A Climate-Conscious Buyer’s Guide for Washers and Dryers

Americans love laundry. Of the common household chores, it is by far the most popular — and the most energy-intensive. Washing and drying a load of laundry every two days for a year generates roughly the same emissions as driving from Chicago to New York and back again in a gasoline-powered passenger vehicle. Nearly three-quarters of those emissions come from drying alone; meanwhile, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average washing machine generates up to 8% of a home’s total energy use. The whole process can cost up to $150 per year in electricity alone, depending on where you live and the frequency of your washes.

With some regulatory prodding, manufacturers have tried to improve water and energy efficiency in new appliances and have rolled out fancy new features like “smart” water-level sensors, vibration reduction technologies, and microfiber-catching filters. But not every house — or budget — has room for the latest and greatest technologies, and systems that would work well in an airy Los Angeles laundry room might make less sense in a drafty apartment in Minnesota.

Heatmap is here to remove some of the guesswork from upgrading one of your home’s most-used appliances. Here is our expert panel’s insight into when and how to purchase a new washer and dryer for your home.

THE EXPERT PANEL

Joanna Mauer is the deputy director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, a non-profit advocacy group pushing for stricter energy efficiency legislation. In her role at ASAP, Mauer works with the Department of Energy on its efficiency rules for residential appliances. She has previously worked for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Integrative Environmental Research.

Amber McDaniel is the head of content at Sustainable Jungle, a website and podcast that publishes tips, tricks, and product reviews, including for major household appliances, with a focus on environmentally friendly solutions.

Scott Flint is a licensed California appliance tech with 30 years of experience. He is known as the Fix-It Guy on his YouTube channel, where he promotes the upkeep and repair of home appliances to extend their use. He has also written extensively about washers and dryers for publications such as The Family Handyman, Taste Of Home, and Earth911.

OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS

• Determine whether you need to purchase a new washer or dryer.
• Consider your laundry space.
• Get shopping!
• Maintain your washer and dryer.
• Consider other ways to lower the impact of your laundry.

THE BASICS

• Familiarize yourself with the EnergyGuide and Energy Star labels. EnergyGuide labels are yellow, managed by the Federal Trade Commission, and must be displayed on all washers and dryers (you can learn how to read an EnergyGuide label here). Energy Star labels are light blue squares managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and are only given to products that are deemed highly energy efficient. In a given year, the top-tier Energy Star products are awarded an even higher classification: Energy Star Most Efficient. You can think of an Energy Star certification as a shortcut for interpreting the information on an EnergyGuide; if an appliance you’re looking at has an Energy Star label, you can count on it being an efficient product.
• Energy Star looks at a washing machine’s Integrated Modified Energy Factor, or IMEF, an efficiency measurement that considers the energy used during a cycle and while on standby, the energy used to heat the water, and the energy used to run the dryer. The higher the IMEF, the more energy-efficient the machine. Energy Star requires an IMEF of at least 2.76 for front-loading washing machines; the upper end of the IMEF scale is usually around 3.1.
• Annual energy use is measured in kilowatt-hours per year. The number is an estimate based on using a washer under “typical conditions,” assuming 295 loads per year, or six loads per week. Annual energy use differs from IMEF in that it does not take into account how effective the washer is at removing moisture from the clothes in its spin cycle (washing machines that remove more water reduce subsequent energy use in the dryer). For context, an average washing machine used three times a week with cool or warm water goes through roughly 140 kilowatt-hours per year.
• The other number you’ll want to look at is the Integrated Water Factor, or IWF, which describes efficiency in gallons of water consumed per cubic foot of capacity. The lower the IWF, the more water-efficient the machine. Energy Star requires an IWF of at least 3.2 or less for a front-loading washing machine, with the lower end typically around 2.7.
  
• The volume of washers and dryers is measured in cubic feet. Washers are usually measured as “compact,” “small,” “medium,” or “large” capacity. A compact washer has a 2.30 to 2.45 cubic foot capacity, which is big enough for about 10 pounds of laundry. That’s approximately two small armfuls of clothing, or roughly six bath towels.
  
• Washers come in two configurations: top-loading and front-loading. The names are self-explanatory, but the benefits aren’t necessarily. “Front loaders are generally more efficient than top-loading clothes washers,” Mauer told me, “although there is a big range of efficiency within top-loading machines, so some are a lot more efficient than others.” Front-loading washers are also pretty air-tight, however, and their doors should be left slightly ajar when they’re not in use to prevent mold.
  
• Traditional dryers are vented, meaning that they heat air with gas or electricity and then disperse that hot, humid air through an exterior vent to the outside as the clothes tumble dry. Ventless dryers come in two forms — condenser and heat pump dryers, which we’ll get into more below — and recycle the hot air inside without needing a vent connecting them to the outdoors.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. If I’m getting a new washer or dryer anyway, shouldn’t I spring for all the latest features?

