I completely agree with you. And when you're trying to see if you can reach the bottom make sure you're in your stocking feet, just as if you were at home.

I'm tall as well and sometimes I feel like I'm going to tip over into the tub.

Yes, I am under five foot two and have to work at getting things out of the washer and dryer. Reaching everything at this late date, ha, ha.

Sue

I have the same problem since shrinking as I have gotten older. I have gone from 5'5" to 5'1" over the years. I use kitchen tongs to get the clothes on the bottom.

I am short too, but have a front loader. The complaint on those is that it is hard on your back to lean/crouch down to get the clothes out. That's why so many people put them on the pedestals? But the pedestals would have made it impossible for me to reach over to the shelves above (the machines would be so far forward and high). Since when did washing machines become so physically challenging?

So maybe I'm glad to still have my old GE with the agitator. I had husband look up the receipt and as I suspected it's 19 years old as is the dryer which I don't use that much since I line dry my clothes. But the washer is an antique.

A grabber is the only way to go (for me) I have one at the grandkids and they know I get very unhappy if they (3 boys) remove it from the washer room. I am 5 foot and no way can I reach. thinking of getting a folding grabber to carry with me so I can reach the things at the store on the top shelfs.

It sounds like you're describing what on my list might be Reason #8 or so for getting a front loading washer. The reasons higher on the list are more than compelling.

Our two front loader washers - one expensive, one not- both have short cycles. I guess having that with a top loader doesn't help. ;-)

Good point, ritaweeda. I was already thinking this morning about height and the functional things around us because of the post about having to raise the mailbox for the letter carrier. You see, we bought this house from a couple who were like Jack and Jill Sprat of eat-no-fat eat-no-lean fame. Only it was a matter of height, not diet. Jill was something like 6'6" and Jack was about 5'6". The urban wall mounted mailbox was set about 5'10" high! There is a passage in the house where the ceiling is only 6'0" and tall people must duck-- yes contrary to current building code, but it was done before we were even born.

Oh, I've been told, I should have said Mutt and Jeff instead of Jack and Jill Sprat.

I'm only about 4' 8 " tall. Luckily I can still reach the bottom of my top loader washing machine, but trying to get clothes out of the back of my dryer is a problem. A yardstick or my grabbers get used for that. I can't bend.

That's why I have a front loader washer. I had the matching front loader dryer at the old house. This house has a top loading gas dryer. I am able to be sitting in my chair and easily use the front loader washer. Now with the top loading dryer my husband has to take over the duty of moving the clothes from the washer to the dryer and out of the dryer. My cleaning ladies also do some laundry which helps a lot. I like the gas dryer here it's big and works great but I miss my front loader.

I'm 5'4", and I just had to use a mop to clean the bottom of my chest freezer. I would have had to have both feet off the floor in order to reach the bottom.

We had a front loader when we first moved in here. We had bought matching washer and dryer. Huge load capacity and while it was working it did great. But I did have the problem with mold in the gasket around the glass in the door. Then it broke. (I think it was something like 6 months past warranty. It would have cost more to fix it than to buy a top-loader. And the guy told me that when the board went (and he assured me that it would) that it would cost almost as much as replacing the same machine. So I went with a cheap top-loader instead. It went about a year after the warranty. It was a piece of carp all the way. This is the third one since we moved here. It works good, we'll see. I got a little bit higher-end one this time.

" problem with mold in the gasket around the glass in the door. "

I think this depends on the brand, not on the machine style.

We've never had a mold problem with the two we have. One is over 15 years old. With a front loader, clothes get so much cleaner, last so much longer, gentles are handled so much more gently, and the machine uses so much less water and detergent, that we'd never go back to a top loader.

I have a front load washer too. My FIL built the "pedastals" for me. Not quite as tall as the ones in the store, and it works perfectly for me. Oh and I'm 5'2".

What I could never have would be stacking. I'd have to have a step ladder to reach the controls and in the machines!!!

I never had the mold and smell problems. But I always drape a clean hand towel over the edge of the door so there's always a crack allowing air flow and drying out to occur. I had Samsung at the old house and my washer here is also a Samsung. I have never had a problem with mine.

