Neither here. I don't like stench. When clothes smell they need to be washed AFAIC. Dryer sheets do not cause fires. Lack of maintenance causes fires. I occasionally use vinegar in the rinse cycle if I have to use a lot of detergent and/or additives to clean the clothes. It does help cut the detergent. Many people find vinegar's value as a softener to be dubious. Static from drying clothes? This is really funny. People are spending more to create a problem, then spending more to try to eliminate the problem they caused! You're overdrying your clothes, simple as that. Overdrying is bad for the clothes anyway, and it costs you more in gas/electricity and then top it off with needless dryer sheets and you have a 3-way saving potential. When you have static in clothes it's caused by lack of moisture. You're overdrying your clothes if you have a lot of moisture problems. If you pull it out and it goes snap, crackle, pop, take a spray bottle, give a mist of water, shake it and you'll eliminate the problem. Misting carpets when they cause static is very effective too. We had carpet in the shop at the store and computers and static are not very compatible. My partners laughed when I took a spray bottle out but it didn't take long before they were misting away! Now if your clothes are polyester, you'll have far more static issues but again, proper drying will eliminate most all of them. I buy poly mix t-shirts and no problems. Every place I've heated with wood gets a bucket of water set on or next to the woodburner. It's too dry without. Hard on the body, hard on the wood in the house, hard on furniture, drives pets crazy from the static and more. It's difficult to have too much moisture in a normal cold climate so as to cause mold. Summertime is when the mold/mildew is a much bigger issue. Same thing with wrinkled clothes. Pull them out when they are just dry or ever so slightly underdry and you won't have wrinkling issues. Also, don't leave the clothes sitting in the dryer for days if it's going to wrinkle. Way back when, back in the days when jeans were thick material and stiff, I'd wash them immediately (when new) then take fabric softener and use about 2-3 times the recommended amount and it would soften them up. Then maybe once a year I'd use some softener on them if they were unbearably stiff. That's not the case anymore. I also use the dryer balls but I don't really see a static benefit. I do believe it helps cut the drying time. Grainlady reported that she bought the dryer balls with the anti-static and says they helped for static. I've had no need for it so I haven't bought them.

I have a Miele Novotronic that has served me well for many years. Never, ever did I have a mould or stinky laundry problem. What I think is happening is that the newer washers have plastic drums. That the hottest temperature cycle is not very hot (mine is 90Cel). People use liquid detergent which gums things up. People use liquid fabric softener. I am sure there are more reasons for why your washer may smell but having to clean your washing machine is ridiculous. But having looked into other front loaders for a rental unit some years ago I discovered all the current models have odor issues. Why doesn't my Miele have these issues? For one, it's not a large capacity machine -- Miele has since stopped producing large machines for the American market; I can see why. Building the large one in the same manner mine was built would basically make the unit unaffordable. Also, I would imagine that certain parts, such as the drum, to accommodate a larger load, need to be lighter. My point, to do such a machine right, it would have to cost a whole lot more than for what it sold. No current front loader marked for the home market in this country appears to be free from the odor issues. Try to use powdered detergent. You can order "Persil" through Miele, both for white clothing and for "colors". The Persil for white clothing can be bought in a larger economy size. I usually buy a package once a year. Of course, I use different products for different materials. Miele's silk/fine fabric liquid, etc. Whenever possible, buy powder instead of liquid. Don't use fabric softener. Unless you plan to airdry your laundry, there really is no need for fabric softener. It only helps to gum things up. Also, use the minimum amount of detergent; measure, don't just add. The environment will thank you as well. Don't just wash cold, wash cycles that require very hot temperatures (I am afraid in the large Miele's you may not be able to wash hotter than 70F, but it's better than nothing). When you are done, wipe the interior and especially where the water collects in the rubber part. Then leave the door slightly open. See whether this works. Perhaps you can let me know?

Dadoes thank you. I will get into this interesting read later. Enduring, I've always believed a Laundry Sour should be the next to the last rinse, but I'm not sure why I think that...I probably read it. I would think our Sin could give great info on this subject. Possiably citric acid is such a mild acidic that it makes no difference. I also don't know how much needs to be used in order to be beneficial as far as neutralizing carbonates. I know there's been a LOT of talk on the web and expecially on mommy blogs about vinegar or citric acid being a safe alternative to LFS, IMO these people are misinformed...a laundry sour is used in professional laundries because it neutralizes certain residue, and carbonates expecially that have been neutralized give the fabric a more *smoothness* not a softness. Professional laundries use a sour because if carbonates are not neutralized when the garment goes under a hot iron they can turn that striking white dress shirt a not so attractive yellow. Everyone has their own level of softness...for me its a well rinsed garment that hasn't been over dried...but for others its the feel that a FS gives. I do ramble at times.

"I disagree. I have said this before too. That issue is a reflection of poor parenting skills. Europeans have had front loaders since at least the 1950s. Millions of children haven't died because mommy left the front load washer door open. Children were taught boundaries and a washer isn't something to be viewed as a play toy." This is nonsense. It's just mommy shaming and totally unnecessary. If you've never had challenging kids then you should just be thankful and keep quiet. There's definitely some people who are neglectful and not responsible but to act like you are a poor parent if your kids are harmed is ridiculous.