Five tips to buy a washer

Emilio Gonzalez, an engineer who tests laundry equipment for Consumer Reports, offers the following tips on buying a washer.

•1. Front- vs. top-loading. Front-loading washers, although they are more expensive ($800 to $1,400), tend to clean better than top-loaders and save energy on the whole laundry process, Gonzales says. That’s partly because they use less water to wash, but mostly because they spin more water out. That means the dryer — the real energy hog — doesn’t work as hard. With energy costs rising, a front loader likely will save money over the long haul, but you can buy a top loader for less money upfront (as little as $400).

•2. Shake, rattle and roll. If you plan to install the washer in a living space — near the kitchen or bedrooms or in a finished basement family room — think about noise and vibrations. Front-loader washers, because they spin so fast, vibrate more and tend to be noisier than top-loaders.

•3. Keep it simple. Many fancy features aren’t worth paying for. For example, most people only use three or four wash settings, so there’s no reason to have a lot of specialized cycles and different water levels. Silver ion cleaning technology (for germ-fighting) and steam cleaning were unimpressive in Consumer Reports tests. What’s worth looking for? Automatic dispensers for detergent and bleach.

•4. Keep the dryer. Many people replace the dryer when they buy a washer, but there’s no reason the appliances have to match. Newer dryers don’t save much energy, Gonzales says.

•5. Look for the yellow label. Washing machines are required to display a yellow label with information on their energy efficiency. An ENERGY STAR logo means the model is extra efficient.