We used to do this "spray down water test" at VW to trouble shoot leaks. And also at BMY for the same purpose. Set the water hose for a gentle rain-ish spray, attack all the openings(including the lights - tail-lites are know to leak). Good to have a helper inside, but at BMY we used blue chalk on the door seal. Any leak would then easily appear. The VW vent windows were a prime leaker, little else was. Many BMY doors were distorted, and the seal was too minimal, very old technology was used..

To prevent mildew in the first place, every closet must be heated/ventilated. Cedar smells nice and deters some moths, I think, but the key is to prevent stale humid air.. Clean dry air will not exist in houses long enough, particulary in the lower levels. I would design a house with the middle section as a large storage area/closet/airduct. This would also be a place for electric and plumbing.

It does sound like the OP may have experienced either a design or manufacturing defect with her HE4T. The whole point of the pump is to remove water from the machine, not leave it sitting there to go moldy! However, I take issue with people who state that mold and mildew are inherent problems of FLs. I grew up with FLs in the UK; first a Philips-Whirlpool, then Hoover and finally Miele. My family never experienced problems with moldy washers, even in a house that got quite damp in the winter. Now I own an LG steamwasher (bought right after I got the house) that lives in a tiny laundry room in my garage. In fact - to even open the washer door it has to be perfectly positioned in the laundry room doorway. Following every load, I take a clean rag and wipe any excess water from the gasket and washer door. I then leave the rag to dry over the open door. I seldom use bleach (and then only a 10-20% soln.), although I do run a sanitary cycle about twice a week. I have never had any mold or mildew in my washer. This is in a house that had so many mold problems when we bought it that I joked it should be called STACHYBOTRIS. There was black mold in the laundry room, along the drywall in the garage as well as the ceiling. In fact the whole garage ceiling had to be torn down; revealing mold spores on the wooden beams. So although there is NO shortage of mold spores ready to colonize my machine this has not happened. WHY? 1) The machine is kept as clean and dry as possible between loads. 2) The door is open as much as possible, but at least 1-2" 3) I run an extra hot sanitary cycle and extra rinses at least twice a week. 4) I dilute my fabric softener and use less just enough detergent (even if DH doesn't!) 5) I keep a dehumidifier in the garage/laundry area. 6) Every time I go near the laundry I use my $6.47 temp/humidity meter from Wal-Mart (in air filter aisle) to make sure relative humidity is less than 50%. If it gets to 50% or above, I turn up the dehumidifier (I reccommend Whirlpool - I gave up on LG!). If I can keep my FL mold free in a house that was a mold hell-hole 18 months ago - I find it hard to believe ALL FLs have to suffer from mold/mildew. *This is not meant to detract from the OP, who seems to have a genuine complaint* BTW - I do think that perhaps some American FLs have excessively large door gaskets compared to European FLs. Since there seemed to be a particularly American assumption that FLs always leaked (and diesel cars are all smelly and underpowered), I wonder if the new wave of US FLs (2000-present) were deliberately designed to have bigger gaskets. This could contribute to water being trapped, but for most people a few extra steps can prevent this becoming a mold issue. And believe me - I KNOW about mold (in the kitchen, bathrooms, closets, AC ducts, garage, walls, crawlspace.......) Thank goodness for dehumidifiers and may the previous owner of my house be cursed with black mold evermore for hiding ours with paint and trim!

monicakm, I understand what she is going through. I would have her wash her towels without soap until there are no suds. Whirlpool had replaced my first Duet after 9 months due to tangling braiding of my clothes and soap issue, than they replaced it with a new one in May, after 4 months of the same thing happening I replaced it for a Speed Queen frontloader that is 4 yrs old, and the Duet was only 4 months old. I washed towels for 3-4 months without soap to try to get the soap out, and I had only used 1/2 tbl of liquid Tide for 9 months, I had to go buy a different washer as you probably have read about my issues. The Duet wouldn't put enough water in to rinse with. Maybe she could take her towels to a laundramat, because it will drive her crazy trying to get the soap out with her Duet, I also would quit using liquid HE soap. As for the FS mold problem, take out the dispenser and try to get all the gunk off, maybe spray some bleach down the compartment. I had a Frigidair FL that I had that problem with and I didnt know where the smell was coming from till I took out the dispenser and looked back in with a flashlight and it was black mold all over where the FS dispenser goes, I tried scrubbing with an old toothbrush but the compartment was too small to reach back into. I had my Frigidair for 7-8 yrs and didnt have the problem until the last few months. I replaced it with the Duet, I wish I would have just kept trying to get the mold out because to find out it was a much better washer than the Duet. Also with the FS, have her add water or vinegar to make it thin so it wont stick to anything, also take out the dispenser after use to let it dry out and leave the door open. I know how rediculous it is to have issues with a Duet that doesn't need to happen, if they would just give more water to rinse with, and warn of these issues. I remember when I first got my Duet they gave me a packet of Tide liquid HE, and on the packet it said to use the whole packet, I knew better so I used about 1/3 of it and WOW it was way too much, that is when I started to use 1/2 tbl, but that apparently was still too much. Good Luck I hope this helps!