Top loading washing machine

[Mallow]

Former owner of house(dept 61) we are buying had top loading washing machine in a narrow purpose made plumbed alcove. I have looked around the showrooms and realise they are equally as available as the front loading models, can anyone tell me how they compare. All advice/recommendations gratefully received.

[Coral]

I have had a GE top loading washing machine for nearly 20 years. It has a central agitator that swishes the clothes around parallel to the floor. It uses more water but is more gentle on clothes. I have towels that I have had for more than 10 years and they are still thick and fluffy. The ones I have in UK using mama's front loader have got faded, thin and a bit hard.
I will be looking for something similar when I get to France later this year.

Hope this helps
Coral

[Diana]

Not sure if its a top loading thing or not as I have never had another one to compare it with. But what disapoints me about my French one is the fact that a normal everyday 40 degree wash takes over 2 hours even with the fast button selected. My UK front loader has a 2 hour eccomomy wash but this can be deselected so washing will be ready in about 1 hour. I know many French people run theirs through the night to get the cheap rate electricity so don't care about speed but if I have several loads to do I just want to get them done.

Diana

[Simon]

Toploaders are terrible, buy a modern machine.

S

[zeb]

LAST EDITED ON 21-May-04 AT 09:47 AM (BST)

Hello Mallow - we bought a Bosch toploader two years ago and it's fine. At that time there were very few front loaders in the shops here in Charente (salesperson showed surprise that anyone would want to watch their washing go round!).

Fitted kitchens with under the worktop machines (American kitchens) were quite rare and the toploader usually was put in the bathroom and needed to take up as little space as possible.

It took me a while to get used to the longer time it takes to wash than my old Zanussi did but I usually put the wash on in the evening or before bedtime so I can hang it out first thing before work. The other thing is that the 40degree wash seems to be cooler than that and I shove everything in (except cottons for hot wash and woolies) at 60 degrees.

Due to our jobs and our renovations we have very dirty clothes and it does the biz so I'm happy! Just wish it would hang the stuff out and then iron it!

regards.......helen

[Mistral]

I've had both. As other people have said, French machines seem to take forever (i think it's got to do with the fact that they fill from the cold tap and heat the water)

I haven't really seen any difference except that top loaders are often narrower and can fit in small spaces and when they break down full off water you can empty them out with a cup and take the washing out without pouring water all over your feet and floading the kitchen
Belinda, I've never had a washing machine in a kitchen here either, the first were in the bathroom (seems quite common) and now it's in the garage