Front-loading washers are the most energy efficient, but there are choices for practical convenience as well.

Front-loading clothes washers are the most efficient, using about half as much water and detergent as a top-loader, although they are less convenient to load and unload. During unloading, it is difficult not to drop some clean clothes on the floor, and if you have a bad back, unloading heavy wet clothes can also be a problem.

However, there is a new design of top-loading washer, by Whirlpool® and Sears, which is almost as efficient as a front-loader. Instead of using a large rotating agitator, it has a wobbling washer plate and small agitator in the tub to move clothes through the soapy water. This design does not require the entire tub to fill with water and has a relatively fast spin speed for a top-loader design.

This new top-loader has a very large capacity, up to 4.5 cubic feet of clothes. By doing fewer loads each wash day, less electricity is used overall to operate the motors in the washer, and less hot water is consumed. The only drawback is that the dryer cannot be stacked on top of the washer to save floor space.

Another option is a hybrid top/front-loader by Staber. It has a horizontal axis so it spins like a front-loader, but it loads from the top. The washer tub is perforated and hexagonal in shape, and is housed inside an outer tub.

Both tubs are made of stainless steel. There is a door on one of the inner tub sides to add and remove the clothes and a door on the top of the unit. When the inner tub rotates through the outer tub that is full of soapy water, this water flows in the holes in the inner tub and through the clothes. It is a bit pricey, ranging from about $1,200 to $1,700.

If you do not mind bending over and you want the most efficient and best-cleaning washer, a front-loader is difficult to beat. With the tub on a horizontal axis, it only has to be partially filled and the clothes naturally tumble through the soapy water. Fins inside the tub also catch some of the water and shower it down over the tumbling clothes. Most models have a reversing rotation feature during the cycle so clothes do not get clumped together.

Another front-loader advantage is that you can stack the dryer on top of the washer to save space. This, along with high energy efficiency, is why they are extremely popular in Europe’s typically smaller homes. If you already have a dryer, it will likely fit on top of any of the front-loader models.

The horizontal axis tub in a front-loader also lets it spin at a much higher speed, up to 1,600 rpm, during the rinse cycle. This high speed forces more soapy water out of the clothes during each cycle. Clothes last longer when there is less residual detergent in them. Also, more thorough rinsing is a plus for people with sensitive skin or allergies.

Just as tumbling the clothes cleans them better, it also rinses out the soap more effectively. You can select the number of rinses (up to five) with the final high-speed spin cycle to remove the most water and soap residue. This also reduces dryer time, so even more energy is saved.

As with most appliances today, front-loading clothes washers are becoming smarter and more automatic. Instead of setting the water level dial by the load size, the washer automatically senses the weight of the clothes and selects the most effective and efficient settings. These also have manual overrides if you prefer a particular setting.

Another option is a combination front-loading washer/dryer. Put your dirty clothes in it and remove clean, dry clothes a couple of hours later. These have a smaller capacity than wash-only models. By using a condensing dryer design, these models do not have to be vented outdoors, so they can be placed anywhere near a faucet and drain.

Here are some companies that offer efficient washing machines: Asko, 800-898-1879, www.askousa.com ; Equator, 800-935-1955, www.equatorappliance.com ; LG Appliances, 800-243-0000, www.lgappliances.com ; Miele Appliances, 800-843-7231, www.mieleusa.com. mieleusa.com ; Staber, 800-848-6200, www.staber.com ; and Whirlpool, 866-698-2538, www.whirlpool.com.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Michigan Country Lines, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.