Appliance Guides

Clothes Washers Technology has taken a leap forward and landed right in your laundry room-whether you keep your machines in a hallway closet or a full-blown utility room. Today's clothes washers, for example, offer more cycles than a decade ago (when most consumers last replaced their machines). As a result of these improvements, there's less wear and tear on your clothes and your wallet. New models that don the Energy Star label can help shrink your annual utility bill by as much as $75. If that's not enough to convince you to ditch your old washboard, the contemporary designs, quiet operation and convenient features just might. Certain models now even come with small faucets inside the tub to rinse your hands or to pretreat stains on the fly. Below is a series of questions and answers compiled by the experts at brandwise and the Good Housekeeping Institute to help you choose the right product for you.

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Questions and Answers

• What types of clothes washers are on the market?
• Do clothes washers differ much in price?
• What are the most important factors to consider when selecting a clothes washer?
• What's the best way to judge tub capacity?
• Do some clothes washers save more energy and conserve more water than others?
• What other features are worth considering?
• Are there any safety features in clothes washers?
• What are the pros and cons of dials vs. push buttons vs. touchpads?
• What should shoppers know about delivery and installation?
• What type of warranty do clothes washer manufacturers typically offer?

Q: What types of clothes washers are on the market?
A: There are two types: top-loading washers and front-loading washers. Full-size top-loading washers are the most popular type sold in the U.S. Front-loading machines, long the European standard, use less water and reduce energy consumption, saving you up to $100 in annual utility bills, depending on the number of loads you wash. Front loaders clean by tumbling, which means they're more gentle on your clothes than top loaders with an agitator. European units also include built-in water heaters and automatically set the water levels.

But front loaders can cost as much as $700 more than a top-loading washer. Fortunately, more top loaders now sport the Energy Star label (once exclusively awarded to front-loading machines), which means the U.S. government has determined they can save energy as well.

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Q: Do clothes washers differ much in price?
A: Definitely. They typically cost anywhere from less than $300 to $750 for a top-loading machine to about $1,000 for a front loader.

Low-end top-loading models in the $250 to $350 range generally offer three wash/spin speed combinations: regular (or cotton), permanent press, and delicate. They generally come with porcelain interiors and bleach dispensers. Careful shoppers also can find models that let you adjust the water-level dial in small increments so you get more exact matching for different load sizes.

Step up to a $600 to $800 top-loading model and you'll probably get a large plastic tub that won't rust (though it could discolor), ergonomically designed rubber grips on the knobs, and a bleach or fabric-softener dispenser. Some mid-priced units include more than three wash/spin cycles (extra delicate, hand-washables) and an extra rinse cycle, which is useful for those who are sensitive to detergents.

High-end models, which include front and top-loaders, often boast super-capacity plus tubs (tackling loads up to 15 pounds), stainless-steel interiors, cycle signals (beeps or buzzes to tell you when a cycle is done), and easy-to-clean electronic controls. What caught our lab technicians' eyes? Consoles with florescent readouts and icons for viewing cycle stages and multi-speed motors for precise spin speeds (towels wring out dry; delicates spin gently).

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Q: What are the most important factors to consider when selecting a clothes washer?
A: Evaluate your laundry needs and how many loads of laundry you wash a week. If you have a large family, or if you are planning a family in the near future-consider a "plus" size clothes washer that can handle large loads. Or, if you travel a lot and tend to store up wash, a large tub capacity might best suit your needs. Larger interior dimensions will give you more flexibility.

If you wear lots of delicate fabrics, consider a machine with special cycles that simulate handwashing. If you wash lots of heavy items, a unit that offers extended spin (for wringing water from towels and comforters) and extra rinse cycles (for rinsing out excess detergent) is great.

Do you often have heavily soiled clothes such as sports uniforms? Then a machine that provides extra long wash cycles will get them clean. In contrast, if you have lightly soiled garments, a washer with a quick wash option may be best for you.

Other factors to consider:

How long will you keep your washer? Are you buying it for a home you'll sell in a few years? If so, you may not want to spend a lot on a washer you won't keep for long. Or will this be the unit you're installing in a remodeled utility room?

How much space do you have? Freestanding clothes washers typically range in width from 22 inches to 27 inches.

Where will you install the washer? If you're buying a top loader and butting it up against a wall, you don't want a side-opening lid. It may hit the wall each time it's opened.

Where is your laundry room? If it's in the basement and poorly lit, you may want a lighted console or cycle signals. If it's in a utility closet near your bedroom, you may want a quiet-operating model.

What kind of power do you have? Top loaders are usually 120 volt; European front loaders 240 volt.

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Q: What's the best way to judge tub capacity?
A: Look at the tub capacity size offered on this site. Most washer tubs range in size from 2.45 cubic feet to 3.2 cubic feet. Don't try to compare industry terminology for tub capacity. Manufacturers use a variety of terms, such as extra large, super capacity, and super capacity plus. Although many washers claim to be super capacity, brandwise found in its tests that some are actually too small for 12-pound loads. If you tend to save up your laundry or have a large family, look for a machine with the "plus" label. It will likely wash up to 15 pounds at a time.

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Q: Do some clothes washers save more energy and conserve more water than others?
A: Yes. Clothes washers that wear the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Energy Star label meet the government standards for low energy/consumption. Buying an Energy Star-labeled washer might pay off two-fold: Roughly 15 states offer rebates from $50 to $300 to consumers who buy washers with this label.

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Q: What other features are worth considering?
A: If you have kids who play lots of sports, check out models that boast temperature settings, which automatically adjust the mix of incoming hot and cold water so "cold" is never below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If your water is too cold, powdered detergent may not dissolve completely and tough stains may remain.

Other innovations include:

Extra long wash cycles - to tackle the dirtiest football jerseys.

Extra rinse and spin - a must when washing super-absorbent items such as pillows or jackets.

Prewash and soak - for removing stains and heavy soil.

Four or more water levels - to give you greater wash load flexibility (if you always wash full loads and keep your setting on full, however, this feature isn't necessary).

Hand-washable and extra-delicate cycles - if you wash lots of fine fabrics.

Favorite cycle - a one-touch option that automatically sets the wash settings you use most frequently (a great option if you're time-pressed).

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Q: Are there any safety features in clothes washers?
A: Yes. Although all washers stop spinning during the spin cycle when the lid is open, some tout safety locks. This feature prevents children, and adults from opening the lid during the wash cycle.

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Q: What are the pros and cons of dials, push buttons, and touchpads?
A: No doubt, touchpad controls are more sleekly designed and easier to clean than dials and push buttons-though cleanup of laundry appliances isn't major. The real benefit of buying a touchpad control is that it gives you instant feedback, with icons, flourescent temperature readouts, and cycle lights that can be seen from across a room.

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Q: What should shoppers know about delivery and installation?
A: Before you buy a clothes washer, think about how it will be installed. Do you want your old washer hauled away, or does your town allow curbside pickup of appliances? If you're rearranging or building a new laundry room, do you need water or electricity hooked up? Who will be home to accept delivery of your clothes washer-and when? And if you plan to install your washer in a basement, make sure you've measured the entranceway to ensure the unit can fit in your home.

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Q: What type of warranty do clothes washer manufacturers typically offer?
A: You generally get a one year parts and labor warranty included in the sticker price.

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