I sort colours, load the machine, add detergent and come back to perfectly clean clothes. Surely all the soaking, pre-treating and use of additives, not to mention having to wash different fabrics in seperate cycles as is necessary with a top loader is far more work than putting a load on and forgetting about it? I thought that was the idea of owning an automatic washer. If I wanted to wash the whole weeks wash in an hour, despite the necessary added work whch would be required to do this, I'd get myself a Hoovermatic.

I'd say this is one of the main reasons top loaders didn't catch on here, they were seen as a lot more labour intensive and less automatic.

Matt


Post# 379821 , Reply# 111   9/18/2009 at 08:19 (5,333 days old) by fridgiman ()        

Matt,

You're comparing apples to oranges. TL's and FL's work differently. That's why you have different speeds on a TL. Turning a knob is not labor intensive.
As far as lint goes, I have never experienced a problem with lint unless I wash a white cotton bath towel with something like a black velour shirt.
A sprits of spray wash is a lot faster than 2+ hours running a machine.


Post# 379881 , Reply# 112   9/18/2009 at 15:02 (5,333 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)        

Coming from a country that does it both ways, and having converted to FL washing in my mid 20's, there seems to be a lot of miss information about.

In Australia, I never had an issue with linting in a TL machine, you sorted whites, colours, sheets, towels and used cold or warm water (20degC 40degC). I beleive that dress shirts frayed around the collars quicker, but wear is a bit subjective. To get whites white, you use oxygen bleach, and soak or use a pre-wash spray. With our small diameter hot water pipes, filling a TL machine with Hot can take 10 minutes or more. Total Cycle of 30-40 minutes or for stains use an overnight soak in the machine and then 30-40 mins.

With a FL washer the AU Miele's used to ship with a default cycle time of 40mins for cottons up to 50degs and then 1.06 for 60degC Plus. You still sort by whites, colours, sheets, towels. I now use Warm and Hot water (40degC 60degC). You add the clothes, and detergent and for normal soil you have clean clothes 40 minutes later. Yes it can take 2hrs but you have to have heavy soil, in which case in a TL machine I would've soaked overnight with Oxygen Bleach. Rinses can be programmed to come up to the bottom of the door glass, and to do 3 of them with high speed spins in between.

Personally I wouldnt go back to a TL machine, anything that gets stains out in 40 mins with no soaking, rubbing or spraying is just easier. The lower water consumption is a bonus.

Yes TL can cause lint if used incorrectly, Yes FL can take 2 hours if programmed to do such, but its usually by choice and not the rule.

I've now got my Miele programmed in Euro mode, with takes 1h20min with 2 rinses or 1hr30mins with 3. I can still do a weeks wash on a saturday morning and have it all line dryed. I set the first load to auto start at 5am and it's ready to hang out when I get up at 6.30. I can churn 6 loads out by early afternoon, I just get on with the housework and shopping in the meantime.

The Argument will never be won, one way or another, both machines do what they do, they just use different ways of achieving it.


Post# 379882 , Reply# 113   9/18/2009 at 15:06 (5,333 days old) by favorit ()        
also frontloaders have different tumble speeds

... and different patterns.
Cottons and perma-press tumble in the range 40--->55 rpm
Mieles machines alternate 5.5 seconds 40rpm (best "rainwash" action : load is sprayed by the baffles) with 5.5 seconds 55rpm (best "lift and drop" action), pause 4 secs, then reverse tumble in the same pattern

Delicates and wool can't stand tumbles and are washed @ lower speeds that only roll the floating load (25--->30rpm). It's a somewhat impeller action.

Just there is no tumble speed selector : each programme works with the proper speed for the related fabric.

And again NOT ALL CYCLES LAST TWO HOURS.
We really do use the 2-hr cycle only with heavily soiled loads (spotted/stained tablecloths, kitchen towels ..)
E.g. wool/handwash, express last only 30 mins


Post# 380038 , Reply# 114   9/19/2009 at 15:54 (5,332 days old) by electradeluxe (Blackpool, Lancs)        

i've never known so much effort going into ensuring clean whites and heavy stains treatment before washing them in a top loader,It must cost a fortune to buy chlorine bleach and stain removers aswell as washing powder and softener,a good old hot wash with a measure of Daz or Ariel is enough to keep my whites white in my FL,i read a comment where one says they soak whites and greasy stains for up to 12 hours before washing!
i'd have several loads washed and dried in that time!!!! lol

and as for the "noisy spin cycles" on FL's i've put a wash on before goin to bed before now and with the doors closed haven't heard a peep and been fast asleep when it's completed it's 1200 final spin!!!!

and as for reliability we're on our 3rd washer in the 30 years of my mum running a household,so i reckon front loaders aren't all that bad!!


