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Fashion Forward

Offering cleaner clothes more efficiently, front-loading washers are the new 'it' appliance

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Frigidaire Gallery Whirlpool Duet Miele Touchtronic

WHEN ANDREA Brugman came to the United States from Germany seven years ago to live, she wondered why the clothes that came out of the washing machine didn't seem so clean. She thought maybe she was using the wrong detergent. "I had the feeling the stains weren't coming out," she recalled. She checked with her German friends, and they mostly agreed.

Now, though, she and her husband have purchased a front-loading washing machine, the type most prevalent in Europe, and in commercial laundries throughout America, and she's very happy with the results.

So is her husband, David, who has a background as an engineer and an environmentalist. The front loader uses a third less water and is energy efficient, he explains, concluding confidently, "It's a better system."

Cue the laundry-room revolution. Just as high-end appliances help transform the kitchen, so now, too, the laundry room is being transformed. Front-loading machines are leading the way. The reasons are compelling: They use much less water and energy, have greater capacity and leave the laundry cleaner.

"The traditional top-loading laundry machine will be gone," says Lyle Anderson, salesman at Arnold's Appliance in Bellevue. "The front loader outperforms them in all categories. They're energy-efficient, wash more clothes and use less water." At higher-end appliance stores like Arnold's and Albert Lee Appliance in Seattle, nearly all the sales are front loaders, often machines that sell for $1,100 or more.

How can a simple change of spin axis have so many benefits? Well, top and front loaders actually approach washing very differently. A top-loading machine must fill the drum completely with water and float the clothes to wash or rinse them. That takes a lot of water, and a lot of soap to make an effective cleaning concentration. There are usually just a couple of rinse cycles, with the drum spinning around the agitator. A front loader, by contrast, needs only a few gallons of water per wash or rinse cycle. The drum spins around a horizontal axis, and the clothes tumble from gravity, rolling down and through the water. A typical front loader uses only 20 gallons per load, and some models mostly found in Europe as few as 14. That compares with 35 to 50 gallons for a top-loading machine. Nevertheless, because the water is used so efficiently, front loaders boast as many as four or even seven rinse cycles, which is key to getting clothes clean. The agitator is not missed. In fact, the mechanical beating is considered hard on fabrics.

"The agitator is a dinosaur," says John Maas, salesman at Albert Lee. Front loaders also spin faster. A top loader averages about 700 rpm, while a front loader can go up to about 950. The greater spin speeds mean there's 20 to 25 percent more water removed, according to Maas, and that means drying times are reduced. An entry-level front-loading machine, such as the Frigidaire Gallery, costs about $650. That compares with about $400 for a top loader. An entry-level machine offers water savings and a capacity typically equal to a super-capacity top loader.

The next level, at around $1,000, usually adds a key feature: a built-in water heater. Some units heat water to as much as 200 degrees, which can sanitize the clothes and help make whites whiter without bleach. The Whirlpool Duet, at the top end of the middle range at around $1,300, has a water heater and a huge drum capacity that can handle a king-size comforter or 15 pairs of jeans.

Spending a bit more brings you to the top-end machines, with more cycle options, gleaming features and higher spin speeds. And if you're looking for the crème de la crème, there are washers at around $2,000, like Miele's top-of-the-line Touchtronic series with a patented drum. "The insides are like jewelry," says Maas.

Are front loaders worth the higher up-front costs? Well, it gets complicated. Front loaders save on water and detergent costs (less than a quarter cup per load), and on energy for running the dryer. In sophisticated Seattle, where consumers are appliance savvy and environmentally concerned, the ethic of conservation weighs heavily. In fact, the Northwest leads the nation in front-loader sales, according Tom Milne, Northwest Frigidaire representative. About 15 percent of Frigidaire's nationwide sales are front loaders, but in the Northwest it's about double the national average, he says.

"The Northwest carries the nation," agrees Maas, of Albert Lee. "It's funny. We burn fossil fuels in SUVs like there's no tomorrow, but when it comes to water we want to save it."

Are there any drawbacks to front loaders, besides the higher initial cost? A few. For one, the full wash cycle takes longer — from 50 to 90 minutes. For another, you need to bend over a bit to load and unload. Some manufacturers have optional risers to make the porthole height more comfortable.

It's surprising that front loaders haven't made more inroads, since the technology is not new. But now that resources in America are becoming more precious, there's a new way of thinking about things, encouraged by government regulations and incentives. And technology has made the machines much more sophisticated and consumer friendly, for example with controls that allow for automatic slowing down if one of those alarming unbalanced loads develops.

We're more passionate about appliances than ever, according to the appliance salespeople, and more willing to invest in appliances that make sense.

David Berger is a Seattle freelance writer.