Looks like you could use a pedestal for you, rita?

Wouldn't that grab ya?!

ole joyful

Why do you have two washers, Elmer?

We also have always purchased a Samsung washer (large capacity & top loading) & dryer and never had a problem. My laundry room has my small freezer and some tall shelving for storage of bulk items like toilet paper and cases of canned goods etc. I keep a small step stool in the room to reach anything I have difficulty reaching. That includes some high shelves in my kitchen. Easy peasy!!!

I have a second home, hot rod. Which I think you've maybe mentioned you have too? Or perhaps I've got that wrong.

It's not for weather or seasonal change, both locations are suburban and have pretty similar mild weather all year. They're similar areas but just a bit different, some friends here, some there.

Yes, we have other homes, but I wasn't aware you did too! My brain immediately assumed you had two washers in one home. Haha

I think you'd said one of your homes was abroad so you may be familiar with the washer in our main house - it's a Miele from Germany. It's >15 years old and we love it to death. What a workhorse and what a fabulous washing job it does. We bought a much less expensive brand for the second place where we spend less time. Are you familiar with Miele?

I dislike my washer because everything comes out a wrinkled mess but when I bought it I never thought much about the depth of the drum. At 5'6", I can hardly reach - if I were a half inch shorter, I'd never get to the bottom. I would have been better off to buy a smaller washer and do an extra load every once in a while. And some of them are bigger and deeper than this one.

I can't imagine ever going back to a top loader unless I had no choice. I love our machine. I do have to reach in quite far to get the clothes in the back out, but so far it hasn't been a problem. As I get older, it could become one if I develop creaky knees and that would be the time I'd seriously consider a pedestal for it and the dryer.

I am tall and have a 2-year old top load washer, by choice, that I love. I can wash anything in it. I can see that it would be a problem for someone short.

I despised our old front load washer though as it was stinky almost from the time we bought it, no matter what I did to clean in and around the gasket. I have a different brand front loader at our lake condo however and it is fine.

I have two washers and two dryers, one upstairs and one down. Both are Maytag and the washers are top loaded. I would not want the front loading as it is harder for me to get things out of the front loading one.

Sue

I will only have a top loader with adjustable water levels. I've always bought the largest capacity and never had any issues reaching the bottom of the tub.

Elmer I'm familiar with Miele. We have a Siemens washer in our German house, and it works very well! Here in the States we have a top-load Speed Queen and I love that thing SO much!

Our home in London doesn't have a washer (no room - our place is tiny - space was exchanged for our preferred Zone 1 location. lol).

Welcome to my world Rita! I’m under 5 ft and most top loaders are too deep for me, grocery carts too,! I hate going to the grocery store alone because the products i like are often times on the top shelf out of reach. I have a front loader set on pedestals and while the height to do the laundry is perfect, I need a step stool to see in the soap dispenser. When I had a top loader, I always kept a pair of tongs in a handy spot to grab what I couldn’t reach on my own.

Lily316, we also have a GE top loading washer and a GE dryer. The washer was top of the line, if I remember correctly, when we bought it new in 1991. Love having the mini basket available when I need it. The filtration system on that washer is superior - especially when you have cats!The dryer was bought new in 1984. When we had the dryer worked on several years ago, the repairman said "keep that washer running even if you have to someday put a transmission in it. They don't make them that good any more". I believe the ability to select the water level and length of washing time saves us on cost of running the well in conjunction with saving water and electricity.

For the vertical challenged, a low platform in front of a top loading washer is helpful. Sometimes, all that is needed is 3 inches of elevation. A grabber stick works too, except a shortie might not be able to see the bottom of the tub.

I lost count of how many laundry room cabinets I've lowered for women who can't reach the bottom shelf, especially since they have to reach over the machines which protrude about 18" beyond the 12" wall cabinets. Unfortunately the top loading machines require a minimum clearance of 18" to allow lid to open which puts the bottom shelf around 62".

1st world problems. :)