Post# 380111 , Reply# 115   9/19/2009 at 21:45 (5,332 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)        
Well, I guess someone had to do it...

swestoyz's profile picture
may as well! 11 years old with TONS of service receipts to boot ;-)

And gasp - a Neptune next to a Unimatic? To think of the 10's of thousands of who bought these machines, still to this day, have no idea if the machine does anything due to not having a window to look through!

I'm with Greg on this one. I'm quite happy to have a choice, are you?

Ben


Post# 380355 , Reply# 116   9/21/2009 at 09:26 (5,330 days old) by iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas)        
It must cost a fortune to buy chlorine bleach

iheartmaytag's profile picture
Oh contrare.
A gallon of LCB cost me about $1, whereas a small tub of Oxiclean is about $6. It only takes just a smige of bleach to do the job and you are left with a nice clean smell.




Post# 380362 , Reply# 117   9/21/2009 at 09:52 (5,330 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
I've soaked many things in chlorine bleach before

A larger dose than recommended, and in hotter water than recommended, and it has not removed a thing, where oxygen bleach took the stain off no problem.

Also we do not generally buy Oxiclean or the equivalent over here, all detergents, with the exception of liquids and "colour safe" powders, contain oxygen bleach already, rendering the adding of extra oxi bleach pointless, unless buying poor quality detergents where it does not contain enough.

Products such as "Vanish" and "Oxiclean" are sold here, but considering their rather extortionate price and the fact they contain nothing which isn't already found in most detergents, simply adding more detergent has the same effect as using them, but is much cheaper.

I still don't get how detergents containing optical brightners and pruducts such as "oxiclean" seem to be marketed as "color safe" in the US, whereas here those are all the things which are removed from a detergent for it to be seen as "Colour safe". I guess the idea is they fade colours less than LCB, but they still fade colours nonetheless.

Matt


Post# 380379 , Reply# 118   9/21/2009 at 11:14 (5,330 days old) by hoovermatic (UK)        

I didn't realise that Vanish and all those other products contain nothing that isn't already in a good quality detergent? I add a scoop once in a blue moon to filthy whites but that is about it. I thought it was packed with allsorts of other miracle chemicals! Shows how much attention I pay to the packaging!!! It is absurdly overpriced hence my judicious use of it so a small tub lasts about 12 months. Thanks for that information, you may well have put me off buying it, mercifully!

Post# 380458 , Reply# 119   9/21/2009 at 16:44 (5,330 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
I can't stand...

ronhic's profile picture
....the smell of bleach, so don't use it at all in washing.

I know that people use it to 'sanitize' their washing, but why? Is your laundry that full of deadly contagents that it NEEDS sanitizing?

Warm water, a good powdered detergent - 'problem', if their is one, solved.


Post# 380465 , Reply# 120   9/21/2009 at 17:12 (5,330 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois)        
Go green, go wringer

Thank you Norfolksouthern. I have 2 top load automatics. A 1997 Kitchen Aid and a 1982 Maytag. The Maytag is by far the better of the 2.
The automatics don't get used much, but the ABC, Speed Queen, Maytag wringers do, as well as the Easy and Hoover Spin dryer machines. They use far less water, clothes come out spotless, and as far as time consuming, I can wash 5 loads, rinse them and have them on the line in about an hour, try that in an automatic of any kind.
Yes, you do have to attend to these machines, but then all of the laundry is done for the entire week, not a load here and a load there.
Safety, Yes, you can get hurt with the wringers,but then again, you have to be careful when using them. You have to be careful when driving a car, drinking hot coffee from McDonald's and the list goes on.
So, give me a wringer machine any day. Most have only lasted 50 years or more with NO mechanical break downs. My 2 cents,(sense) worth. Have fun with the laundry in whatever machine you use. It would be so boring if we all washed the same way. Gary


Post# 380480 , Reply# 121   9/21/2009 at 19:30 (5,330 days old) by favorit ()        
Sanitizing

Chris,

it makes sense in some particular situations.
Think of those aprons/towels used when handling raw meat or those "towels" used in dairy.
Think of those households with incontinent children/elders or with a member that took a fungal infection

in these cases boilwash, or LCB .... or both






Post# 380494 , Reply# 122   9/21/2009 at 20:24 (5,330 days old) by norfolksouthern ()        

The wringer is very effective, and can also be very educational, to say the least. Fortunately, it is spring-loaded and the rollers are rubberized. You are very unlikely to die in a wringer washing machine accident, unless somebody heaved it out a 3rd story window and it fell on you. To run it without getting hurt, you just need enough sense to not try licking a frozen flag post in the middle of February!

