I hate my front loader, I can’t leave the door open to prevent mildew, on spin cycle it sounds like a plane taking off. Yes, it’s been adjusted. Hate it!

Terilyn my sister has to dry out the rubber gasket, and take out the detergent drawer and dry it after EVERY wash... she can't leave hers open either.

Makes me glad, I got this old second hand top loader, for only 25 bucks.

Moni

Here's a picture of the dial on my not-too-terribly-expensive Whirlpool front loader. It's about 6 years old. I have used a rinse cycle when I think I have used too much laundry soap on throw rugs or towels. On my model, you just turn the dial to rinse/drain & spin and press 'go.'

My top of the line Whirlpool front loader rusted out after 6years. I was unhappy it didn't last that long because it was very expensive, but happy to replace it with a top loader because I hated the front loader. Replaced it with a Speed queen and after almost 6 years, it looks brand new and is working well.

Elmer: when we don't have time to run a whole wash, rinse cycle. It's usually just one or two items. Set it small load and just run the rinse cycle.

A suggestion for those that are looking for new washers and dryers. Some manufacturers have made them narrower. The problem with this is that the tub is deeper. Make certain that you can comfortably reach in to the bottom/back before purchasing. When my washer died and then my basement flooded rather than fix my 20+ year machine I went looking for a new one. Most of the top loaders I could touch the bottom but not all. Some of the front loaders with the bigger tub that I wanted to get anything from the back I would have had to stick my head into them.

Not certain that it is a design flaw or intentional but on the Samsung that I purchased the lint filter is on the bottom front. When you clean it backed up water flows out of it. I have not waited for a couple of days before cleaning so do not know if that would help but instructions on YT suggest putting a shallow pan under machines to catch the water. Probably will cause a rust problem in a number of years. I see pictures of other brands that also have a small door on the bottom front and those are probably where the filter is located.

I know a number of brands have had mildew problems. We've had a front loader for >15 years, fortunately a brand that doesn't have that problem. It's Euro-size but it's plenty big enough for our household, even back to when kids were still here. We both love it because it washes everything so well but also gently. The things we wash last longer now than we'd probably prefer - it's a lot easier to toss and replace something that shows its age and wear as to do the same with something that doesn't.

Ours spins at a high speed, though it has slower settings for things needing more gentle handling. I like the sound. They save not only water but also energy to dry clothes since so much moisture is extracted by the high speed spin.

If you're undecided, or like both versions, you have a choice. This isn't an endorsement, just an option.

Samsung

I have an LG 8 year old front loader with more options than I know what to do with. I love it! I do leave the door ajar after each wash but do not dry the gasket - No mildew or odour problems at all.

I did not like mine and was happy to replace with Speed Queen top loader.

Maybe the ones out now are better, but I didn't like not be able to adjust the amount of water.

I like opening the lid and putting in more detergent if need be. I adjust the water with each load.

IIRC I think I was able to leave the door open to prevent that mildew.

I have a lower end stacked FL Frigidaire, because it was the shallowest unit I could buy for my way too narrow utility room. It has rinse and spin, has never mildewed (I don't leave the door open). It's smaller than ideal for me, but has been a workhorse. A few repairs, but seems to be simple and inexpensive to repair.

In 2001 I paid Abt a bit under $400 each for a bottom-of-the-line Frigidaire front load washer and matching gas dryer. At the time, I could have spent $800 on just a washer.

In 2007 a house-sitter overloaded that washer and broke it. I spent under $400 to replace it w/same. I have never had a service call on either machine. I have never wished I had equipment with more options. I didn't buy any 'pedestals' because I'd never use 'drawers-on-the-floor'. A carpenter built an inexpensive wood platform to raise both machines to a convenient height.

Last week I thought the HIGH spin on the washer was failing, and I finished a couple of loads using either DRAIN/SPIN or RINSE/DRAIN/SPIN. This week I've had no problem with the spin on any speed for any load. It may still be failing, but...not yet. Looks like I can still buy another Plain Jane for very little.

Granted, we are just two seniors, and I am not a 'one use and wash' person. We are also away three months of the year. However, who could complain about spending only $1300 for reliable laundry appliances over 17 yeas?

Adding: I can PAUSE this washer to add anything, right up to final spin. I've never needed to 'add water'. I leave the door and dispenser tray ajar for a few hours after washing. (I also run the exhaust fan in our bathroom after a shower. LOL)

We have a Samsung front loader and I really like it. It's gentler on the clothes and they are practically dry after the spin cycle. We've never had a mold problem, but I leave the door open for 24 hours after doing laundry to dry things out and to prevent mold from forming.

