Re: Important Question.
 

Are you saying that top loaders don't ruin clothes more than front loaders? It looks like you are, can you cite any evidence (other than your own opinion) for this?

Anecdotal it might be, but the amount of clothes ruined in the wash while I was using a top loader was far higher than when using a front loader. T-shirts stretched, holes put in things etc. The fact that so many people have this experience indicates to me that there is something to it.

Re: Important Question.
 

Although holes appeared in various places, I have just remembered the cause of many small holes on the front mid area of many t-shirts - they were caused by zips on hoodies or jackets that were catching the t-shirts (unnoticed) while being worn. Holes were usually only discovered after they came out the washer until one day I noticed as I zipped up!

Re: Important Question.
 

And yet when so many people holding similar experiences on other issues...let's say something like "life in Canada" is used to reinforce a particular view, it's dismissed as just an attempt at justifying their decision to move to Canada.

Just saying..... ;)

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One downside to front loaders is that you need to leave the door open between washes. I didn't and ended up with mold all over the rubber seal. I think this could be a child safety issue.

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Never had that .. But then 4 people, at least 2 lots of sport kit a day ...it's usually always in use !

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Surely not every front loader is better than the good top loaders? Given the price difference I would find it hard to justify buying a front loader.

I like the short times of the wash, that they wash oil and soot from husband's work clothes. I don't find holes in the fabric.

My biggest beef with laundry here is that the detergents rip the colour from the clothes.

Re: Important Question.
 

What other issues?

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I can also only offer anecdotal evidence, but I do put my own washing in the machine(s), top loader in Canada, front loader in France. I may have a very low standard as to what constitutes ruined clothes, or maybe I've been in Canada/NoAm long enough not to care. But no difference, in fact, no ruined clothes at all. Just clean ones from both.

SWMBO on the other hand is most fastidious about such matters and has never commented on the difference (if any).

Which end of the egg do you open?

Re: Important Question.
 

The one I mentioned.

I'm sure I don't really need to spell it out do I?

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Yes. I do. Show me this "life in Canada" thing?

And while you are at it, perhaps you can explain to me why you think that something that is objectively measurable is the same as something that is subjective opinion.

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Can you find a link to the objective measurability of the higher incidence of ruined clothes in top vs front opening eggs, err washers?

I have an open mind on this as AlmostC would say.

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I was going to answer but the fact you are trying to make one appear different to the other tells me you know exactly what I'm on about otherwise you wouldn't try to identify it as different.

Nice try.

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No I really don't know what you are talking about. It seems you are confusing things, but I'm waiting for you to find an example of this "life in canada" being dismissed for reasons.

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And yet you can tell me I'm wrong about it.

Ah well....

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You keep banging on about these eggs. It's a bit patronizing and is simply an attempt to dismiss any opinon other than your own. Please stop it.

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No, I wasn't. I'm waiting for your examples. You mentioned "life in canada" - I really don't even know what that means - but it sounds like you are talking about peoples subjective views on the matter. The fact you won't explain it means that you probably can't.

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on a slight tangent, it tickles me how north americans think the British are weird for having their washer dryers in the kitchen.

When hid asked why we did that I just said we were poor and couldn't afford the luxury of a room specifically for laundry ;)

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not mine! No rubber ring. Asko, I tells ya. Asko.

Plus it's a swedish brand and Swedes are hot.

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haha you're right! I forgot about that, been in canada too long i'm losing my marbles. I'm glad we all vented about our washing machines though. :thumbup:

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Mine is a Miele (German) - not cheap - but a complete 10 year warranty. They replaced the moldy rubber seal, no charge. I pointed out that the manual did not mention keeping the door open. One needs to run a sanitize cycle every 2 months or so using a special tablet. Very good for water conservation - as I said only downside is keeping the door open which is not a problem for me with it being in the basement but definitely an issue if it was in a kitchen. I previously had a top loader for 17 years with no complaints - never needed service in all that time!

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My wife found it hard to believe we had them in the kitchen. I still point them out whenever there's a Brit movie or something on the TV.

"Look...see the washing machine?"

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Yes sir. I'll do eggsactly that.

I don't have an opinion on the issue, that's the point. It's like arguing whether driving on the left or right is better.

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We aren't debating something subjective like which colour people prefer, it's a tangible easily measurable thing. Many people in this thread (like me) have experienced a larger number of ruined clothes with top loaders. Many people have experienced no difference (like you). Nobody (as far as I can see) has experienced more ruined clothes in front loaders.

