Front-Load Washing Machines Changed Laundry Forever. Why Are Top-Loaders Still So Popular?

5 days ago

GE
Sometimes, more water actually is better, according to Eric Farrington, a former senior engineer at Whirlpool. It's the 'most important factor' for cleaning loads packed with mud and lint and other solids, Farrington said. Water helps loosen the particulates and then keeps them suspended so they don't redeposit onto the clothes.
Front-loaders have certain cycles and settings that use extra water. And Andrea points out that you can shake, vacuum, or pre-rinse your clothes before you toss them into a front loader, if you have a really filthy load only occasionally. But top-loaders are better at washing away solid soils by default, and it's easier to find an affordable top-loader with an 'add water' or 'deep fill' option (including our favorite model) that can really flood the tub when it's needed.
If you want a machine with a pounding agitation action — something that 'abuses the living tar' out of oil and grease stains and 'heavy, heavy stuff,' as Conrad put it — only an old-school top-loader will do. Most modern high-efficiency top-loaders don't hit as hard as the traditional machines did. (That's true even if they have a pole agitator, most of which are purely decorative at this point, as a few product managers have revealed to us.) But a couple of the old-school models are still in production, and it's not too hard to find refurbished secondhand units.
Essentially a commercial washing machine without the coin slot, this tried-and-true model has barely changed in decades. It's rough, but sometimes that's what you need.
Odor is another big difference. Top-loaders rarely get smelly, while front-loaders can really stink if they don't get a chance to dry out. The stench is usually avoidable if you're diligent about leaving the door open and doing some other basic maintenance, and it's less of a problem in dry climates. A few front-loaders also have a fresh-air ventilation fan. But water just doesn't pool and stagnate inside top-loaders, for the most part, and you won't have to put any effort into odor control.
Farrington did point out that, just like front-loaders, high-efficiency top-loaders can develop biofilm; this is a sticky mix of cleaning products, bodily fluids, fungus, and bacteria that you might find building up around a washer's outer tub, detergent drawer, and drain lines. It's gross, and even though it probably won't stink, you should run self-cleaning cycles to mitigate the buildup.
Another key difference between front- and top-loaders: ergonomics. Some people ('particularly the older crowd,' as Yale Appliance CEO Steve Sheinkopf put it) are more comfortable loading and unloading a top-loader because there's no crouching involved. Farrington also pointed out that a scrunched-up sock or T-shirt is less likely to be left behind in a top loader, because you can see the entire tub from the top. You could put a front-loader on a pedestal or a riser and get many of the same benefits, but that often costs extra.
And in some situations, a top-loader can also be quieter. Front-loaders spin toward the ground, so if the machine isn't level, or if it's installed between the floor joists on an upper level of a wood-framed house, the spin cycle can sound like a plane taking off and even shake the building. Modern suspension systems have helped ease this problem. But because top-loaders spin parallel to the ground, they're still less likely to rattle the walls. They also tend to be lighter, so it's easier to adjust the legs or reposition the cabinet as needed.