Welcome to the Miele victims' centre. No, your problems are not a user issue (don't take the blame here), it is a machine-design issue. I have been struggling with the W1213 and T1403 for close to 3 years. These North American models don't live up to their European reputation at all. Like you I have increased my water consumption over my old TL because of running loads through more than once to get better(but far from ideal) rinsing. I use at most 1 tsp. (yes that's tsp, not Tbsp) detergent. My laundry has lost it's once-fluffy/soft nature, especially the towels as you describe. I had the Miele rep change the factory settings to the higher water level ones (only they can do it because they have to reprogram the machine) so I would recommend getting that done. But all that will do is change this from a terrible-rinsing machine, to a mediocre-rinsing machine. As for the dryer, I have had 3 control panel replacements because the dryer would spontaneously and erratically decide it wasn't going to reverse tumble at the proper intervals resulting in extremely wrinkled laundry. At least Miele service could and did deal with this by replacing the computer board. Now, this last installed board has decided to act up after 6 months and I just found out that German engineers have decided to change the boards (for energy conservation reasons) so that the first reversal doesn't start until after 5 minutes. Let me tell you, sheets rotating in the same direction in this dryer design for 5 minutes results in a tight, wrinkled wet ball. So getting this board replaced is no longer an acceptable option to resolve its malfunction. How I've been dealing with it so far is to turn off the dryer and let it sit for an hour before doing another load. That way, it thinks it's doing the first load of the day and behaves... that's the thing, it works fine first load or two then after that goes completely wonky. Thank goodness I'm retired otherwise we'd never get all the laundry done on that kind of a schedule of having to wait between loads! Also I pretty much have to run everthing on the Normal Extra Dry cycle. Anything less than that and my laundry is damp. I run my delicates on the 30 minute Gentle cycle. So I basically have a 2-cycle $1400 machine.
Here's another thing to watch out for in the washer. If your washer rinses only with cold water like mine does, cold water does not rinse out soap effectively (especially Canadian-winter-cold water). My husband ended up having to plumb in a connection from the hot water line to the cold water line with a tap so I can manually temper the rinse water to luke warm. You would be amazed at how much more detergent comes out in the warmer water. So to summarize, we spent $4,000 on what we thought were top-notch appliances only to have the following issues: poor rinsing, loss of control of cycles, replumbing to warm the rinse water, faulty dryer control boards, wrinkled laundry, stiff laundry, laundry that used to take half a day to do now takes more than 1 day. We can't afford to junk these machines, but let me tell you when we sell the house in the next year or two, those "fine German-engineered appliances" are staying with the house.
I guess I didn't make you feel any better about your purchase -- sorry about that. But I didn't want you shouldering the blame. It's not you, it's the machines.
I don't suppose your machines are new enough and the appliance store flexible enough that they would let your exchange them something better?
DianeKy

Well, welcome on board! Now you joined our beta-tester's team!

First of all, door latch. Call Miele support and complain, they will send technician who will install a new lock (actually an old one, the very same design that was used in the old refrigerators).

Second, you can increase water level through the service menu or ask technician to do it for you.

Third, read through the forum and check users experience with the different detergents.

oh gosh I am here at this posting site to read and narrow down my decision on which FL washer and dryer set I want to purchase, and I really love the looks of the Miele, but now Im having too many doubts because of these stories. I really want a FL to conserve water and salt, we have a softener. I really wanted washer on right side of dryer, which only the Miele is, but it looks I will need to look at an opposite set up. The Duet steam is my second desire, as I loved the alpine green colour.

ostieca - look at my post on the Dryer max dryer balls, as I use a vinegar rinse to rid away soap suds. I also use an all natural low suds detergent, (which is called a cleaner) as my husband has sensitive skin, you can find things like this at health stores. Since you have a FL you will need a lot less then what I use with a TL.

Amigo: We have a softener also. Be forewarned - any low water machine is going to be a problem with a softener because of the low water levels for rinsing. What low-sudsing detergent/cleaner are you using? We too have sensitive skin and have been using the Eco-Ver line from the health food store but I'm always looking for alternatives.
Thanks.
DianeKy

Soft water is not great at rinsing. If you are on a water softener, or have near zero hardness tap water, I would add a crushed tablet of CACO3 (calcium carbonate, or Tums) to the first rinse in order to bind up as much of the detergent as possible.

DianeKy,

I use two all natural cleaning products.

When we purchased the softener in 2004, the company that installed it had a promotion, which was a large supply of all natural cleaners, all designed for softened water. All the free cleaners has the water company name slapped on the jugs, so I couldnt tell you what the actual name of the cleaner is; the laundry product is a good green cleaner, low suds, no perfumes etc, better then any brand Ive discovered on store shelves. Gets most things cleaned without spot treating. Really dont need to rinse with vinegar rinse, yet I have always done so and will continue doing so, as I like the extra reassurance that things are rinsed the best they can be. I truly believe it helps the health of the skin, plus allows the body to breathe better.

I also use another all natural cleaner in my laundry; it is an Aloe Vera base with coconut oil added, plus the ions in it have been charged or something. I use it for everything, baby/pet baths, taking a shower, wash the car, floor, etc, etc. Was introduced to this cleaner by my father when my daughters diaper rash wouldnt heal for weeks even after trying everything. After 3 days of washing my baby and her cloth diapers in it, her bottom healed up. I was sold. My Dad was told about it by one of his insurance clients, he always had an itching back until he started to shower with it. So he purchased many jugs, as he would share it with his other insurance clients. After he passed on I kept the jugs for myself. The older lady he purchased the jugs from passed on too, so I have only about 5 large jugs left, and I treat it like gold.

The reason I treat it like gold; well the product line has been sold to a Sara Lee sister company, they raised the prices and have an awful company politics, so I wont purchase from them or share contact info about them either.

This is why I have found an ok alternative at a health food store, and why I am always looking at other choices too. I like to give green cleaners as gifts, and wouldnt mind selling some, but it has to be a great cleaner, with a good company and marketing plan to go along with it.

It is going to be hard to find something as great as what I have now, for it just naturally rinses away. We did a whole main level with tile at our other home; afterwards we washed the floor at least 15 times with stuff the installer told us to use, it didnt even appear to be washed once, the grout powder was a nightmare, it clung to everything even the bucket and the mop, had to rinse and rinse in hopes of starting with a fresh bucket of soaping water. Then I thought of the stuff I had from my Dad, we cleaned the floor with it, and it took only two washes to make the floor look great. Plus the dirty grout water within the bucket just poured out as if it was clean water. I didnt even have to rinse the bucket. That is when I understood that it is the soaps we use that adheres the dirt to things, and not the dirt itself.

This gold stuff will never allow a bathtub ring, even if you were to wash a pig covered in sludge. This is why it does make a great laundry cleaner, it makes a lot of suds but it doesnt hang on to anything, just rinses away.

Since I still have about three of the free large laundry cleaner jugs left, which will last another year or so, and I have 5 jugs of my gold, I have time to look, test and compare other green cleaners, in hopes to find something I could use and promote in the future.

When I finally decide what FL to go with, then I will have to discover what future cleaner to use with it I guess. We will be tiling the new laundry room; Ill have to wash the floors with the things I find. Cleaning grout is really a good way to discover how well a product will rinse away the muck.

Thanks for the heads up warning DianeKy, and sshrivastava I would never use a harsh detergent with tons of clingy soap scum, so if a vinegar rinse doesnt help rinse away the laundry product then I wouldnt use it.