The sample size here is small, but I suspect that the propensity for clothes to be ruined is statistically significant - even if the strength (statistically speaking) of this significance doesn't meet rigorous scientific standards.

You can be open minded and dismiss this as choosing the side of an egg if you like, but the clothes ruined by two different brands of top loader since living in this country are real enough.

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I'm afraid that's all a bit aneggdotal.

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All individual data points are anecdotal. You are just putting more weight on your own anecdotal data point - which is fair enough, we all suffer from experiential bias. And yes, I do appreciate the irony.

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Not at all, I eggsplicitally said that I don't have a point of view. It was you who raised the topic of objectivity, which you still have to eggsplain.

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It took about 12 years, but eventually the laundry magic extended to include the ironing, .... and a few months later verbal hints even saw the "laundry ghost" introduce the innovation of starched collars and cuffs on my office shirts. :thumbup:

BTW Mrs P hates front loaders with a vengeance. We bought a rather nice looking set of Maytag front loader laundry appliances 11 years ago but the washer was designed to not drain all the water out of the drum. :confused: The inevitable consequence is that the washer has a natural tendency to smell musty, and we have to (i) run sanitizing detergent through it every few weeks, and (ii) leave the door open at all times it is not in use.

Mrs P has threatened to buy a too loader next time, though I believe that European washers (Bosch, Ekectrolux, etc. and more recent American machines, don't have the same problem, and even Maytag abandoned it's "perpetual reservoir" design within a couple of years of the one we bought. I will do anything and everything I can to keep Mrs P away from the top loaders, even if it means shelling out for a Bosch, F&P, or even a Miele.

Re: Important Question.
 

For those with a leaky washing machine upstairs or laundry flood paranoia, it is possible to buy a "drip tray" specially designed for washing machines (similar to ones installed under water heaters, but square), which can even be plumbed to a convenient drain ( if there is one).

Re: Important Question.
 

I see. Back peddling now are we?

Your initial use of the swiftian egg metaphor implies that a) your opinion is that there is no difference to the point that even considering that there might be is stupid or b) you don't understand the swiftian egg metaphor as much as you think.

Either way - you are left with egg on your face.

Re: Important Question.
 

you guys are really brainy.

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But (a) is it eggsactly. They both wash clothes. What's the fuss about?

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I think its called three-card Monte. ;)

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Not the first adjective that came to my mind.

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Too many syllables?

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Fuss? iaintevenmad.jpg

From your comments it seems that your null hypothesis is that front / top loaders have the same probability of ruining clothes. I find it quite fascinating that one one hand you say you have an open mind and on the other you say that anyone whose experience doesn't match yours should be discarded as irrelevant fussing. Maybe this is why sometimes science has a bad rep.

And keep up with the Noel Cowardian wit. I'm sure everyone now has aching sides.

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:D

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But what is it about one type of washing machine versus another one that causes such emotion in an intelligent person like yourself to lead to ad hominem remarks about someone who thinks the two are functionally identical?

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Actually, in post 46 I made a very important point that appears to have been ignored.

I feel this point is so important that I will repeat it, simply.

Not all front loaders are better than all top loaders. There will be some top loaders that work well, and there will be some front loaders that do not.

If you bother looking at the consumer comparison charts you will see this to be true.

However if you wish to spend $$$ for an average machine that doesn't wash cleanly and take forever to do it leaving a manky, smelly, mouldy residue in the door seal then do buy a front loader.

If you don't automatically believe the hype then spend $$ on a top loader.

Simples innit.

(PS. blunt end)

Re: Important Question.
 

To which I'd only add that another thing missed is the ironically chosen thread title. It's very obviously an unimportant question. Even the OP who appears to be willing to argue with his wife that his end of egg is the only rational choice, saw that.

Re: Important Question.
 

What emotional response? I'm genuinely surprised that you think that there is one. I'm just applying logic to the statements that you have posted in this thread and finding that it comes up short.

For instance we can take an analytical look at this very post. You posit that front loaders and top loaders are functionally identical. I don't disagree with you, and furthermore I don't recall anyone actually making the claim that top loaders/front loaders are not functionally identical. I believe that we can take it as a given that they are both designed to wash clothes.

However, claims were made about the execution of this functionality. In particular: efficiency, water usage, wash duration, impact on clothes over time etc; such things that are objectively measurable and potentially different between the two washing systems.

Now, people will have different priorities regarding what is important to them and suits their needs the best. These priorities are real and not imagined and therefore your statement that this is equivalent to swifts allegory is inappropriate. I might even go so far as to say you over-egged it.