My Asko started smelling very bad after a some years of use. It was a sewage odor every time it drained the water or switched a function. It was as if the dishwasher burped sewage gas. I tried every kind of cleaner to clean up the smell and was close to having the tile floor jack hammered to see if the sewage drain line had enough slope. Then my glasses and dishes started to come out dirty and I couldn't even clean them by hand. I read about a product on line and thought what can I lose...it is a dish detergent with Phosphate. I ordered it and after several washes, the smell went away and my dishes and glasses were clean. I am also using it with my new Bosch. I swear by it.

The vertical wall seams crack more readily because the house shifts and moves. Ive tried grouting only and going back to caulk with sanded grout caulk or silicon only after a crack develops, hoping in some cases it will not. Sometimes it does not crack. Some contractors caulk all seams as a matter of course, no callbacks, safer. I liked the idea of sanded grout caulk to match your grout color It has not held up for me in wet conditions, such as the top of the bathtub where the wall tile starts, etc. , definitely not along the shower floor where the wall tile starts. It has held up in other areas though, and looks nicer when it all ties in. I agree, mildew on silicon is unsightly. Every bathroom has different conditions, including ventilation, moisture, etc. Some people have to clean out and recaulk the silicon every year or two. Whether its allegedly mildewproof silicon or not.

Wow, I am very late to this, but I feel the need to say something. I sell these tubs for a living and $2,000 is basically a steal anymore. V&A has some of the most reasonable prices, especially since it's a stone composite. Most tubs, especially ones with jets, that are sold in a showroom are far more than that. Never, ever, ever buy a tub off-line or from a bulk store. There are simple reasons for this. One is for warranty. You will want that warranty. Box stores and online will not offer you real warranties. If you buy online and it comes in scratched, the company will do nothing to help you. Neither will your local dealers. There are numerous other reasons that I won't go into. Never, ever buy a tub off of craigslist. Not only can it be a health risk to you, but it resurfacing to sell is normally done very cheap- meaning it's only going to last a few years before it's once again needing to be resurfaced. Resurfacing is not cheap. It's always best to research the style you want. Go with a respected brand and research the prices. Research why they cost that price- especially, when stone comes into play (V&A uses volcanic limestone). Research what comes with what- for instance, American Standard has a very pretty freestanding that comes with a chrome floor mounted filler for about $2,000. It's a basic acrylic, but it's fairly good quality. Buy it from a dealer, where they can get you the warranty and parts if and when needed. Always think about the worst case scenario. Research and find a dealer. Don't buy for the cheap- it will break. I have people in my store everyday wanting us to fix a cheap faucet they got online and we cannot. Do not buy a cheap tub- they are typically single layer and will not hold up. They are often rarely finished, which leads to the tub looking dull and scratched after only a few years. Always, always talk to your local showrooms about offers and the best deals. I just recently spent three days looking for a modern style slipper tub under $2,000 for a customer and found a beautiful one for $1,600 made of double layer acrylic. Also, most freestanding tub fillers run about $1,000 for simple and good reasons- their design is not anything like a deck mount and they are expensive to make and occasionally difficult to install. Also, places like Quality Bath sites charge you lists prices that are typically higher than the price a showroom will offer you... This post was edited by EmilyDesign11 on Tue, Feb 3, 15 at 14:15

Hi everyone. I'm at the local fine dinning watering hole, getting 1/2 price glasses of wine and if I wanted 1/2 price pizza. It's been a rather long day at work and I've been coming here on Monday afternoons before driving home. I got a grilled sheeps cheese, with a sauce and wonderful medley of tomatoes, pomegranate, olives, etc. it was a nice treat. So now down to business. Cavimum, this weird tumble is at the end of the wash cycle. I didn't know it did this. It was several minutes of this before a bit of water entered (cool down water?), drain, and spin. During the main wash it looks like a normal wash cycle. George, I didn't use Miele for these towels. Other detergents didn't help with the river smell. I think its the soil in the hand towels. At least that's what I'm going with for now. I love the US persil powder for my whites. But the Miele has been fine too. It's not as strong in the scent. Nothing seems to be consistent for my towels. That's what leads me to believe it's the nasty soil level in the towels. I'm going to try the ammonia in the load next time. I'll post an update next week. Mamap. I'm going to try the ammonia you suggested with the next load, end of the week. I think I'm not getting these towels clean. Cause the towels do get dirty! They look clean but I'm thinking on the fiber level they must not be getting clean. Nerdy and Pat see the comments above. I really like persil powder. I will keep with that. The Miele is too expensive in the long run. I do have Miele powder for colors that I will use up, but my colors are pretty dark so I end up using a liquid for darks instead. I've liked the Miele liquid for darks, at least it's better than the Woolite for darks. I just ran out of the Miele for darks yesterday. I have a German Persil Liquid for colors and one for blacks. I don't do loads for a large family so I splurge on these expensive detergents. I do have Purex without enzymes or brighteners and really like it for its simplicity and lovely scent. I use it for delecates.