In our last blog post, we begin looking at front load washers versus top loading washers. We focused first on front loading washers. This blog post will look at top loading washers and how they have changed. If you look back at the history of washing machines you will see that the most available style of washer has been the top loading, agitator style of washer. These washers have been popular on the market for decades. When it comes to washers it may surprise you to know that more than 9.9 million washers were shipped to big box stores each year. These statistics break down to 39% top loading washers with an agitator and 36% top loading machines without an agitator. The remaining 25% of washers were front-loading machines. Our Raleigh laundromat talks all about top loaders here!
You may be wondering why an agitator washer remains so popular. This remains true simply because they have shorter wash cycles than most other types of washing machines. Another reason for their popularity is they are the least expensive option of all washing machines. In fact, statistic shows that the cost of a top agitator washing machine is less than $500. This makes them one of the more popular washing machines available in today’s market.
If you are in the market for a new washing machine the following are some things that you might want to consider when it comes to a top loading agitator washer:
When it comes to cleaning, a top loader agitator washer cleans your clothing good enough but falls short of earning an excellent score when it comes to how well it is cleaning. Because they use a shorter period of time to clean during the cycle if your clothing is soiled heavily this machine might not get your clothes as clean as you would like. You would need to use a different cycle such as a heavy duty cycle or heavy soil cycle. You will also want to be certain to use really good laundry detergent and pre-treat all tough stains.
What this also means is that you will need to use these more heavy duty cycles and because there is an agitator these washers may be less gentle on your fabrics. When an agitator is causing your fabrics to rub up against each other continuously the fabric will wear out much sooner. Having to use this type of cycle combined with a more powerful detergent will also cause more wear and tear on your clothing.
Another factor to consider is that all washing machines use less water than their predecessors. However, a top loading agitator style washer still uses more than others on the market. This adds up to more than 40 gallons per wash compared to the 16 to 26 gallons required for a top rated. As a result, most of these types of washer do not carry an energy star rating.
Please come back for our next post as we look at top loading washers without agitators. If you are being run ragged, just attempting to keep up with all your extra laundry. give our Raleigh laundromat a try! We offer state of the art machine for washing and drying your clothes. We also offer laundry services that include dry cleaning, wash-dry-fold, and stain removal! Don’t get behind on your family’s laundry. We are here to help! Visit Laundry Express soon!