My concern about rusting with the front filter is that at least on mine the metal strips below it bend upward with not method to easily remove the standing water. While new not a problem but after a number of years perhaps. This area has high humidity during the summer and after two weeks the area was still damp. Be careful if you decide to dry that area because although it is coated the edge can be sharp. This is why I consider that feature while handy ill conceived beyond the water that needs to be caught. If you have pedestals the water runs into the drawer. Since it was to get it off the floor in case of another flood and raise the height to a more comfortable level not a problem for me. I do not store anything that matters in the drawers.

Big complaint I've heard about the front loaders is that you can't soak something overnight. I love my top loader and would never consider a front loader.

Maifleur, when you are cleaning the pump filter, do you first drain the water into a pan using the rubber drain hose that is next to the filter? You pull off the cap at the end of the hose and drain the water into a pan.

Soak things overnight? How about in a sink, a bucket, or a plastic basin? But why would you need to soak anything for so long?

My European washer has a similar gizmo to clean out gunk, and similarly a small pan is needed on the floor for the small amount of water that comes out when you slide out the filter assembly after unlocking it with a turn. Mine also has a small hose at that location as in the illustration that's used to drain the washer if it stops, has a problem and won't drain itself. I've never had to use it.

Mine has that front pump filter also and it has a drain hose just like the one in the picture and instructions say to use a pan to catch any water. But I don't clean it but every few months. Mine doesn't say to clean it very often. It's always empty when I check it. I have never had a problem with odor or mold. But I listened to the people at the store and I never ever use liquid detergent in it only powders, no liquid fabric softener. The liquids leave behind a skim that molds and causes the odor. I drape a hand towel over the door so it has a crack for air flow and to dry inside. No problems with either the previous one or the new one.

Chisue mentioned pedestals......If you buy a front loader, I highly recommend you don't buy the pedestals. I thought it would be great for storing soaps, etc. and also would be nice to have the machine higher. Something I didn't think about at the time, but it makes it impossible to move machines if you should want to clean behind them, which is a good idea from time to time because lint can pile up behind.....I had a fire once, I know.

graywings you can not do that with pedestals the water runs partially on to the pedestal diverting the water two ways. Down the outside and into the pedestal. I elected the pedestals because of two reasons but the most important is that being short I wanted to be able to reach in and not have to reach down. The second was seeing the inside of the old washing machine that had been sitting in the water after our 13+ inch overnight rain I wanted something that hopefully would sit above the water if it happened again.

Having seen what happens when washers and dryers have set in water I tend to error on the side of no zapping or fires.

Yes Elmer, there are reasons to soak an entire load of laundry overnight. I'd give you one of the many reasons but all you want to do is argue...

We've never done it and that's why I asked. There's no need to make it into the puzzle of the month so feel free to keep your secret. It's not important.

Every now and then, I like to soak things over night, so a front loader would never work.

I have a 16 yr old Maytag Neptune front loader and the matching dryer. I love them both and hope they never die. My water source is a well and i like that it dosen't use a lot of water. If I should need to soak something i use a round plastic tub.

Back when I was camping I had a couple of sleeping bags that had the washing suggestion to soak them overnight 12-24 hours before washing. As heavy as they were I only used a tub one time.

Graywings - yes the washer and the dryer both do! Handy to know when loads are done.

provogal check my Samsung has a feature that it will play several different chimes. I played with it when it was first installed and changed the tune because it was just irritating.

The little door(pump trap) on the front of some front loaders is not a filter...well not the filter we typically think of. Its a filter for the pump..to keep things out of the pump. If you check your pockets there's no need to clean it out. As for the question. ..both of my front loaders had a drain/spin extra rinse. I think most of them do but double check on the model your interested in. I also read your question in another room and I'll tell you no front loader uses lots of water. I recommend you watch some videos on YouTube. Also be sure to do your research before buying. If it was me I'd lean towards Whirlpool, LG, or Elux...if its in the budget Miele. After reading nightmare stories in the laundry room and online reviews (lots of them) I'd run fast from Samsung.

Another biggy is temperatures..make sure you choose a front loader with a onboard heater and not just one with steam. This can be tricky. But without a heater things like bed sheets will only be washing in tepid water which won't remove body oils.

Soaking....hmmm...do a prewash for heavily soiled loads but the long wash times means you won't need to soak.

"without a heater things like bed sheets will only be washing in tepid water which won't remove body oils."

