Do top-loaders truly wash clothes better than front-loaders?

[iiijohnnymaciii]

RE: Why Some Have Had Odors Left On Clothes

That’s a good question. My take on why others may or may not have foul smelling laundry from a front loader is that there are many different variables at play. It’s not a one size fits all as each family and machine is different.

How many family members?
What are there habits, hobbies, work?
What type of fabrics are being washed?
What type of detergent?
How much detergent?
How much water in the rinse cycle?
Does the machine possess the ability to run cycles appropriate for the job?
What is the machines spin speed?

I know for me it was only synthetic fabrics, having a family of five who all are active, and not having an extra rinse or pre wash.

I never had any mold or mildew smell from my front loader and I never left the door or detergent drawer open. I just ran a hot wash with bleach twice per week when washing my rags and towels.

I now know the problem wasn’t that it was a front loader in itself. The problem was that I purchased a front loader that didn’t fit my needs.

 

[spinspeed]

So to add my penny worth, I love top load washers but when it comes to wash performance and economy front load washers win without a doubt in my mind.

Now we live in rural Australia and have to rely on tank rainwater, I cannot bring myself to use any of my top loaders as they use so much water. My LG front loader is my daily driver now and it does a great job. It is not fast but washes, rinses and spins really well. I am much happier with the lower water usage for a big load of laundry compared to my Filter flow or my F&P TL.

Happy laundering what ever washer you prefer.
Simin

 

[gelaundry4ever]

front loaders with recirculation

and freshwater rinsing capabilities always have the best cleaning performance, in my opinion. However, I do believe it comes down to how they're loaded, cycle choice, and quality additive. I'll never forget when my mom bought her lg set in September 2007 how the laundry felt. It felt fluffier and smelled a lot fresher. What the matching dryer lacks with lower temperature, it makes up for in higher airflow rate, or so it seemed. Now fast-forward to 2017 when my dad finally got his Kenmore elite matching set. This time, it featured accelawash which is a rebranded lg turbowash. My dad's matching steam dryer can do rack drying and refresh clothes with steam. Oh, my mom's washer can do steam refresh as well as adding steam to a cycle. I've done whites in hers on the normal cycle. Yes, both have water recirculation pumps and showers.

 

[gorenje]

frontoader rinses

@chachp

My frontloader does on default 3 rinses but it can do 5 rinses with very high water leven on the allergy cycle. It's a 2 years old washer, not a vintage one.

Regarding "smelly" frontloaders I swear on my mother I have never experienced something like this in my entire life and honestly is something I really don't understand.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

@gorenje,

Have yoused the default cottons cycle? If so, what wash the wash rhythm like?

 

[gelaundry4ever]

@gorenje?

Have you used the default cottons program? If so, what were the default settings and wash rhythm like?

 

[gorenje]

@ GELaundry4ever

On my washer there are different Cotton cycles (cotton black, cotton colors, cotton whites) on the cotton whites cycle the first setting is 40°C , 1400 RPM, but you can change the temperature up to 90°C, set a slower spin down to 0, rise the water level or add an additional rinse.

On the allergy cylce the first option is 60°C (you can go up to 90°C but no lower than 40°C), 1600 RPM (or slower down to 0) Both, wash and rinses are done on high water level on default.

Regarding the washing rhythm, unless you choos the Woolens or Hand wash cycle the rhythm is quite the same. On the beginning slower, than faster and when the temperature is reached the recirculation spray turns on.

You can see a short video of the machine in action.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

"Lazy Agitation"

I have a 1972 Maytag A606.  I find that if I load the machine up so that the clothes turn over slow and steady, they get a lot cleaner than they do if I underload it so that they turn over quickly.

 

[DADoES]

 
Rapid-fire rollover is overrated.  Items need to have some time swishing with the lower fins, that's where the cleaning action happens.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

That's exactly right.  Pushing the water and detergent 'through' the fabric is what gets it clean.  You could use an agitator for 8 minutes, or you could drop the fabric into a puddle of water, continually, for an hour +.  Each of those methods can give good results, that is, if the person in charge knows their machine, and knows what their doing.

 

Laundry from a top loader smells?  Not from my to loader!