Everything You Need to Know About Top Load Washers

Top-load washers are available in two different design types. Standard top-load washers use an agitator, which pulls the clothes through the water in order to clean them. Standard top-load washers are usually less expensive than comparable front-load washers or high-efficiency top-load washers. Top-load washers are easy to load and unload, as everything is accessible from the top. Top-load washers will, however, use more water and electricity than front-load or HE models, increasing both your utility bills and your carbon footprint.

High-efficiency top-load washers are accessed through the top, just like standard top-load washers. HE top-load washers do not have an agitator. Instead, they use a wash plate located at the bottom of the wash basket to move the clothes against one another to help in the wash process. The concentrated soapy water is moved through the clothes rather than pulling the clothes through the water. This design is gentler on clothes and provides larger capacity, all while using only 20% to 66% of the water and energy used on the standard top-load washer.

HE washers will spin out faster than a standard top-load washer, extracting more water, thereby reducing drying time. Keep in mind that since you're using less water, you should use high-efficiency detergent. HE detergent is designed for use with high-efficiency washers and to effectively clean your clothes and reduce sudsing.