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#11
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"Rosie" wrote in
: Nikki wrote: Yes you load them from the top. They take a lot more water because the water has to be deep enough to actually cover the clothes. There is a piece in the center that agitates back and forth and/or up and down to get them clean. Sounds really violent - don't front-loaders (with just a spinning drum) cause less damage to clothes? yes, front loaders are much more gentle on clothes. they also use far less water (a top loader uses about 40 gallons 151.416 Liters per load & less soap. i think most can do slightly larger loads too, since there's no center post. lee |
#12
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In misc.kids.pregnancy Banty wrote:
Excuse me, you quoted the whole bloody post to add 5 words? Doesn't your editor know how to delete text? Thank you, Larry |
#13
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In misc.kids.pregnancy Rosie wrote:
: Sounds really violent - don't front-loaders (with just a spinning drum) : cause less damage to clothes? Absolutely. Our old top loading agitator machine used to regularaly fray my cuffs before any other part of the shirt was slightly worn! Larry |
#14
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"Rosie" wrote in message ...
I've got no idea what exists EXCEPT for front-loading machines - do you load some from the top?! Doesn't that take up LOADS of space in a kitchen? I've never seen anything else. Well, over here on this side of the pond, there are a few different options: 1. A one-piece unit that has both a washer and a dryer with the dryer on top, so it's stacked, except that you can't take them apart. For an example, go to http://www.bestbuy.com and paste FLEB8200DS into the search box to see an example. It's a toploader by the way, even though they are stacked. I don't think these are common, and they are probably the most common in apartments and other small dwellings. 2. Top loading washing machine: Most common. See model CWS3600AS for an example. When you open the top you see a doughnut-shaped space - basically a round basin with a spindle sticking up from the center. You arrange your clothes around it, and it fills with water. The spindle turns back and forth, "agitating" the water. These are the most common, and the least expensive. These cannot be stacked. There are some new high-efficiency top loaders (they look the same from the outside) that move the clothes up and down in that space. They are quite a bit more expensive, and there hasn't been many reliability studies on them yet (they are pretty new). They use less water, and I believe less electricity. The problem with top loaders is that you cannot overload them and expect to get the clothes clean. The other problem is that you can have unbalanced loads - if you are washing something big, it can gather all on one side of the spindle, then when it's spinning the water out, it makes this horrible thumping noise, and usually shuts off. I've seen them "walk" out of their spot from this - they were rocking so badly. My gut feeling tells me that this type of machine would get stains out better since the clothes are actually soaking in water, but I could be wrong. 3. Front loaders that can be stacked with a dryer on top: See model WM2277HB for an example. This is the model I wanted to buy, but it was too expensive. These use the least water and electricity, and you can completely fill the drum, unlike the top loaders, and it's virtually impossible to get an unbalanced load. This type is faily uncommon - maybe 10 to 15% of households, though they are gaining quickly in popularity. Five years ago, there might be ONE model for sale in a big sale. When we bought ours, there were at least 5 to chose from. They are also starting to fall in price. Most are $1000 or more (ours wasn't - maybe around $700). Prior to buying this one, my only experience with front loaders was at a laundromat, and honestly, the only similarity that mine has is that you can see the clothes tumbling, which I've always had a bit of a facination with (since I was a kid). 4. Front loaders that can't be stacked: WM1832CW. Same as #3, but can't be stacked. As for where laundry machines are typically located in the US: I've seen very few laundry machines in or near kitchens. I have seen it done this way, just not very often. In the US, the vast majority are in basements, garages or in a dedicated laundry room on the main level. In the first house my husband and I owned it was in the (unheated) garage, and in the winter time, we had to run a heater near the washer for an hour or two prior to doing laundry, or the machine wouldn't agitate. Big pain in the butt. Right now, our laundry room is in our basement, and running up the stairs with baskets of laundry is going to be a pain. All well - it'll be good exercise! Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 |
#15
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Banty wrote in message ...
