I don't recall ever needing to use huge quantities of laundry detergent or hot water in any washer in my lifetime, and most certainly not in the 2012 belt-drive Whirlpool I have now. I can load dirty clothes to the top of the basket, sometimes more, use a scoop or cap full of detergent to the line recommended on the box for either type of washer, and the clothes feel crisp and clean after one rinse. The only obstacle in the way is the long fated battle against the detergent manufacturers, one hugely guilty culprit being P&G, stripping the product we've always used with great results of its core ingredients, only to put them in a more expensive bottle with a fancier smell and name.
Regardless of front-load, top-load impeller, or top-load agitator styles, water's chemical makeup has not changed in the time humans have walked the earth. Scientists have not suddenly recoded its molecules to be more effective in lower quantities. It still takes water to clean, and it still takes water to flush detergent and left over dirt particles away.
Jumping to a different but related note, it's nice to see that some companies are putting the consumer's choice back into the machines. For too long a user has been forced to endure things like measly spray rinsing and luke-warm water when they need hot. So far, Speed-Queen is producing washers that now appease the DoE while still offering traditional cycles that work as people wish. With this new Whirlpool, it's now possible for any cycle to use deep water should it be desired, and having a heater built in will at least give steaming hot water when dirty diapers and soiled bedsheets need it most.
The bottom-line is that consumers should be able to use the machines they pay for as they see fit. It's up to the manufacturers to make sure that is possible while also making sure the machine CAN abide by energy restrictions under a regular basis. If you feel that your clothes are being sufficiently cleaned by half a gallon of water, more power to you. If you can't wear your clothes without itching unless they have gone through three deep rinse cycles, you should have the power to do so.
My grandmother washes a load of clothes that should be set to large on her plastic GE top-load, but is actually set at Extra Large, as she feels the clothes should roll freely. After the initial wash and rinse cycle, she sets the timer control to Heavy Soil again, without detergent, and lets the machine proceed through an entire wash and rinse again. I myself don't deem that many rinses necessary, as I'm happy with my washer's performance, but she feels more comfortable if she knows there is no more detergent residue left, and that's all that matters.
Regardless of front-load, top-load impeller, or top-load agitator styles, water's chemical makeup has not changed in the time humans have walked the earth. Scientists have not suddenly recoded its molecules to be more effective in lower quantities. It still takes water to clean, and it still takes water to flush detergent and left over dirt particles away.
Jumping to a different but related note, it's nice to see that some companies are putting the consumer's choice back into the machines. For too long a user has been forced to endure things like measly spray rinsing and luke-warm water when they need hot. So far, Speed-Queen is producing washers that now appease the DoE while still offering traditional cycles that work as people wish. With this new Whirlpool, it's now possible for any cycle to use deep water should it be desired, and having a heater built in will at least give steaming hot water when dirty diapers and soiled bedsheets need it most.
The bottom-line is that consumers should be able to use the machines they pay for as they see fit. It's up to the manufacturers to make sure that is possible while also making sure the machine CAN abide by energy restrictions under a regular basis. If you feel that your clothes are being sufficiently cleaned by half a gallon of water, more power to you. If you can't wear your clothes without itching unless they have gone through three deep rinse cycles, you should have the power to do so.
My grandmother washes a load of clothes that should be set to large on her plastic GE top-load, but is actually set at Extra Large, as she feels the clothes should roll freely. After the initial wash and rinse cycle, she sets the timer control to Heavy Soil again, without detergent, and lets the machine proceed through an entire wash and rinse again. I myself don't deem that many rinses necessary, as I'm happy with my washer's performance, but she feels more comfortable if she knows there is no more detergent residue left, and that's all that matters.