I don't agree. Hot water from the tap (at least 120F on the low end to who knows what people set their water heaters for on the high end) should be hot enough or even too hot for washing sheets. Oils are removed more by the detergent and water that's warm enough - maybe 105 (lukewarm) is plenty. Heck, a lot of people use cold water only (which I don't agree with) but they're happy.

My washer goes up in steps up to 190F - we've never used that. Maybe once a year or less at 180 of course with high temp detergent, if something biologically disgusting was washed, more to clean the washer as anything else.

When I have cleaned the filter it was not stuff from the pockets that I found but threads from the clothing that I washed. Some may have clothing that is never old but even the newest may have threads that looking at them may not be seen. Do not get me started about terry cloth towels that suddenly decide that they want to loose their fluff.

The tap hot may be 120 but once that small amount of 120 (a few gallons only) hits the cold drum and cool clothing it's drastically cooler thand 120. And water temp plays a huge role in removing oils. Detergent can't do it all alone otherwise dishwashers wouldn't need hot.

If I wanted to soak something in my front loader, I'd let it fill and agitate on SOAK (a 30 minute cycle), then stop the washer. When I started it again it would empty. (If it didn't proceed to empty, I'd set it to DRAIN/SPIN -- or one of the WASH cycles if I wanted to keep using soapy water left from SOAK.)

BTW, my washer has no manual pump cleaning gizmo. Guess it's not essential. Has anyone found it worthwhile to clean that thing? What are you supposed to find in there?

I have not ever found much in my pump filter. What brand of machine do you have?

Chisue. Not all front loaders have the pump trap on the front. Some are thru the back but requires a tech to tear the machine apart to get to it. If your having no problems with your washer than no reason to get to it unless you think things like coins ect were left in pockets. Those trap doors are an area to filter out things from getting into the pump.

I'm in the market for a new washer and dryer. I think the front loaders look nicer....but I've read so many complaints about mold in them that I'll be buying another top loader. The machines are in my mud room - which is just a glorified hallway from the garage to the kitchen, and I don't have enough room to leave the door open. I'm also not interested in having to wash my washing machine, nor dry it after every use.

"it's drastically cooler thand 120. And water temp plays a huge role in removing oils. Detergent can't do it all alone otherwise dishwashers wouldn't need hot."

Detergents work fine in cold water, plenty of people use only cold or mildly warm temps and their clothes are clean. Cleanish. I agree that hotter water cleans more thoroughly but to use the word "drastic" is itself drastic. It's only laundry. If the water winds up being 10 or 15 degrees cooler, it'll still do a better job than if cold. Comparing to dishwashers isn't useful, it's two different things. A dishwasher has to remove dried and caked on "substances" on water impervious solid materials, without physical agitation or contact, only dripping hot water. Clothes being washed absorb the soapy water and detergent attaches and dissolves the dirt so that it gets suspended in water.

We bought our front loader Miele washer in 2002. It cleans more thoroughly and more gently than any previous top loader we've owned, true for all items we wash in it. When it dies, I'll buy another. They're made in Germany and are expensive but we're very satisfied with the value and quality of their products. We have a Miele dishwasher too, also excellent.

Cold water constricts textile fibers...hot water opens the fibers.

Solution can not penetrate and release soils if the fibers are constricted.

I'm surprised you say that **hotter water cleans more thoroughly** and **its only laundry**

I suppose that's why I use hot..I prefer my textiles to be thoroughly cleaned. It may be **just laundry** but I know the stench clothing can take on if less than thoroughly cleaned.

I'm not playing this back and forth with you Elmer.. You can certainly be right seeing as how important that is to you.

I agree with mamaP, I have allergies and any little bit of detergent left in causes a bad reaction.

I have also found that if you use the correct amount of detergent (I've read that many use way too much) and thoroughly rinse then the laundry comes out soft with no need for softeners or dryer sheets. So I only ever put detergent, bleach, borax or vinegar in my washer.

I've got electrolux, which has a rinse only cycle. I've never had problems with any sort of gunk or mildew on the gasket, but we leave the door open 90% of the time that the machine is not in use. I do dry the door off with a microfiber cloth that's kept on the machine, but that is for water spots, not because it needs to be dried out.

FWIW, I use the sanitize cycle regularly on our machines. I've got eye issues that may be caused by an imbalance of the critters (mites) that normally live on your eyelashes. I've also got a very dander-y pet bird who probably does not reduce mite populations in the house. I sanitize sheets, towels, washcloths especially- anything that comes in contact with my face, and also fabrics from the bird's room are regularly washed this way. I don't know if it's necessary, but I believe it has helped. Maybe not an issue for everyone, but I do like having the option. My eye issues also make me more sensitive to strong chemicals like bleach, so having a non-bleach sanitizing load available is very nice.