Also, what about soap. Consumer Reports says to get the best results to use special detergent made for front loaders and/or high-efficiency washers. I have some, and it works fine, but I've always liked the smell of Cheer. What soap do you use? How well does it work? Is it necessary to switch? Get rid of the stuff. :-) Believe me, we are trying! I can't tell you how many boxes I've unpacked and thought "**WHY** did I keep this?" Our movers counted the number of boxes of books they had to carry up the stairs: 105 boxes (boxes about 12inches x 18" x 9" tall - xerox boxes). One of them scratched his head and said wryly "I hope you actually read all these." In order to sell our house, we filled a 10' x 10' x 10' storage unit, and the resulting empty house was MUCH easier to keep clean enough to suit our real estate agent. And, to our embarassment, we hardly missed the stuff that was in storage. We also really liked the extra room. So, we are planning on selling or donating all but our most precious books, and getting rid of as much other stuff as we can. Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 |
#16
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I use regular detergent but just use half the amount since the washer uses
half the water. Clothes last *so* much longer than with a top loader because they just rub up against each other instead of having that center swisher-thing to make them move. Another bonus is that since there's so much more water spun out of the clothes, they also don't take as long to dry. We've had our front-loader for over five years and the only problem we've had is when some quarters got into the pump and it had to be replaced (my son's not good about emptying his pockets). Leigh "Cathy Weeks" wrote in message om... Banty wrote in message ... Also, what about soap. Consumer Reports says to get the best results to use special detergent made for front loaders and/or high-efficiency washers. I have some, and it works fine, but I've always liked the smell of Cheer. What soap do you use? How well does it work? Is it necessary to switch? Get rid of the stuff. :-) Believe me, we are trying! I can't tell you how many boxes I've unpacked and thought "**WHY** did I keep this?" Our movers counted the number of boxes of books they had to carry up the stairs: 105 boxes (boxes about 12inches x 18" x 9" tall - xerox boxes). One of them scratched his head and said wryly "I hope you actually read all these." In order to sell our house, we filled a 10' x 10' x 10' storage unit, and the resulting empty house was MUCH easier to keep clean enough to suit our real estate agent. And, to our embarassment, we hardly missed the stuff that was in storage. We also really liked the extra room. So, we are planning on selling or donating all but our most precious books, and getting rid of as much other stuff as we can. Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 |
#18
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Or try Bookcrossing.com. It's fun and easy!
-- Jamie Earth Angels: Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03 Addison Grace, 9/30/04 Check out the family! -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1, Password: Guest Become a member for free - go to Add Member to set up your own User ID and Password "Rosalie B." wrote in message news I gave a lot of books to the schools in the Virgin Islands (I mailed them), and to places in Belize. At present I would give them to Boaters for Books http://www.boatersforbooks.org/ grandma Rosalie |
#19
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Larry McMahan wrote in message ...
On the other hand, when we visit Monika's dad in Munich we use his Miele. It is a top loader, but it is a drum machine like the American front loaders. IMNSHO, the Miele cleans MUCH BETTER than either the Maytag or the old Kenmore. The negative is that a wash cycle lasts 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I'm having trouble imagining how the Miele works...It's a drum machine, but it's a top-loader? I'm imagining a drum (cylinder turned on it's side) but with a top opening...how do the clothes get inside - if you open the top, then you'd see the side of the cylinder, rather than the opening? Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 |
#20
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"Nikki" wrote in message ...
clean. Where I am at the front loaders are about three times as expensive as the top loaders so most people have top loaders. They are dropping in price. I have a middle-side top loader that cost around $700 - that's much less than 3X the price of your average top-loader. We also have washer dryer sets where the dryer is stacked up on top of the washer but the washer is still a top loader. They don't take up much space. When we went to Florida in January, we stayed in a condo that my in-laws rented. It had one of the two-in-one stacked units, and you are right, they take up very little space. It was in a small closet outside one of the bathrooms. The closet was maybe 3 feet wide by about 3 feet deep. I think that's the only time I've seen one in actual use (not in an appliance store). We did a couple of loads of laundry in it, and it did fine. I don't think they are very common. Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 |
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