consumer reports testing

[toploader1984]

was reading consumer reports the other day and am wondering why they rate most model GE front loaders just "good" for gentleness on clothes while the samsung top load is rated "very good" how can a front loader be rough on clothes? i would think the samsung TL would be rough on clothes.... i always take everything CR says with a grain of salt anyways, another thing i noticed was the GE harmony recieved a lower score for noise than the LG waveforce.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Front loaders were traditionally easier on clothes than top loaders, but with the greatly reduced water levels and much longer wash times, some front loaders, possibly due to to the tub or vane design along with the increased friction of the fabrics moving past each other for longer and with less water are proving to be less gentle to fabrics. They are still gentler than things like the Collapso. And, maybe the Chinese and other third world crappy fabric is less durable. They took polyester out of cotton-poly blends so that people could enjoy the softness of pure cotton, but pure cotton is not as strong as cotton-poly blends. Work clothes are still made with cotton-poly blend fabrics.

 

[launderess]

What He Said

Increased cycle times to make up for the reduced water levels have lead to some front loaders being just as harsh as some top loading washers. There is so little water and froth to cushion the load laundry bangs against itself and the washer tub a bit more harshly. This leads to increase wear and tear on wash. One way around this would be to launder smaller loads to increase the water to textile ratio.

 

[arbilab]

Seems if anyone should point it out, Consumers' should. That all this "high efficiency" nonsense is bunk. If you have to do 1/3 smaller loads to get the same results, you have to do 1/3 more of them. So where did your 1/3 savings go? The worse news is, you have to pay for the airhead bureaucrats who cooked this scheme up.

 

[toploader1984]

cr

i guess as far as fabrics being pulled apart or things like buttons being pulled off front loaders are gentler but front loaders are good for pilling fabrics as they are constantly rubbed together with friction.