How many times have you done the laundry and cried because you didn’t have a clothes washer at home? A clothes washer can change your life. No more bruised hands and wrinkled fingers. Sure, clothes washers are expensive, but their many features are definitely well worth the long line of zeros on the price tag.

A clothes washer (also known as a washing machine or simply a washer) is a device used to wash and clean laundry, such as towels, clothing, and sheets. It uses a spinning motion to deep clean linens soaked in a mixture of water and cleaning detergent, as opposed to scrubbing the fabric like in hand washing. A clothes washer is actually safer to use on clothes. As long as you follow the correct water temperature and the right amount of detergent in the wash, the clothes will make it out of the washer just fine.

This machine can be either be a household or commercial appliance. Household clothes washers are smaller for space convenience and are less sturdy, but they still function well despite their cheaper price tags. In Europe and the Middle East , the front loading design is more popular, though the top loading design is much preferred throughout the rest of the world. Critics say the front loading design is the better of the two models. You might want to keep that in mind when buying a clothes washer.

Washing Machine Buying Tips:

• Look for an energy efficient or high-efficiency model (Electricity is NOT a renewable resource)
• Think about water usage (in general front loading clothes washers use less water then top loading)
• The number of different washing options isn’t so much as important as the cycles that you will actually use so look for one that has the washing options that you are going to use the majority of the time
• Think about the amount of space that the washing machine is going to take up as front loading designs typically take up more space then top loading ones
• Compare manufacturer warranties as a washing machine is considered a major appliance and therefore preventing costly repair bills in the future can be prevented with a solid warranty
• The number of loads you or your family does in a week will help you determine how big of a clothes washer you need. A family of 6 with small kids is probably going to do alot more then a family of 4 with grownups.

Most commercial clothes washers have sturdier and more compact models. These machines are usually fitted with a stainless steel body kit to protect it from corrosion and rust in a constantly moist environment, and many feature front loading designs. If you haven’t seen a commercial clothes washer, you can find one at the nearest laundromat center in your area.