Raye, save for the vinegar, I agree with you. Most people use too much detergent. And extra rinses (which I have my washer programmed to do with all loads) can only help.

I'm not an outlier for not obsessing over laundry, most people give it little attention beyond just doing it and following whatever patterns and products work for them. Get real about it, it's not a task requiring specialized skills.

Clothing washed regularly doesn't develop a stench unless there's something wrong with the washer or too much detergent is being used. Hotter water can be better but it isn't the end of the world. I just bought a second home in a vacation area and will be getting delivery of a cheap front loader (sans heater and deliberately chosen to save a few bucks) in a few days. I'll lose no sleep over it, it'll work fine and items washed therein will be clean. I'll use whatever hotter settings are available and that will more than suffice.

I have a front loader here and I am required to occasionally clean out any debris or it will leak. Have to do it once every three months or so. No odor so far. We leave it open intermittently.

However we use cold water wash exclusively as our gas company had an explosion and everybody here in BC is required to keep our gas costs down. If something doesn't seem like it is fresh smelling enough I stick it in the freezer for 3 days to get rid of any odors etc. I will worry about dinginess etc after the disaster is resolved.

"It may be **just laundry** but I know the stench clothing can take on if less than thoroughly cleaned."

I find this statement almost absurd!! If your washer is working properly and you use the correct amount of detergent (excess detergent tend to create excess suds that just redeposit dirt back onto the clothes), there should be no stench. 'Clean' laundry should smell just that.....clean!

I've been doing laundry for more than 50 years, including for a husband that smoked and sweated like a pig and even pet beds and blankets, and I have never had anything come out of the washer at the end of a wash cycle smelling anything other than clean and fresh. No 'stench', ever!!

btw, I tend to use warm water virtually all the time, as most laundry will come perfectly clean doing so. I only use hot on whites or items that are heavily soiled. I also have a Frigidaire frontloader at this house - the first I've owned - and I find it does just as good a job as any of the top loaders I've owned. No mold, no musty smell (it's in a hallway so can't leave door open). And it has both a separate rinse and a rinse/spin cycle.

Having made the mistake of using hot water to wash something woolen the idea that cold water tightens fabric and hot water loosens it is odd. I have several loosely woven summer bedspreads that when they start sagging into a hot as possible wash they go. I had been washing in "regular" washer temp but on the suggestion of a friend tried the hot before tossing. One of the suggestions to release fabrics that have shrunk is to soak in cold water then manually stretch. The opposite is suggested for fabrics that have stretched.

I use cold because I was gardening a lot during the summer and hotter water would set the stains rather than removing. An interesting thing with the boiled whites that I remember from my childhood is that it was not just water in the container but also bleach. Lots of bleach.

Maifleur....yes the hot or nicely warm water relaxes the fibers allowing solution in to flush out soil....than it hits a cold rinse and the fibers tighten.

I forgot to say in my post above that I never close the door on my frontload washer - except when the machine is in operation, of course. I leave it ajar, about an inch or two, all the time. I've never had any mold or mildew.

You're supposed to clean the washer filter? I'm not even sure mine has one. I better go check.

Also, I've found the hard way that you don't want to use as much laundry detergent (I use Tide) as they recommend. Especially on towels, throw rugs, comforters, etc. I cut their recommendation in half.

Vinegar does a great job of removing perfumes after an overnight soak . Nothing else comes close.

Vinegar is mildly acidic and with some washers can damage various internal parts. Some manufacturers say it shouldn't be put into the machine - those are the instructions for my washer, I called the company's tech support some years ago to ask and that was what I was told. Same prohibition with my machine for chlorine bleach, it's not to be used because it can damage the stainless steel drum.

• I had the same set hisue has. Mine were stacked & not one problem for 10 1/2 yrs. Dryer died and they no longer make this set. Mine are stacked so I had to buy new set. I ended up with Electrolux. So far ok but a little taller to reach dryer buttons.

I do like chisue for soaking in my front load. I usually just start it like a regular wash load, then after it’s tumbled a few times, I pause then cancel the cycle (it doesn’t drain at that point). Then I set a new cycle and put it on delay start. Up to 4 hours. When it restarts, it senses the water left in the tub and doesn’t add more but resumes tumbling and finishes the cycle. I find this an effective method for soaking in a FL machine.