NorfolkSouthern


Post# 380515 , Reply# 123   9/21/2009 at 22:32 (5,330 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois)        

Here, here Norfolk. Thanks, Gary

Post# 380545 , Reply# 124   9/22/2009 at 05:22 (5,329 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
it makes sense in some particular situations.

ronhic's profile picture
I agree, it does make sense in SOME situations. But I would suggest that 95% of the time there is no need for it and for the majority of people, none at all unless there is someone violently ill with gastro, a butcher in the house or a dairy maid....

Post# 380566 , Reply# 125   9/22/2009 at 07:34 (5,329 days old) by iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas)        

iheartmaytag's profile picture
it makes sense in some particular situations.

Like if you are a germ-o-phobe. I take no prisoners, I bleach the hell out of everything, countertops and floors included. I have even been known to put a little bleach to wash my vegies; just in case some migrant farm worker decided to take a whizz on my lettuce.



Post# 380568 , Reply# 126   9/22/2009 at 07:45 (5,329 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
??????????

ronhic's profile picture
You jest?

Post# 381227 , Reply# 127   9/24/2009 at 14:20 (5,327 days old) by jbuscemi ()        

I must be a lot older than most of my fellow Americans who are writing in under this discussion. I was a child in the late 40's and early 50's. I grew up in the Bronx and nearly EVERY laundramat in our neighborhood had front loading washers. Most of them were Bendix models. In outr home we had nothing but front ;loading machines., My friends who lived in apartment houses had a Bendix machine in the cellar for the building to use. On a rare occassion you might fone some of those Thor combo clothes/dishwashers in someones aoartment. Front loaders wew the NORM in many pplaces for a good long time. I have to laugh when Iread in this site that front loading technology is nre to Americans. It IS new if you are under 40 or have a very short memory. Those machines used more water than their modern counterparts. The bendix of old filled up about 1/3 of the way on the front window. Even the old slant front Westys used a goodly amount of water and the wash came out quite clean in 45 minutes ! Even with their "high" water useage , they STILL used less water than most top loading machines today. The problem with many of today's front loaders is they use too little water to rinse clothes properly. Awhile back on this entry somementioned P&G convincing users that you need thick suds to get really clean clother. Remember in those days soap was the norm. And when you use SOAP, thick suds is one component (aloing with hot or very warm water) NECESSARY TO GET CLOTHES CLEAN. One must look bACK AT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT WHEN DISCUSSING "VINTAGE"washers and the soaps used at the time.I prefer a front loading machine to a rop loader any day. I guess it is often what you are used to. I have a WHite Westinghouse front loader which I bought new in 1989 and it still gives wonderful service...without a repair! However one must know how to use the front olader ( or the top loader for that matter) to achieve the best results. I do feel that the front loaders curretly on the market do not use enough water to rinse properly.



Post# 381373 , Reply# 128   9/25/2009 at 10:13 (5,326 days old) by electradeluxe (Blackpool, Lancs)        

a lot of the Front loaders on the market do have a super rinse option!!! i had to use it all the time to cope with the suds from the Ariel excel gel,i don't need to use it now as i've switched back to powder

Post# 381416 , Reply# 129   9/25/2009 at 16:27 (5,326 days old) by travlincub321 ()        

Lots of opinions and ideals and such

I have had primairly Kenmore/Whirlpool made units.. Very sturdy, very easy to operate and decent enough...
I have had a couple front loaders, one made by frigidaire and one by bauchneaut.. The frigidiaire one was a floor model and developed a leak at the dispenser drawer and kept flooding my bathroom..Sears offerd up a swap out to a baucnaut made one and i hated it from the word go..
I am back to a DD clothes munching whirlpool.. My clothes dont come out as clean and sometimes have that whrilpool musty launderd clothes smell (i rewash them in hot water and it goes away).. I want another front loader.. Do i think anything will last more than 5 or 6 years? Probably Not.. Will i go spend alot of money on a washer? No.. $600 is my cap... And it will proly come from craigslist and sit next to my clothes muncher

