What next-gen features can I find?

Looking for the best washer on the market? CNET editors help you choose between pressure washers, washer dryer combos, and other washing machines to meet your needs.

While manufactures haven't come out with a washer that can actually sort clothes for you and load themselves into the washer on their own--there have been other advances. Here are some of the digital or higher-end features you can find:

Steam: Why wash your clothes when you can steam them? Steaming clothes can clean them more efficiently, loosen dirt better, or just freshen up clothing items. Leading appliance makers like LG, Whirlpool, and Samsung all offer steam washers. Steam also conserves overall water usage.

Touch pad controls: Tired of hearing that clicking sound of the washer dial? Some advanced machines come with a touch-screen display that will give you step-by-step instructions for washing a load, offer more wash and temperature settings, or store your favorite settings. Others have multilanguage control panels.

Advanced timers: Some washers include sensors that alert you about which phase the cycle is completing. Others include program-delay settings that let you program a load's start time.

Antibacterial: Some washers, such as the SilverCare by Samsung, include technology that have "microbe killing capabilities," which means you can use cold water to wash clothes and they still come out sanitized. This reduces the need to use hot water and saves energy.

Quiet: Manufacturers pitch private-label sound-reduction technology and low vibration models for quieter operation.

Sensors: Newer models come with sensors that detect how much water to use based on the size of the load.