Front load washer warning

Be sure you've considered thoughtfully the purchase of a front loading washer. We had one and were very dissatisfied with it.

Perhaps we're unique, but we'd always seem to find one additional dirty item that needed washing just after we started the wash cycle. Of course, once the wash cycle begins, the door is locked until the machine completes washing its load, so you can't open the door to add that extra item.

Also, somebody used a powder detergent in ours instead of a liquid, and the machine never seemed to run correctly again. Perhaps it was because the machine we bought was a cheap-o, but it sprung a slow water leak after only a couple of years, and the maintenance person took one look at it and said, "Sorry.

Can't work on that thing." We now have an old upright that runs great, and we're satisfied with it. So what that it uses more water than the front loader?and should be used only on whites.