Peruse the latest washers and dryers and you’ll see features like sensors that adjust the water level to match the load of laundry, voice-activated start buttons, WiFi-enabled push notifications for when it’s time to move a load to the dryer, and more. And while there are environmentally friendly upsides to some of these features, “the more simple the machine, the less likely that things will fail,” Flint told me. In his experience repairing hundreds of washers and dryers over the years, “People save money on their initial purchase and the machine is going to last longer if you can minimize the features.”

2. If it’s Energy Star certified, is that good enough?

The Energy Star certification is a great starting point in your shopping journey. But it shouldn’t be the be-all, end-all of your research. Energy Star represents a range of efficiency standards from different brands, with only the top models earning a “ Most Efficient” distinction.

You’ll still want to read reviews to get a better understanding of the reliability of the products you’re looking at, too. Though many new features on the market promise water and energy savings, they’re harder to repair yourself, meaning any potential fixes can get expensive. They can also have shorter lifespans than simpler models.

3. Will I pay for all those energy savings with my time? That is, will my clothes take forever to dry?

Eco-friendly washers and dryers are great for a whole laundry list (get it?) of reasons: They lower your household energy bill, they reduce emissions, they reduce wasted water, they’re often easier to install, and they can be gentler on your clothes. But they don’t necessarily save you time. Energy-efficient electric dryers can take up to twice as long to dry your clothes than traditional gas dryers. Still, all of our expert panelists agreed the upsides outweigh the drawbacks.

BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

1. Do you really need a new washer or dryer?

Yes, this is a buying guide for purchasing a new washer and dryer. But before you spend money on new appliances, you should consider working with what you already have.

If you’re dealing with an old or sub-optimally functional machine and wondering whether now is the time to upgrade, repairing your existing washer or dryer can actually be a smarter and thriftier solution; in fact, Consumer Reports only recommends replacing a dryer if it’s over 10 years old, electric, and cost less than $700 when you initially purchased it. Often, whatever’s going on doesn’t even require a professional to fix. “I think only rarely — let’s say about 20% of the time — would most people need to call in a technician,” Flint told me. Most washer and dryer problems are something you can fix using “normal household tools.” (More on that later.)

Keep in mind, even if you have an old washer or dryer that isn’t very energy efficient, “that’s still not even going to come close to touching the amount of energy that was used to produce and ship a new machine,” McDaniel told me. When your washer or dryer “actually fully stops working and it’s not doing what you need it to do — that’s when it’s time to upgrade.”

2. Evaluate your laundry room

• Measure your room. The three most common configurations of washers and dryers are side-by-side, stacked, and all-in-one. The former takes up the most space, while an all-in-one takes up the least and is better for tight spaces like apartments.
• Do you have downstairs neighbors you need to consider? Front-loading washing machines are typically quieter than top-loaders because they use gravity, rather than an agitator, to dry clothes and could be a better choice if noise is a consideration.
• Check what hookups you already have. An electric dryer requires a four-prong, 240-volt outlet (that’s twice the electricity of a regular wall outlet). A gas dryer requires a gas hookup as well as a standard 110/115-volt outlet. You can learn more about the required hookups and what they look like here.
• Can you cut a hole in your wall? Vented dryers expel hot air, so they must be installed against an exterior wall with a vent hole cut into it (note that gas dryers must always be installed this way since they expel carbon monoxide). Ventless dryers are lower maintenance and can be installed anywhere, including in nontraditional laundry spaces like kitchens, since they don’t require a hookup to the outside.
• What is the temperature control and ventilation like in your space? Traditional vented dryers expel heated air outside, so shouldn’t affect the indoor environment, but ventless options can impact ambient air temperatures in your laundry room. A condenser dryer, for example, brings in ambient air, heats it, and passes it over the clothes in the drum to dry them; the hot air then enters a heat exchanger, where it is cooled, condensing the moisture, which is expelled through a drain. To work best, condenser dryers usually need to be in a well-ventilated room between the temperatures of 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and it may warm the room slightly when it’s running, which is less ideal for homes in hot climates. On the other hand, heat pump dryers work like refrigerators in reverse, warming ambient air and recirculating it inside the drum; they, in turn, can cause the laundry room they’re in to cool down slightly. They’re also less well suited for garages or outbuildings since, like condenser dryers, they need a minimum ambient temperature between about 65 and 75 degrees to operate most effectively.

3. How much laundry do you do, and what capacity do you need?

Typically, 1.5 to 3.4 cubic feet of capacity is suitable for a one- to two-person household, 3.5 to 4.4 cubic feet will do for two to three people, and 4.5 or more cubic feet will serve a household with more than three people. But having a new baby or pets might mean you do more loads of laundry than an average household, in which case sizing up is better.

