One of the most important appliances you need to have in your house is the washing machine- unless you're perfectly contented in bringing your laundry every now and then to the Laundromat and pay for it.
Once you have decided to buy your own washing machine, you have to choose between the top loader and the front loader.
Perhaps your parents would suggest getting the traditional top loader while your friends would persuade you to get the more modern front loader.
The question is which suits your lifestyle best? Here are some factors you need to consider before you decide.
What's the difference, I mean, physically? The top load machine has been around for some time now.
Expect to find top loaders in most traditional homes.
On the other hand, the front load machine has been commercially used in laundry businesses, unlike its counterpart.
Top loaders stand vertically while front loaders are typically set up against the wall.
While both machines operate on the same method, many people believe that the modern front-loader is the better option.
Why? Read along.
I need to conserve water.
A top load machine will finish your laundry quicker but it turns out that you can save more water when you use a front loader.
When you use a top loader, after you put in all your dirty clothes in the bin, you need to fill it with enough water to cover everything.
You need to do this so that all of your items will be washed thoroughly.
On the other hand, if you use a front load machine, you don't have to fill the entire tub.
Instead, you only have to use a third of the amount of water you usually use in a top load machine.
This is because of the front loader's nature.
Clothes inside a front loader will spin up and down, not sideways.
Gravity will pull the clothes downwards into the water, thus thoroughly washing them.
I also need to conserve energy.
The front loader still scores in this area better than its counterpart.
A standard top loader has an average of 650 rpm while the front loader reaches up to 1,000 rpm.
Because of this, the front loader has less water left inside the bin and among the clothes, resulting to a faster drying time I do not have all the extra space in the world, what do I do? If you are using a top load machine, a separate dryer will have to be placed beside it.
On the other hand, because of the nature of the front loader, you can just stack the dryer on top of it.
How about my clothes? A front load machine uses no agitators on clothes because gravity helps in spinning them.
Top loaders cannot rely on gravity and have to use agitators, which can actually cause your clothes to wear and tear.
On the other hand, the more comfortable option is...
The top load machine.
If you have back pains or are simply not excited with the thought of bending every now and then, you can avoid the front loader.
This is especially true if you stack a dryer above your front loader; you'd really have to bend every now and then.
On the other hand, you only have to stand in front of your top loader.
And last minute additions? If you tend to forget putting all your clothes inside the bin before washing them, please choose the top loader.
Once it begins spinning, you can leave the bin open in case you find dirty socks lying around your living room.
Unlike the top loader, when you start washing clothes in the front load machine, you have to close the bin.
There's no way you can add last minute laundry there.
Most important factor: budget Generally, top loaders are cheaper by hundreds compared to the front load machine.
If you are on a really tight budget, please don't push it and stick to the top load machine.
Then again, you can't just ignore the energy and water saving benefits of the front loader.
If you have extra money to spend, you can invest in a front load machine and realize your savings later on.
If you ask me, I would save money and invest in a front loader.
Not only will I save water and electricity, I will also save myself from repair costs.
Top load machines are said to be problematic, including broken belts, hoses that leak, noisy spinning sound and in some models, dryer problems.
The front loader might just be the best machine for you.