front loader washing machines

[Gerianne]

a conversation on this topic can be interesting.
it came up at the dinner table a while ago.
one main concern for top loader users was "does water come out when you open the door?"
The lady answered "no" of course.
I suspect that there would be a locking mechanism to prevent the door from opening even if someone tried.
One thing about the top loader, which most are used to, is that if you are short,it's hard to reach down in the machine to get the clothes out.
That could make a funny cartoon.

[Penwoir]

I have used both a front loader washing machine at the launderette, and a top loader which I have at home. I agree, it is a bit annoying that I have to bend right over to reach inside to retrieve my clothes, but the benefit of a top loader is that I never have to worry about the door accidentally opening, or my clothes dropping out. Having said that, when I'm at the launderette washing duvets, I have to bend over to put my bedding into the washer. Once the door is locked though, it is locked. I am a curious individual and I have tried to open the door whilst the washing was in progress (at the launderette, not at home!), but it was not possible. In fact, I found it annoying that after my washing was finished, I then have to wait another couple of minutes before the washer will release the door. I'm stood beside the washer waiting! Time is money!

[braggin]

The front loaders at my local town laundromat lock once you start them so there is no way to open the door until the washing action has stopped altogether. At home I have a top loader and like you, I find it hard to reach down into it to take out the clothes. I actually prefer the front loader because you can see the washing action while it is going on with a front loader.

[sdenimandlace1]

I love to watch the washer the few time we go to the laundromat.

[lvstephanie]

The laundry machines that I have at home are side-loaders. As others have mentioned, once the machine starts, it locks the door to prevent it from accidentally opening; similarly, the machine won't start if the door is not closed all the way. However I did have a minor accident when I hadn't shut the door completely when adding the liquid detergent, so some of the detergent was able to drip out. The timing is a little bit of a concern in that I too have noticed that it takes a little extra time between when the machine is done with the wash and the time that it will unlock the door. But I'm hardly ever standing next to the machine immediately when the machine stops its wash cycle, so I hardly ever notice it.

The one thing that I do think is more of a concern is washing delicates.... I remember when I was growing up that my mom used to wash delicates with the door open thereby washing them somewhat by hand. However if the door for a side-loader locks, you have to rely solely on the machine for washing the delicates without damaging them (or wash them completely by hand without any aid from a washing machine). Another issue is mold and odor issues. At least for me, since there isn't much space in the area where the laundry is located, I tend to close the machine door after removing my clothes thereby creating a perfect breading ground for mold. Thus I wash out the drum of the machine much more regularly than I did when I had top-loaders.