[temporal828]

> But I think many efficient machines do a poor job at cleaning.

Not in my experience. A good high efficiency front loader tends to get the clothes cleaner - and notably with much less wear than conventional top loaders. The money savings also come from clothing replacement as well.

Water use aside it's just better technology. Complexity is an issue, but I've had good luck by staying brands and models proven for reliability.

[nemo44x]

The problem with front loaders, and it's a fatal flaw unfortunately, is they unavoidably have mold and mildew problems due to the design. This makes them an invalid option in my opinion as I don't want mold and mildew spores in my home. They also begin to stink and your clothing can pick it up over time as it gets worse.

The other problem is many top loaders today are garbage. In order to be effective they do need a good agitator and they do need use a lot of water. The water part doesn't really matter to me though as tap water is so cheap we're talking a few cents per load.

Also speed. A front loader takes a long time. A good top loader (like Speed Queen) is done in 30m.

[temporal828]

> is they unavoidably have mold and mildew problems due to the design.

Keep the door open. The water evaporates. Never had a problem avoiding mold.

[nemo44x]

It’s more about residues that get left behind and trapped in the rubber gasket. Keeping a dour open, although helpful, simply isn’t enough. A big part of the problem is due to the limited water use. Things don’t fully rinse.

I don’t know, it’s a major problem that people report and I’ve experienced myself. There’s even a fan you can buy and put into the machine. But hey if you haven’t experienced problems then that’s great.

[mauvehaus]

As long as we're swapping anecdotes, I spent a day cutting MDF for a project and came home just covered in fine brown dust. The place we rented before we moved had an LG HE front-loader.

My blue pants remained brown from the dust for a couple of cycles. My carpenter neighbor has had the same experience with HE machines and has gone to a Speed Queen top-loader. He finds it much more satisfactory as well.

[temporal828]

You don't have to go by anecdotes, you can go by published testing then. Dust may be a special case, and perhaps certain occupations may be better off with a top loader for work clothes, but for everyday stains and body secretions front loaders work better and wear out clothes slower.

I'm not in the anti top-loader Speed Queen cult at all... but it is that on the internet, a cult (when I hear things like mold is "unavoidable", and basically you'd have to be an idiot to consider anything other than a Speed Queen top loader that is my conclusion) -- but most people are simply better served with a front loader.