We just had a dryer fire, which the firemen said was caused by a dryer sheet. Somehow it got sucked into the lint filter, don't ask me how, and the heat built up until the fire started. Thank goodness we were awake and heard the clunk when the plastic fins in the drum melted and fell. We managed to put the fire out with our handy fire extinguisher and hose (power turned off first, of course) but we lost a load of clothes, and both washer and dryer (they were stacked, and all that water did the washer electronics no good at all). There was lint on the filter itself (daughter #2 didn't clean the filter after daughter #3 did her laundry) but none in the vent hose, so it should have been fine, except for the dryer sheet blocking the filter. We'd used the sheets for several years without trouble (though our lint filter definitely needed to be washed every so often, or it did clog up), but we won't be using them any more. Ever. If the kids think they need them for static problems, they can rub the sheets directly on their clothes.

@ livebetter... I HATE patchouli too, and it is (luckily) very faint. Bergamot and ylang ylang is more dominant, but they too are very mild. The detergent smells good, but I think (for me) Clorox Green Works, Persil Color gel and Method Fresh Air or Peony Blossom smell fresher and cleaner! I bought this new Vanilla and Geranium today (Whole Foods has it). I am not disappointed, but I am not having a "wow" moment like I did when I first tried Vaska on sheets & towels or when I used Green Works for the first time. I will use it up, I will not waste it/throw it away...but I do not see myself buying it again (but we'll see after a month of use). Good luck finding it and getting your Vaska! -Larsi

I've used the Seventh Generation fabric softener and it works well. When I want to give my laundered items a nice lavender smell, I throw in some of the fabric softener. When it comes to the detergent, 2/3 cup sound ludicrously high for a 3.7 cuft front loader. Run a load of whites at various dosages and see which gives you the best balance of cleaning vs. softness. 1/3 cup is approx. 5 tablespoons, so I might start with 2-3 TBS and see if I'm happy with the performance. If you have soft water, you can definitely use less than the recommended dose.

I had already written on another thread that I just purchased the Samsung 328 so I'll paste some of that here: *********************************************************** A little over 5 years ago I bought an LG WM2277HW - and now it's kaput. The maintanence history was not extraordinary - the motor had to be replaced shortly after the manufacturer's warranty ran out, but to LG's credit it was replaced without charge. I noticed that the new LG's have a 10 year warranty on the motor (guess I wasn't the only one with a motor problem) But now my LG has blown electronics and bearings, estimated $1,000 to repair. In a matter of two days I've purchased a Samsung WF328AAW. It's a little bigger than my LG with a few other snazzy upgrades pertaining to Samsung. ($750 from Best Buy using a price match from Frys sale). The LGs still looked good but I just could not bring myself to buy another LG because my old one should have lasted longer. I figure the Samsung and LG are comperable, I just decided to give my business to Samsung this time. I most definitely prefer a FL because I like to wash bulky things like comforters, stuffed animals, throw rugs, sleeping bags, etc. My daughter has many household allergies so I like to wash all that stuff regularly and I used the extra-hot sanitary cycle on anything that could handle the heat (supposedly kills dust mites). I probably use the extra-hot sanitary cycle every-other-day and believe that that is why I've never had a problem with mildue/mold I need the onboard heater. I also liked the hand wash cycle on the LG, unfortunately the Samsung I bought doesn't have that cycle. I plan to keep the LG dryer - I don't care if the washer and dryer don't match, they're in the garage. The Samsung washer is scheduled for deliver on Monday - it will take me a couple days to catch up the laundry, when I get a good feel for the washer I will post my experience. ********************************************************** Houserookie - your model is fancier than mine: bigger capacity, steam, and more washing options. I had the salesperson put in the delivery order to be sure to leave the machine in the box and DO NOT remove the shipping bolts until the machine is almost in place. The salesperson said that the delivery guys already know that but I had her add it anyway. I really liked my LG, but it should have lasted longer. After reading this forum I'm beginning to wonder if I was using way too much detergent and I am to blame for its demise - I'm a little compulsive about cleaning products - I always put in the amount written on the pachage and maybe a little more. Then I read on this forum about people using one or two tablespoons detergent. This time I'll try to control myself and not over-do it. I used various HE detergents over the 5 years, they all seemed fine EXCEPT the Costco Kirkland liquid HE. That's when the LG motor broke down. Now I stay away from generic brands. Not long after that I noticed that Costco didn't carry it anymore. Maybe I'll try Charlie's soap. I've got a mountain of laundry building up for the delivery. Hope there isn't much of a learning curve.