Laundry and cleaning

Matching a top-performing appliance with the right detergent and a timely rebate can yield year-round savings. Front-loading washing machines can save you up to $129 in water and energy costs, and are gentler on your clothes to boot. We found 10 excellent models ranging from the $650 Frigidaire Gallery GLTF2940F[S] to the $1,000 GE Whirlpool Duet Steam WFW9500T[W]. Good-performing electric and gas dryers start at $580. If you're washing dishes instead of clothes, Kenmore's 1374[2], $720 and the Whirlpool DU1055XTV[Q], $400, were impressive in our dishwasher tests.

All of the washing machines and dishwashers qualify for a cash for appliances rebate. Keep your cleaning costs down by washing laundry in cold water and picking the best laundry detergent. Two types of Tide detergents we tested provided good cleaning at 19 cents a load for top-loading machines and 25 cents a load for front-loaders. For dishes, Cascade's Complete with Bleach Hydroclean Action Powder cleaned well for only 12 cents a load; greener-minded consumers can choose a phosphate-free cleaner from Method that cost 25 cents a load. Click on the "Best & Worst" link at left to see other detergents to avoid.

Making and mending clothes is easier with the Brother XL2600i mechanical sewing machine, $150, and the company's Innov-is 40 Project Runway Limited Edition electronic model, $400, both of which stood out in our tests of sewing machines.

The Hoover WindTunnel Anniversary Edition U6485-900, $230, and Kenmore Intuition 28014 ($500), topped our tests of upright and canister vacuums (we also found an excellent upright for $80 and two high-scoring $300 canister models). Standout stick, hand, wet/dry, and sweeper/broom-style vacuums ranged from $35 to $100.

In our Ratings of carpet cleaners, the Hoover Dual V Steam Vac All Terrain With Spin Scrub F7452-900, $270, cleaned carpets almost as well as a professional service. But we also found carpet-stain removers and paper towels from Dyson and Earth Friendly that provided much poorer performance at a much higher price than our standouts in the "Best & Worst" categories.

You'll find more cleaning tips and discussions of specific models in our laundry and cleaning forums, which cover washing machines, clothes dryers, vacuums, carpet cleaners, and other cleaning topics and tricks.

For more Best & Worst products see our Kitchens and baths & Home and garden reports.