Washing machine

PopinJohn · Jan 17, 2016

We bought a new front loader type washing machine 5 years ago, and will haul it to scrap this week.
It has developed a serious case of mildew in the bottom up to about what the water level would be during a cycle.
We have noticed a mildew smell in freshly washed clothes for about a year now, in spite of using the right detergents and a cleaner that is supposed to be for cleaning a front loader's tub.
Anyone else have this problem?
We have replaced the washer with a regular top loading machine and will never have another front loader.

Ron-MO · Jan 17, 2016

Yep.....sold ours about a year after buying the set. Fortunately, I believe we got pretty close to what we paid for them (we got a pretty good buy). Never again. It does help to leave the door open when not in use, but that is tough when it hangs out in the way to walk by

Ron-MO · Jan 17, 2016

Oh, and it never cleaned the clothes, which is pretty handy considering that is the purpose.

rfridy76 · Jan 17, 2016

That's what I hear from everyone that has them.Also they say they don't get the clothes clean.

johnlobb · Jan 17, 2016

By the way, "The Appliance Doctor", Joe Gagnon lives in the Detroit metro area and we played hockey together years ago. I talked to him recently and he said the only washing machine made in the last few years worth having is the Speed Queen, FYI. I asked him about a dishwasher as ours just died and he said Bosch, so I got one of those We love it.

Old weldor · Jan 17, 2016

We have a frigidaire brand front loader. It seems to get the clothes clean but has other annoying problems. It has a drawer that you put the soap and softener in, that gets gummed up and then water stands in it. We solved that by using detergent pods that you just throw in the washer and dryer sheets. It makes a loud humming noise during part of the cycle, that is almost unbearable. A repairman friend of mine says Bosch is the best on the market. It seems that the Maytag repairman isn't so lonely anymore. As far as the smell all you can do is run that cleaner through it.

Tom in TN · Jan 17, 2016

popinjohn,

This sounds like a "fish-tale", but I promise, it is absolutely true. My daughter-in-law bought a front loading washing machine a few years ago. After four or five years of trying thing after thing to get rid of the mold in and round the door, she went to Costco to see about buying a new machine (top-loader of course). In the course of talking to the salesguy, he told her that Costco would replace her machine with any other one that she wanted just a customer concession.

She picked out a new machine. They didn't want the old one back. My son picked up the new one at the store and dropped of the old one at the dump. Absolutely no charge.

If it's reasonable for you to do so, you might want to talk to the company that you bought the front-loader from just to see if there is any kind of concession available.

Tom in TN

Bruce SEKs · Jan 17, 2016

Our repair man has us running vinegar thru ours every so often, seems to be working

Mike(NEOhio) · Jan 17, 2016

I have heard about this problem. It's because they don't drain completely. Also heard that pouring a little white vinegar after a load will prevent it.

jacksun65 · Jan 17, 2016

I got one for free just like that Samsung washer and dryer dryer needed a belt washer stunk. put it in the garage ran some purple stuff through it , then odor ban let it set with odor ban for a day never had a problem with it spray it with white viniger once in a while, leave the door open a crack to let it dry.That was three years ago not bad for a free set. OH by the way my mother bought one just like it cost her about $1,100 dollars.

showcrop · Jan 17, 2016

We have had front loaders for twenty five years. The first went about 18 years. We have NEVER had a smell problem and we don't leave the door open either. If it isn't drying and mold is growing, it is as someone else said, it isn't draining properly. This happens just as often with top loaders, and it comes up periodically here, along with how to take care of it. Front loaders are proven to have waaaaaay better agitation than top loaders, and use 1/3 the amount of water and soap. When I was selling soap for commercial laundries we had charts to show how much water machines use. I am pretty sure that there is no such thing as a top loading commercial machine other than a large load domestic, which some manufacturers call a commercial but in the business they are considered domestic. There is no salesman alive good enough to sell a top loader to a commercial laundry. So you enjoy your top loader but more and more people are switching to front loaders.

Brian Schmidt · Jan 17, 2016

We bought a Bosch front load pair 5 years back. First month we had to have the repairman come out cause the dryer wasn't heating. It tripped the high limit switch. The washer has quit several times due to needing motor brushes. I am replacing them myself now. They work well when they work (family of 5)(wife does at least 3 loads a day every day), but be prepared to be working on them often.

John(OR) · Jan 17, 2016

Have a Maytag front loader 8 or 10 yrs. old works good cleans good no problems. A little
bleach in whites seems to keep it clean.

Don-Wi · Jan 18, 2016

We have a front loading Frigidaire set we bought almost 4 years ago now. Have them stacked due to space restrictions. My wife takes care of most of the laundry, and I'll say they work great. The laundry comes out clean, and with periodic cleaning with the diff you're supposed to use, no smell. We do leave the door open and it's not in the way to do so between loads.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Rkh · Jan 18, 2016

Got a maytag neptune washer inherited from my mom. The door seal around the door had mold all over it, so when i got it i cleaned the best i could, & left the door open from then on & no issues. Turns out there was a recall for this, but my mom was losing her health, i knew nothing about this and it was to late to turn in after i inherited the washer.

dhermesc · Jan 18, 2016

Front loaders don't use enough water to get the clothes clean - if they are truly dirty. Good enough for washing sweat out the kids gym clothes and my office clothes. But if you have work clothes that get grease and ground in mud and maybe a hog shed smell - forget it, the "green machines" just don't cut it.

K Effective · Jan 18, 2016

We are neighbors to the World's Largest Appliance Manufacturer, who builds most of the brands mentioned above. I would love to support them, as they are pretty good neighbors, even if no manufacturing is done here anymore, but I can not.

We bought GE to replace our last washer. Top load, much lower water use than the old one. We need to use the proper detergent and in the right amount. Still have an annual cleaning for the softener distribution system.

A dozen years ago, when remodeling and adding on to the house, I designed our laundry room with two dryers to keep up with the washer and lots of little kids loads. The new washers take a lot longer to even out the load cycle times to wash and dry, but they do a better job of eliminating water, so drying is shorter, as well.

My former business partner worked in the test lab for the neighbor back in the 60s- he always loved the combination machine (washer and dryer all in one) and some have started to make them, again.

WI Dan · Jan 18, 2016

We got a front loader from my M-I-L after she had used it for 2 years. We've had it for 4-5 years now. We like ours and haven't had a lick of trouble. Our "key" factors:

-We never use the detergent drawer - always use my wife's home-made detergent powder (saves big $$'s) tossed on top of the clothes.
-Never an ounce of hard water has touched it - always soft water.
-We leave the door open whenever not in use.
-we clean out the discharge filter 3-4 times a year.
-we do a vinegar load every month or so. Usually due to a toddler's 'accident' on the bathroom rug, not necessarily PM.

We'll keep these for a while. We had some clothes that had years old stains and couldn't get them out. But, after we got the front-loaders, we noticed the stains were fading and after a few cycles, they were gone.
Also - our electric bill went down a bit because the dryer didn't have to work so hard. Clothes come out of the washer much less wet.

Washing machine

PopinJohn

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Ron-MO

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Ron-MO

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rfridy76

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johnlobb

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Old weldor

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Tom in TN

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Bruce SEKs

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Mike(NEOhio)

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jacksun65

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showcrop

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Brian Schmidt

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John(OR)

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Don-Wi

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Rkh

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dhermesc

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K Effective

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WI Dan

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