Poll: Front or Top Loader?

[mumofKieran]

Do you prefer a Front Loader, or Top Loader, for washing nappies? I am especially interested to hear from people who have used both as to which they liked better and why. I have asked before but this time there's a poll.

I have bought a new FL and am trying to decide whether to keep it or not... I suspect it doesn't get the smell out quite as much but I am starting to like it better as I learn how to use it and experiment with different cycles.

[Butterfliez]

I recently bought a Fisher and Paykel Aquasmart (the new top loader which works like a front loader) I was finding the wee smell was still in the nappies, so now I always do a rinse first. Takes me forever to get them washed (45 mins rinse plus 55 wash:rolleyes:), but I learned to be super organised washing some things at night. With the help of people on BH, I realised that if the nappies are getting washed in only a small amount of water, it makes sense that the smell would remain unless a rinse was done first.

HTH

[missie_mack]

Not generally a front loader fan but with nappies its brilliant and spins much faster leaving them drier

[Livy]

We have had our FL for a few months and to tell you the truth think it cleans way more thoroughly than our TL ever did. Ours has a baby care function and I just wash the nappies on that at either 40 or 60 degrees with a pre-wash and extra rinse :thumbsup: Only downside is it takes ages.

[Milliner]

Front loader, it seems to clean and spin dry them better than a top loader. The only downside is you can't just tip your nappy bucket in to the wash you have to load the stinkers in by hand but nothing a pair of gloves doesn't fix.

[*~alegna~*]

We have a top loader but my Ma has a FL & Swears by it. After using hers this past month - OMG my next machine is definately gonna be a FL!!..:thumbsup: Great.

Apparently more water efficient aswell.

[RaryGirl]

I love my front loader too!

I add a rinse cycle before the wash cycle for the nappies, just to be sure the smell is out.

[Nex]

Front loader all the way!

Having recenly gone back to a top loader (It was already here, no choice, and then we won another one:hair:)

I loathe the top loaders! Too much water, too much powder, too hard on the clothes, don't get them really clean!

I can't wait for them to be beyond repair so I can get my front loader back!

I can understand that nappies would be needing a pre-rinse though!

[only1mica]

I havent voted...we just bought a new front loader that we havent even had delivered...been using the TL forever.

So I am glad that there are good comments for the FLers :yelclap:

[bluey]

I've washed nappies in both a top loader and a front loader. And to be honest, I find the front loader much harsher on the nappies than the top loader. We had nappies that we used for nearly 3 years in the top loader and could reuse them with the next bub. But I've had nappies just bought for Katherine and only washed in the front loader, just fall apart :( They are from the same makers, and same materials.

I don't like the new FP top/front loader though, my mum has one and hates it. I want a toploader that uses the same amount of water as a front loader.

Ah well, jsut an excuse to buy more nappies though lol!!

[mumofKieran]

bluey - just out of curiosity, what TL did you have and what FL do you now have?

[bluey]

Man now that's taxing my brain lol!!

Top Loader was Simpson I'm pretty sure, it was old though, 17 years, we got it when we got married. It was just leaking water everywhere at the end, so it had to go. I loved it, took heaps of clothes, washed well and was fast, only downside was the lots of water to wash.

The front loader is LG. It does get the nappies clean, I've never had to strip wash, uses less water, but I definitely think it's harder on clothes/nappies etc. I think the longer wash cycles perhaps

[forbetoel]

Front loader hands down...uses less water.

[Sparrowgal]

Unfortunately I've only ever used a front loader, so I can't compare it to a top.

Bluey: that's interesting that your clothes come out more mangled with a front loader. I thought with the loss of agitator in the middle that a FL would be more gentle on clothes.

I do a rinse cycle on my nappies (which only goes for 15 mins - 8L) and then I do a normal wash (49L I think) on 40 degrees (which goes for AGES, but since i do a night load only i don't really notice), and I notice I have a smell when i don't use enough detergent (using that Aware one atm just to try, usually i use omo sensitive or something). I only use a teaspoon but I was experimenting with amounts and had one load which was really whiffy when I was being super stingy, but the sun made them smell "neutral" again.

[Nex]

I agree about the FL being gentler on clothes. Particularly lingerie!

I had 5yr old bras that were still good, washing in the FL, but I barely get 12 mths washing them in the TL.

the TL tends to make the clothes 'pill' more too, and has occasionally ripped seams in delicate clothes. I have had hems ripped off my towels too!

[aardvark]

I dry pail, and then use a pre-wash cycle before a wash.

I had a top loader when I was washing nappies for DD#1, and it was no where near as effective as the front loader.

And the front loader I have spins very dry, so in addition to not using much water or detergent, when we HAVE to dry the nappies in the drier rather than on the line, they dry in much less time.

[mumofKieran]

Thanks for all the replies :)

Keep them coming!

[tally]

Front loader all the way..

I havent had a top loader since my eldest two were small but they used to wrap the nappies around the agitator...

My front loader is an electrolux and is just awesome... I use the pre wash cycle first and have never yet had an issue with my nappies smelling.

Main benefits for me are you use less detergeant, gentler on the clothes and use less water, the only negative is the time the wash cycles take but have adjusted to that now and it doesnt bother me.

[mumofKieran]

*Bump*