As far as the dishwashers he covered: Sears is now using Fridgcrap for there more basic ones and thats a mistake.. I dont think there is a decent dishwasher still made.. There are alot of acceptable ones... If i was to go buy a dishwasher now it would either be the $299 Magic Chef by maytag i saw at RC Wiley, the $339 whirlpool with power clean at rc wiley or the $299 Amana i saw at homo depot...Maybe the kenmore rebadge standard tub as well... But thats it.. Just a cheap simple dishwasher.. The one down fall with the amana and magic chef is the fact you have to bend to your knees and touch the floor to load them..I am arthritic and i cant do this easily.... All the tall tubs are like this.. I know i wont buy a whirlpool tall tub... i have used several and none has cleaned the dishes the way i wanted.. i have a whirlpool dura wash now in my condo and have a 2002 Regular Kenmore Sitting in my garage wating to into the dura wash's spot.. Those are fairly decent dishwashers with the latter being better at cleaning, having more options and not sounding like a toyota that a 18 year old child has molested.. Ge dishwashers are hit or miss... I might consider the $329 one at home depot but id have to thunk on it..There loading capitcy is very small and considering EVERYTHING in my house gets run through the dishwasher, thats an issue...

As far as stoves go... Im biased... GE or nothing else... My gas whirlpool is ok, but i have had so so experiances with them....

Frigidaire cant make a stove to save its life, unless its one of the basic Tappan units and those seem to be decent..but even the kenmore based one suck

Maytag made stoves are ok, just cheap, cheap cheap and cheap..With a little bit of cheap

Samsung makes a decent stove, but it has a lot of ge basied parts in it if i am not mistaken...

The korean appliances seem to be ok, i have used samsung stuff off and on, but it just doesnt leave me with a good feeling.. With the exception of a samsung microwave hood.. That i really liked

Now on to the heating and cooling... The only two brand/companys i know that make stuff thats decent is American Standard/Trane and Rheem/Ruud.... Lennox is hit or miss... I have a lennox system now and it makes funny noises on occasion... It works like a champ and i like it... But i still wonder.... Btw-If you have ever had to fix a bryant or a carrier system, it will be expensive i dont care what you say.. Same with Heil and that brand... Coleman evecon is mainly mobile homes but my parent shave one its ok, just leaves me worried..

Ok thats my 2 cents



Post# 386178 , Reply# 130   10/18/2009 at 17:06 (5,303 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
For What It's Worth

launderess's profile picture
Will add my voice to others in saying there really isn't one proper washing machine for all purposes. This coming from one who owns both a older Miele front loader, and Hoover Twin Tub.

There are times one just wants to get on with things, and not spend endless hours doing the wash, and for that a top loading or even twin tub does the job quite well, thank you very much.

For instance certian items like very crisp bed linens require a very high water level as they do not compact down, in short should be totally immersed water. Now for the Miele the obvious answer is to launder fewer items per load, but that means taking ages to wash. OTHO any good top loading washer or twin tub can have the things whished about, done and dusted long before the Miele.

As for cleaning ability and or "swishing things around in dirty water", there are items one really wants washed in a top loader or twin tub because of the muck, dust, lint and such. Just did a load of socks we wear around the house instead of bare feet, and they were spotless with one wash cycle in the Hoover, and all muck was in the wash water, and down the drain. Moreover since one juiced up the wash formula with STPP, dirt stayed away from fabrics and goes down the drain. Really should have taken some before and after photos to show the difference.

As water and or energy restrictions turn front loaders into washers that launder via the wet wipe system, top loading washing machines (at least the vintage or very good modern designs), look very attractive. I mean everyone goes on about how gentle front loaders are towards fabrics, however recent Consumer Reports tests show many USA machines rank rather harsh on textiles. This is mainly due to ever longer cycles using so little water that laundry is being constantly rubbed against itself.

All the various features and frills added onto modern front front loaders are window dressing that serves as one more complex system to break down, and cover for the piss poor washing results from using too little water. One does not need steam and the like if there is enough water in the tub to do the job to begin with.

L.



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