Flint told me a common mistake he sees people make is overloading their washing machines, which can destroy an appliance’s rear bearing — the part of the machine that helps the drum rotate smoothly — a repair that is often so costly, it can make more sense to junk the whole machine. On the other hand, running small loads in a large-capacity washing machine can mean wasting water cleaning not-as-many clothes. Consider what washing machine would make the most sense for your needs to maximize efficiency.

4. What else is important to you?

Energy and water efficiency are two of the most common considerations when buying a washer and dryer, and are the primary focus of this guide. Some consumers may have additional concerns — McDaniel, for example, recommended looking for a Restriction of Hazardous Substances certification, which signals that an appliance complies with limits on heavy metals like lead and cadmium. Ethical considerations — including a manufacturer’s contributions to armed conflicts, labor practices, and sourcing of conflict minerals — are also worth close inspection. Ethical Consumer offers an excellent guide for finding a brand that best aligns with your values.

UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS

Is a refurbished product right for you?

“The first thing that we always recommend is: If you need something new, try to go refurbished,” McDaniel told me. Still, there’s a right way and a wrong way to make a major second-hand purchase. McDaniel suggested going through a reputable source that offers a warranty, such as Best Buy (when searching online, make sure to filters for “Energy Star” and “open box” and check the product’s condition).

Get cozy with the Energy Star website

If you prefer the security of a new product, then it’s time to familiarize yourself with the Energy Star website. You can sort by Energy Star Most Efficient, which are the best of the best, as well as by price, brand, volume, front-load vs. top-load, vented, ventless, heat pump, gas, electric, and more. Energy Star also makes it easy to compare the specs of different products (just tick the “compare” box next to the machines you’re looking at, then scroll to the top to hit the orange “compare” button when you’re ready).

To dryer or not to dryer — that is the question

Dryers are the biggest energy suck in most homes, using two to four times as much energy as new washers and nearly twice as much as new refrigerators. McDaniel told me they are also responsible for the greatest wear and tear on clothes. Dryers are an especially American phenomenon; while more than 80% of households in the U.S. own a dryer, just 30% of European households do. That is to say, you probably don’t actually need one, and if you need to save money or space in your laundry routine, this would be the best place to look to make a cut.

“Not relying on a dryer is huge. I only use mine in the wintertime, and in the summer, I line dry my clothes — and the only reason I don’t do that in the winter is I literally don’t have the space inside,” McDaniel said. 

Traditional vented dryers — the energy guzzlers of the American home — aren’t the only option anymore, though. The next best thing to a clothesline is a heat pump dryer, which Mauer told me is the “most efficient clothes dryer on the market today,” often far exceeding the Energy Star requirements. Heat pump dryers have a lower maximum temperature, though, so you don’t get that hot-out-of-the-dryer feel when the load is finished. It can also take an hour or more to dry a load of laundry fully. The bright side: Because the heat is lower, heat pump dryers are much gentler on your clothes.

A word about warranties

“A big red flag for us is brands that don’t warranty their products in any capacity,” McDaniel told me. Buying a washer or dryer that is durable is important — Flint told me you should expect to get at least a decade of use out of a washer and dryer with proper maintenance and minor repairs — and a warranty is evidence that a company is building a product that they trust to last.

HEATMAP RECOMMENDS

If you want a really great energy-efficient washing machine, get a top Energy Star front-loader like the Electrolux ELFW7637AT.

The Electrolux ELFW7637AT has one of the highest energy- and water-efficiency ratings of any washing machine on the market in 2024, with an IMEF of 3.2 and an integrated water factor of 2.6 — both of which are exceptional even by Energy Star’s standards. It also works. Reviewers have lauded its SmartBoost stain removal technology, its internal water heater, and its straightforward controls, although its 85-minute cycle time is a little longer than many other washers on the market.

If you want an energy-efficient washer for a small space, get a stackable front-loader like the Miele WXI860.

Both Flint and McDaniel spoke highly of the German brand Miele, which makes this compact washing machine. Though its capacity is about half that of the Electrolux and it didn’t earn Energy Star’s highest level of certification (it has an IMEF of 2.9 and a IWF of 3.2), it is one of the more reliable and best-reviewed washers on the market.

Admittedly, you have to pay for that kind of dependability — Miele is a high-end brand with a sticker price that reflects it. The WXI860 gets high marks for its cleaning ability, including fill-and-forget auto-dispensing features, and boasts 72% lower energy consumption than conventional washers. Additionally, Miele has “a honeycomb-drum technology, so that when it puts the clothes in the spin cycle, it creates a thin film of water between the drum wall and the laundry,” McDaniel told me, which helps prevent clothing fibers from getting caught. “Little features like that that help keep our clothes in circulation for longer are also more sustainable.”

