You want ideas so here are a few.
My daughter has a no agitator top loader. She hates it. Whenever she washes anything dark, she needs to run the washer a second time to remove soap scum. Black pants have white streaks all over if she does it only once. I suppose on the white clothes, you can't see the scum.
I have a Whirlpool front loader and I love it. Never had a repair, gets clothes clean, and spins a lot of water out of the clothes. Don't notice wrinkles. I hang most clothes on the line if I can, and they dry very fast.
I never close the door completely when not in use. The door looks closed but is not latched. I do the same with the dryer and my dishwasher. I have never used any "cleaners" in anything in 20 years. They stay sweet-smelling and look fine.