Dear Jim: I thought about getting a new front-loading clothes washer. The salesman said it saves half the water and detergent and is easier on clothes than a top-loader. I want to save, but will one clean well? – Ann F.

Dear Ann: Your salesperson is correct. My mother’s clothes washer recently quit and I bought a front-loading washer for her. Being of German heritage, she naturally resisted change, but now she wouldn’t have any other type. It is also easier to load and unload. To save floor space, the washer and dryer can be stacked.

Front-loaders use less than half as much water as top-loaders to clean the same amount of clothes. Not only are 25 gallons of water saved each load, but half of it often is expensive hot water. Since less water is used, less detergent, bleach, softener, etc. are also needed.

The front-loader washing concept just makes sense. It spins on a horizontal axis and the tub is only partially filled with water. This tumbles clothes in and out of the water thousands of times per cycle. With a standard top-loader, they just swish back and forth in the water.

If you were going to hand wash clothes, you would dunk them in and out of the wash water. You wouldn’t swish them around under the water. As the clothes tumble over each other and through the water in a front-loader, they don’t clump together and therefore get more thoroughly cleaned.

Another cleaning advantage with a front-loader is the effective rinsing. This is helpful for people with sensitive skin and allergies. Just as the tumbling action cleans the clothes better, it also rinses better.

Spin speeds for the best front-loaders can be as high as 1,600 rpm. This removes almost all of the soapy water from the clothes. There are usually three rinses per load but you can adjust the number up to seven. Some models have automatic suds sensors to determine how many rinses are needed.

Another nice feature on many front-loaders is a built-in water heating element. This reduces the load on your water heater. It can also super-heat the water for a sanitizing cycle which is useful during cold and flu seasons.

If you really like a top-loader, there are new designs in which the tub rocks and spins with only a very small agitator inside. They clean effectively and use much less water than a standard top-loader. They also spin faster, up to 1,000 rpm.

Still another option is a combination front-loader washer-dryer. You put dirty clothes in and remove clean dry clothes about two hours later. They are efficient like other front-loaders. Some models use a nonvented dryer design so you can put them anywhere in your home. With an internal heater, they need only a cold water line and a drain.

Write for (instantly download – www.dulley.com) Update Bulletin No. 444 – buyer’s guide of 15 front-loader and combination washer-dryer manufacturers listing capacity, spin speed, tub material, preset cycles, water usage, dimensions and features. Include $3 and a business-size SASE, and send to James Dulley, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244.