If you want the cheapest option and are too impatient for a clothesline, get a heat pump dryer like the Beko HPD24414W.

Mauer swears by heat pump dryers, and there are a number of good choices on the market right now. Beko is a favorite of the Sustainable Jungle team, in part because it has a filtration system to stop microplastics from synthetic fabrics from entering the waterways, as well as the company’s ambitious commitments to low-waste and recycled materials. This ventless Beko heat pump dryer is tiny but mighty, making it a great fit for small spaces (it can even fit under the kitchen counter), and it boasts a 2023 “Most Efficient” rating from Energy Star.

Being a heat pump dryer, though, it can take a while to dry clothes — one tester found it took 227 minutes to dry a large, bulky load to 100% — but plan ahead and Beko can give you major savings in the long run. Or, if the Beko isn’t quite what you’re looking for, check out Miele, which makes its own well-reviewed heat pump dryer (although it is small and pricy).

If you need a dryer but you’re also too impatient to wait 227 minutes, get an electric dryer like the Electrolux ELFE7637AT Clothes Dryer.

If a heat-pump dryer isn’t right for your lifestyle, the Electrolux ELFE7637AT is one of the more impressive electric dryers on the market right now, earning the Energy Star seal of approval. While it still isn’t super fast (fast takes a lot of heat, which takes a lot of energy, which makes a machine less efficient), reviewers say it can get a large load to 100% dry in 60 minutes if need be. It’s also the best-rated electric dryer on Consumer Reports’ list that isn’t one of the Samsung, LG, or GE models that Flint frequently gets called out to fix.

If you want a combo washer/dryer but don’t want to sacrifice efficiency, get something with a built-in heat pump like the GE Profile PFQ97HSPVDS.

This combo washer-dryer uses heat pump technology in its dryer, making it one of the more energy-efficient single-unit models on the market. Unlike some of the other options on this list, however, its larger 4.8 cubic foot drum size is big enough for a two- or three-person household. While combo washer/dryers still have some downsides over their two-piece counterparts, including decreased efficiency in cleaning and especially drying, this is one of the better-reviewed units on the market.

If you want a refurbished washing machine, you should look for a Kenmore Whirlpool series 80.

Flint told me that you can often find older Kenmore Whirlpool series 80 machines on Craigslist that are “ really good, and tend to sell for about $250 when refurbished, and often come with a one-year warranty.” The only detriment, he said, is that they’re top-loaders — which waste a lot of water — but “if somebody just really needs a tough machine that is going to last, that was a really good design.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

Congratulations! You’re now the proud owner of a new washer and dryer. What happens now?

1. Learn to be handy

New washers and dryers are unfortunately not designed with longevity in mind — but that doesn’t mean you need to replace them if something goes wrong after four or five years.

“I can go up to a washing machine that is sitting in the dump, and I can open up the door, and I can spin the spin basket, and I can tell that it’s a perfectly good machine,” Flint told me. 

Flint estimates that only about 20% of the time do people actually need to call in a technician to repair their appliances, pointing to fixes like replacing a blown fuse, unsticking a front-load washer that won’t spin, and swapping out a moldy washer door gasket as deceptively simple tasks. Get acquainted with DIY YouTube channels like Flint’s or repair blogs that explain solutions to common problems.

2. If you do need to hire a technician, do your homework

Still, sometimes you need to call in the big guns. In that case, Flint recommends doing your due diligence on a review service like Yelp beforehand.

Once you find someone you like, reach out with the model number of your machine and the symptom you’re experiencing and the technician “should be able to provide you a quote without coming out if they know what they’re doing,” Flint said. If someone does have to come out to figure out what’s going on, then that visit should be free. “Don’t go with someone who’s going to charge you to come out and diagnose the problem and then charge you to fix it.” Repairs to a front-loading washer will probably run around $170, according to Consumer Reports.

3. Become an expert launderer

You can extend the life of your washer or dryer by following a few more rules of thumb.

• Don’t overstuff your front-loader with heavy fabrics. Front-loaders have a big open tub, and while it’s tempting to cram it full with a big mat or dog bed, “those are so heavy that during the wash cycle, it actually takes the lifespan down to about four years,” Flint said. Keep loads, especially in front loaders, fairly light.
• Clean the lint trap on your dryer. For one thing, it helps it to run more efficiently. For another, your house really can catch fire if you allow it to build up too much.
• Clean the evaporator filter every few cycles if you have a heat-pump dryer. Here’s a “boring yet important” video on how to do just that.
• Don’t use too much detergent. It’s bad for your clothes and it can require extra rinse cycles, which means more wear and tear on your machine. You almost certainly don’t need to be using as much as you are.
• If you have a vented dryer, keep its duct clean. Here’s a how-to.

NOW GET CLEANING!