Front load washing machines: worth the extra cost?

I agree with H2OMan re: vinegar. I use plain old white vinegar instead of liquid fabric softener and haven't had any problems.

Nope, Swimpy, mine is a Miele - comes with a 20 year warranty.

There is a design flaw in the older Maytag Neptunes. There was a class action lawsuit. Maytag lost. It doesn't have anything to do with the detergent. I use He detergent and a scant amount of it. I don't use fabric softener. It ain't my fault, it's a bad bad washer. :wink:

Join the class action suit and buy a new washer, Swimpy

Some washing machines are more expensive but in the long run
they perservere.

I still wash my clothes in the creek.

I joined. I got a certificate worth $200 on a new Maytag appliance. I'm not interested.

I wouldn't buy Maytag either, Swimpy.

Ah, gustav prefers the natural fishy malodor over the crisp fresh air fragrance.

I have a top loader that I bought recently. Over the years, I have noticed that when a wash is finished, if you immediately close the top, the inside of the washer will start to smell. (Probably mold from water that is still clinging to the inside of the machine). So when I finish a wash, I leave the top open until the clothes are out of the dryer. That will allow the washer to dry out, and prevent mold.

When I had a top loader I always left it open after the last load. I never thought of leaving the front loader open. It's automatic to shut it. I'm going to try to untrain myself and leave it open.

We finally got around to actually looking at some machines this weekend. Mr. B was very skeptical about the front loading machines because he had heard about the mold problem but we learned that it is getting hard to even find top loading machines.

State tax credits for the high efficiency front loaders equals about $250 which makes the price pretty reasonable in comparison.

We have it narrowed down to Kenmore or LE - the Kenmore's "Best Buy" rating makes it pretty attractive but the LE is a little higher rated overall.

We put off a decision after spending so much money on our dog a few weeks ago but it is getting to the point where we really need to get something done.

Thank you all for your advice!

HE4T has MAJOR problems
Hello. I have been googling for hours, trying to find a solution to my stinky Kenmore Elite HE4T. When I called for service repair before, I was not given any help at all. My google search has confirmed that I'm not alone and MANY people are experiencing a problem like we are. I purchased the HE4T less than 2 years ago. As a mother of six children, I do a LOT of laundry. As a single income home, we don't have a lot of money to replace $1500 washing machines every year and a half.

The HE4T completely reeks right now in my home. I left the doors open on the machine to let it dry out but can't any longer because the smell is so bad. My entire laundry room reeks. My search revealed that this is likely mold, which would explain why some in the family have had a mystery cough for some time now. I can't even wash our clothes without them reeking like this smell. And any time they get wet or sweaty, the smell is unbearable. Because of one child's allergies, I rarely use fabric softener but I am going to have to use it on most all loads to overpower the smell. I don't know what else to do but buy a new machine. The machine does a GREAT job of spinning (if the drain isn't clogged), but some people on Epions mentioned a design flaw. However, I'm not familiar enough with that speculation to say for certain. PLEASE DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID. Research all over the internet and see what you find. I suggest you do a search and type in "Kenmore Elite smell" or "Kenmore Elite spots" and see what you find. You will be amazed. There is at least one lawsuit in the works right now.

For anyone who is interested, here is the link to the Epinons comments.
http://www1.epinions.com/msg/show_~threads/cat_id_~17/id_~4097/forum_id_~409/pp_~1/sec_~forums/pa_~1#posts

I have two suggestions:

1. Reduce the amount of detergent you use by a LOT. I use no more than 2 tablespoons of liquid HE detergent.

2. Run bleach only through an empty machine once a week.

Actually with front loaders powder detergent is much better than liquid,
but I agree with Swimpy, only a small portion is needed.

You know, Quiver of Arrows, in the end it does pay to buy a more
expensive machine with a good warranty system. I've had mine for
over 10 years and haven't had anything wrong with it. No mildew,
no bleach needed, no smell.

!
Thank you for the suggestions but I've tried both, Swimpy. The bleach works for that one load but I don't like the harsh chemicals in bleach and don't like to use it often. And I can't bleach colored clothes. I'm going to try vinegar today but who likes to go around smelling like vinegar? Also, I use only 1 or 2 Tbs of detergent at the most all the time. That is one of the things I have loved is the savings in detergents but now I have a lot of stinky clothes and am supposed to wait three days for a repairman. But, if I miss the call they may make that day, I miss the repairman, as I was told by the repair center.

I bought one of the most expensive machines on the market and hubby wanted to skip the warranty. We now have a one year warranty but I haven't heard great news about the service anyway. I guess I thought that if we paid between $2500 and $3000 for a set of washer and dryer, it might actually last for a few years. From what I understand the Kenmore Elites were made by three different companies but I don't know how to verify that information. Some have had problems, serious problems.

I used the liquid detergent because a doctor told me many years ago that they rinsed out of clothes better than the powder and my 10yos has skin sensitivities and allergy problems. But, perhaps I'll try the powder and see how he does, and the machine. Do you use just a Tbs or two of the powder as well in your front loader?

Thanks so much for the tips. I'm open to trying about anything. Something else that sticks in my mind is the fact that when hubby cleaned the drain out, there was gunky goop around it that looks like fabric softener. One small bottle of Downy will last me probably two years or more because we don't use it that often. I love good smelling clothes but the fragrances can be bothersome to my son, they are hard on your clothes and I get nauseous easily when pregnant. Thanks again.

Quiver of arrows, not sure if you noticed how Swimpy phrased it:



Not WITH a load, just all by itself. Water, bleach, that's it.

Yes, I did. Thank you. Over the past two weeks I've washed three loads with bleach by itself and two or three loads with bleach as well but it just isn't working. :-(

OK -- when you say that you've washed a load with bleach that sounds to me like you mean you have washed clothes with bleach.

Bleach is really good for dealing with mold.

Quiver of Arrows, not to bash American products, but I don't think
Kenmore, Maytag and other brands who offer front loaders have the
right technique resp. superior components to make machines
work over a prolonged period of time.

Mine has stainless steel everywhere and the rubber ring around the
closure is of a consistency that does not attract mold at all - not even
in 10 years time have I ever seen mold. My machine heats up the
water itself, so I can chose what temperature I want my laundry
washed in. I have a 20 yaer warranty, and certainly did not pay more
than you did.

1 year warranty for such expensive machines is ridiculous.

If I were you, I had the rubber ring replaced with something of better
consistency and perhaps other parts that are not stainless steel as well.
Then it should run properly without any smell.

Actually, I've never heard of such problems than here.

We had a cheap model .... for 12 years, without any repair or complaints and only replaced it to a more expensive (same brand as CJ has got) because it used too much energy and water.

re warranty: in (EU-) every product must have two warranty.
No wonder that you don't find US washing maschines.