Which do you choose....

Front or top loader, front or top loader?????? It's the Question of the Day.

Have you seen any ads for top loading washing machines lately? No, all the ads are for the vibrant-colored, multi-functioned, "water-saving" front loaders. It's like the couple who had a perfectly adequate child, but then gave birth to a genius. The new kid's all anyone ever talks about anymore, and the adequacy of the first born is completely forgotten; indeed, even *gasp* ill regarded.

But you know what? I love my first born. Sure the new kid has bells and whistles. But is he Better? By the way, I AM talking about my washing machines, here...

When the Doodle was born we decided to do our part for ecology And our wallets by using cloth diapers. Sure you pay more upfront, but a lot less in the long run. And you rescue the landfill from upwards of Three THOUSAND non-biodegradable packages of poo. I digress.

We bought a front loader because the new cloth diapers require Two full wash cycles and a second rinse on the second wash. That's a LOT of water. Using that much water in a top loader almost (but not really) offsets the savings both on the bank account and the planet. But like I said, not really. Enter front loader. The front loaders use a Lot less water. Fifteen- twenty gallons as opposed to 40-50 in a top loader. The idea is that the front loader does not need to Fill. It just swishes the clothes And the water around at a high speed. Well, after FIVE FULL CYCLES there was Still doodoo on the edges of the diapers. Why? No agitator. Did Laura Ingalls take her laundry down to the river and swish it through the water? NO, she used a wash board. For a reason. (Her grandmother used a rock!) Swishing water will NOT get grime off your clothes.

But that's not all folks. Let's go back to Chem 101 lab. You have some clothes. They have some dirt. You add some water. You make a dirt-water solution. Which solution will be stronger, the 15 gallon H2O or 40 gallon H2O? So you are basically washing your duds in mud.

Okay, so you don't have a baby (so hopefully no diapers), but you Do have a desk job (no grime). Try the napkin test. Take your folded cloth napkin and deposit some crumbs in the innermost fold. Put the folded napkin into the wash with the rest of the laundry. Wash.

When you remove the laundry, you will find the napkin still neatly folded. Open it and inside you will find the crumbs. So you think you will just make Sure to unfold all your napkins and right-side-out all your socks? If the cycle isn't strong enough to unfold a napkin, how will it get the sweat out of your shirt?

Not only that, but if you hate doing laundry as much as most people say they do, you will hate even More having to DRY your washer every time you use it. Because the gasket that keeps the water in while it's washing Also keeps it in when it's Done washing. Hello mold. So you can either dry it every time or de-mold it most times. Or don't. The clothes aren't clean anyway, why worry about the mold?

This may not be enough argument against front load washers. I have friends who swear by them still. To them I say, next time you curse your deodorant for failing you, look to your washer instead....


(this story came to mind while listening to The Pet Shop Boys, West End Girl, where he says.." which do you choose? A hard or soft option?" Yeah, a stretch, but that's the way my brain works...)