• Properly used, front loading washers are more efficient than top loading machines.Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  If you are fortunate enough to own a front loading washing machine, you are on the right track to savings. Front loaders are easier on clothes, use less water, detergent and bleach and are usually considered high efficiency, so they also use less electricity. However, there are tricks and tips to wring the most savings and best performance from a front loading washing machine.
  
  

When You Buy

• People buy front loading washing machines not only because they are stylish, but also because they are very green as they are both energy and water efficient. When buying a front loading washing machine, you will need to make a few decisions.
  
  Purchase the largest capacity machine that fits your budget. The machines are very efficient and can handle large loads with ease. Thus, you save on water, electric and detergent.
  
  Buy a machine that has a water sensor because machines equipped with a water sensor can manage the amount of water to fit the load. If you haven't loaded the machine to capacity, it will stop the water in-flow when appropriate for the load size.
  
  The machine should come with a balance sensor, which is a device that shuts the machine off if the load is not properly balanced. It stops the machine from vibrating and "walking" and makes it more efficient as a balanced load washes better.
  
  Select an EnergyStar qualified washer, which is a high-efficiency product that will save on utility bills.
  
  

Machine Use

• Designers of High Efficiency (HE) front loading washers took great pains to make them highly efficient. Always use HE detergent as it is made to suds less than regular detergent, and you don't need to use as much. Use of regular detergent will create too many suds and will adversely affect your machine's washing and rinsing cycles. Additionally, as time goes on, use of regular detergent can lead to odors and/or mechanical problems.
  
  Wash as much as you can in a single load. A half-full load will use almost the same amount of energy as a full load; not washing full loads waste energy.
  
  Use the cold water settings. Ninety percent of the energy used by a washer is for heating water. Today's detergents do a very good job of getting clothes clean in cold water unless you are dealing with oily stains. If that is the case, pretreat the stains and use the warm settings. You will cut energy use to about half of the hot water cycle.
  
  Some machines come with a sanitary cycle; this super hot cycle increases energy use dramatically. Only use it when absolutely needed.
  
  If your washer has spin setting options, set it to high speed or extended spin to get more moisture out of the wash load, which leads to far shorter drying times.
  
  

Maintenance

• The seals on the door of a front loading washer are airtight to prevent leakage. Leave the door open for 1 to 2 hours when you complete washing so that any moisture trapped in the seal or the tub can evaporate, which helps to prevent mold from forming.
  
  Review the owner's manual or inquire at the store where you purchased the machine to learn if the manufacturer recommends running an empty normal cycle with 1 cup of bleach to inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.