Clothes Washers & Clothes Dryers

When considering appliances for your laundry room, be aware that front-loading clothes washers do offer some advantages over top-loading models.

Instead of a vertical agitator that turns back and forth, a drum rotates, rolling the clothes through a small pool of water. This allows more room for larger loads, shorter and more efficient spin cycles, less detergent required and fewer repairs.

One drawback is the need for special "low-sudsing" detergent, which is slightly more expensive and not widely available (yet), compared to standard laundry detergent.

appliances

The greatest benefit of a front-loading clothes washer is energy savings. Because it uses so much less hot water, it will save you almost $100 a year on water heating.

Up to 90% of the cost of washing clothes comes from heating the water. That's why it pays to choose energy efficient appliances, and use them wisely.

Replacing an old model with a new Energy Star rated unit will give a total saving of around $120 a year.

Other features available with clothes washers include:

* Dispenser trays that automatically dilute and add detergent, bleach, and fabric softener.
* Specialized settings for different fabrics.
* Childproof door latches.
* Improved out-of-balance handling.
* Sensors that automatically set the water level, and
* Stain cycles that eliminate the need for pre-treating with sprays.

No matter what fancy new features you choose, it always pays to get the largest capacity washer you can afford. You'll fit more clothes into one load, saving time and energy. If you need a smaller load, you can adjust the water level accordingly.

Clothes dryers are also offering more specialized and energy-saving options. Look for a model with a moisture-sensing feature that shuts off the unit automatically when clothes are dry, rather than using a timer.

Other convenient features include shoes and sweater drying racks, self-cleaning or oversized lint filters, and special cycles for the new home dry-cleaning kits.

If space is an issue, check out the "stacked" or "combination" washer-dryers. A stacked unit place the dryer directly above the washer.

Some manufacturers offer integrated units that wash and dry in the same washer-sized tub. These appliances have the added advantage of being vent-free, so they can be placed along interior walls.

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