The 8 Best Cheap Washing Machines for Fresh Laundry on a Budget

If all you want is a dependable full-size washer for the least money, this Amana is where I’d start. The high-efficiency agitator and wash system dig into everyday dirt and stains, and I like that the stainless steel wash basket won’t chip or rust over the years the way porcelain-tubs can. When you need to fully soak a bulky load like towels or a comforter, the Deep Water Wash option fills the tub to the max instead of leaving you stuck with an auto-sensed water level.

There’s also an automatic fabric softener dispenser that releases at the right point in the cycle, plus a Quick Wash for small, lightly soiled loads. And thanks to the Late Lid Lock, you get extra time to toss in a stray sock or forgotten shirt before the spin cycle kicks in.

The trade-off is no Wi-Fi, no app, and no sanitize cycle. For a no-frills workhorse that just gets laundry clean, though, those are easy features to give up.

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This Samsung washing machine packs an impressive number of features, including a quick wash cycle that completes a full load in under 30 minutes. It has an extra-large 5.2-cubic-foot drum that can easily handle king-size comforters and bulky loads, and a built-in faucet at the back of the tub for pretreating stains before starting a cycle.

Unlike most washers in this price range, Samsung includes Wi-Fi connectivity and smart home integration, so you can remotely start, stop, and schedule loads and get end-of-cycle alerts on your phone. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant.

Other features include a soft-close lid, a manual water-level override for filling the tub higher than the automatic sensor would, and Energy Star certification, which many budget washers lack. The only notable omission is a steam cycle, but that’s a minor trade-off at this price.

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At 4.5 cubic feet, this GE model has a drum that’s big enough to wash a comforter or a week’s worth of clothes for a small family. Similar to the Amana, this GE washer uses a dual-action agitator, where the top half moves independently from the bottom to guide clothes through the water while the lower section agitates along the bottom of the basket. That two-piece design circulates clothes more evenly than a single-piece agitator, which tends to push everything in one direction.

Stainless steel lines the tub instead of porcelain-coated plastic, so chipping and rust spots aren’t a concern down the road. You can also manually control the water level up to 26 gallons—something other high-efficiency washers don’t let you do.

A sanitize cycle hits temperatures high enough to kill 99 percent of bacteria, which is useful for towels, bedding, and sweaty gym clothes. There is no app support, so you can’t start a load remotely or get a notification when a cycle finishes. Instead, you’ll have to listen for the buzzer or set your own timer.

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The agitator in this Whirlpool can pop out, setting it apart from other machines on this list. You can remove it when you need to fit something bulky, like a comforter or sleeping bag, then snap it back in for everyday loads. The capacity shifts from 4.2 to 4.3 cubic feet with the agitator removed, and bulky items sit flatter without bunching up around a center post.

In addition to its removable agitator, there are twelve wash cycles that give you several options for different loads. A presoak option lets you loosen stains and wash in a single run instead of soaking separately in a sink or bucket. The sanitize cycle uses higher water temperatures to kill bacteria, which is useful for bedding and gym clothes. A soft-close lid keeps it from slamming every time you load clothes.

While other models on this list let you manually override the water level to fully submerge a bulky comforter or sleeping bag, this Whirlpool relies on auto-sensing only, so you’re stuck with whatever the sensor decides is enough.

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Samsung’s front-load washer can easily stack with a matching dryer to cut your laundry footprint roughly in half. It has a depth at just over 31 inches with the door closed, so it can tuck into tighter spaces than a standard front-loader. The drum itself is also 4.5 cubic feet with a stainless steel interior, matching the capacity of the full-size top-loaders on this list.

Samsung’s vibration reduction system dampens noise and movement during spin cycles, which matters if the washer sits on an upper floor or shares a wall with a living space. You can pause a cycle and add a forgotten item through the door—something some front-loaders won’t let you do.

Ten wash cycles cover the basics, plus there’s a prewash and a soak option. However, there’s no sanitizing cycle, so you may have a harder time hitting the higher temperature needed to kill bacteria in towels or bedding.

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Other washers push hair around and hope it goes down the drain, which can clog pipes over time. This Maytag model features a built-in filter that catches pet hair during the wash cycle, collecting it so you can clean it out later. The Pet Pro option adds extra water and a deep rinse specifically to work with that filter, so hair actually lifts off fabric instead of reattaching during the spin.

The drum is 4.7 cubic feet with a stainless steel basket and agitator. An Extra Power option adds a pre-wash and extra agitation to any cycle, which helps get rid of stains, rather than pretreating by hand. There’s also a built-in water faucet on the machine itself for spot-treating stains before you start a load.

There are 11 wash cycles, plus an option to add more water when auto-sensing isn’t enough. It’s a good option to have when washing heavy blankets or dog beds that need to be fully submerged. Note, though, that there isn’t a delay start feature, so you can’t load it and schedule it to run so it finishes right when you get home from work.

Key Specs

This GE model features app support, allowing you to start, stop, and monitor cycles from your phone. It can also send you notifications when a load finishes and download extra wash cycles that weren’t on the machine when you bought it. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant too, so you can check on a load with just your voice.

The drum is a spacious 5.0 cubic feet with an impeller instead of an agitator, so there’s more room for bulky items. Antimicrobial protection is built into the tub cover, dispenser drawer, and drain hose to help keep mildew and odor from building up between washes. There’s a sanitize cycle too, while the dispenser has separate slots for liquid detergent, detergent pods, fabric softener, and bleach.

There is no steam option and the agitator isn’t as tough on stains, but the GE is a great option if you’re looking for smart features.

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