Easiest way to learn lots. Read, read the many previous threads that address what to wash together, best detergent, best add on products, etc.

I have the LG4370 and coordinating gas dryer. They’re ok. Had I done more research I might have gone with something else, but they get the job done.

My thoughts:
I use the sanitary cycle for my gym clothes and son’s gross sports clothes. It takes forever but I feel it gets them very clean and no gym smell detected. Took a lot of trial and error to figure that out.

Sometimes when it goes into spin cycle it sounds like a jet plane taking off. So. Loud. But it’s only for 30 seconds or so.

The whites cycle works well. I use Oxy whites in the prewash and sometimes bleach in the bleach area. Always bright whites and stains are gone.

The lint collector in the dryer is garbage. Strings get stuck in it, it doesn’t collect everything, I always have to dig my hands down in the lint collector. Really bad design.

I only use Tide liquid.

Laundry is definitely not a one routine fits all. Depends on a lot of factors, and it took me a good 6 months to get it perfected.

C Marlin, that's what I have been working on but I wasn't sure if there was somewhere specific that I should start or if anyone had recommendations of where to start.

Karen Rose, thank you! Is there a way to determine if a dryer has a good lint collector setup? Where are the best places to research washers and dryers?

On a side note, I am open to other washer/dryer recommendations as long as they have an internal water heater.

Search the comments for anything by Mamapinky0. She IS the laundry goddess and there is nothing more that can be said.

linus2003, thank you! That helps quite a bit! We don't have too many dry cleaners in our area, so a larger washer would be useful as we have king size bed linens and comforters. Otherwise, I would be fine with a smaller size washer.

Why haven't you considered Whirlpool or Maytag? WP WFW9620 or WFW8620 and Maytag MHW8630 and MHW6630.

My mom did laundry the same way you were raised around. None of her friends did the same thing and I began observing how they did laundry.

I sort by whites, light colors and darker colors. Sheets & towels are done separately and in hot water. Jeans are done by themselves. Then casual clothes. I also try to make sure each load is consisting of similar weight items so the whole load dries basically uniformally.

I really don't believe in washing in cold water at all. The "coldest" would be cool and I rarely use that. Most everything is warm, hot, allergiene, or sanitize.

boba1, I did consider Maytag and really haven't excluded it. I just see LG mentioned more frequently and I can get a better price on GE products which is why they are on the list. I've heard good things about Electrolux too, but haven't heard much about Whirlpool (although I believe they own Maytag?).

I think the best advice is to go look at them, open them up, play with them...I bought online sight unseen.

When you build a place for your washer dryer, be sure to make it so that it will accommodate a variety of sizes, otherwise you have less flexibility in the future. You need easy and unhindered access to the water shutoff value, the dryer vent ducting for cleaning, and an area that you can pull the machines out easily for service. Also it would be great if it were easy access to the drain pump clean out area. Mine is in the front.

I have Miele, and I would probably stick with that brand or go with Bosch if I needed to replace. I understand that the Miele Little Giant can do King sized bedding and fit a medium thickness king comforter. I am not sure about the new M1 model. The Little Giant and, I believe, the M1 are deeper, that is how they can accommodate larger loads.

I use pretty much the temps that @LInnus2001 uses, except for the jeans, I use 140f, due to the nature of our jean dirt (farming)

I use Powder, top shelf product like tide with bleach. I happen to use powder Persil, that used to be available in the US until they discontinued it. I stocked up and probably have 2 more years worth of the stuff. then I might switch to Tide. The powder is used for all whites and love it. After 6 years, my white hand towels with frequent farm grease and dirt, they sparkle.

For my office clothing, which come in various colors, I use liquid Persil for blacks on blacks and very darks. I also use it on my jeans. I have a Persil powder for colors, and a Persil Liquid for colors. The liquids I purchase online and have shipped to me. They are German Brands.

For delicates, hand wash fabrics, rayons, etc I use Purex Naturals liquid. There are no enzymes, oxygen bleach, or optical brighteners. It is mild for the fabric. I do use a special Miele or Persil liquid detergent for wools, silks, and down. I don't use Woolite.

I do use Grab Green pods for my underwear and I love the fragrances it comes in. I occasionally use it on other things. It has oxygen bleach and enzymes.

I use STPP on all my loads. It helps suspend the soils and prevents these from depositing on the machine parts too.

Look at this old link, but don't post there, cause no one will answer that forum. Laundry Room FAQ

Chorine bleach, hum... I never use it. I know some do for sick room linens. It should only be used in the last 5-10 minutes of the wash cycle, then drained away and straight to rinse. The product is hard on fibers. That is why there is a special dispenser for bleach in machines so that it is released at the end of the wash cycle. I don't need it because I have the capacity to use very very hot water if need be. I wash all my towels in 190f anyway because of the soil and grease. My towels are white, and the "hotel" labeled ones from Costco, so not expensive. I have several older Miele machines in the basement that go this high in temp. I blame @linnus2001 for my 3 machines, lol. My newer Miele, on my main floor, goes to around 158f iirc. The Miele Little Giant goes to something like 204f. I don't have that machine but I wished I did. These extremely high temps are seldom used and are hard on fibers.

Have Fun!

enduring, thank you so much! That's great information! I will say that it is VERY unlikely that I will go with Miele or anything near that price range. I'm too poor for that lol. It will have to be around +/-$2,000 for the washer/dryer set. Our laundry room will be fairly large, or at least I consider it to be fairly large, so it should be fine on space.

Are there any washer, or dryer, settings that I should definitely have, other than Sanitize or Allergen (is Allergen even needed if you have Sanitize)? I have seen some front load washers with a Soak option and some with a Pre-Wash option. I really don't know how similar those are, but I assume at least one of them would be useful since my husband works in construction and occasionally works with horses, bush-hogs, etc.

Oh! Are there any cheat sheets for laundry rooms that people recommend? I know I have come across some posts in here that have "recipes", but a cheat sheet for my laundry would be great! For instance, mamapinky0 shared this "recipe" for whitening: Liquid Detergent + Pure Sodium Percarbonate + Ammonia = Major Whitening power. And I know people keep mentioning STPP, but I have no idea how to use that. Or how to remove blood stains or grease, etc.

I assume washers are not smart enough to only use as much detergent, bleach, softener as needed so I should definitely learn correct measurements for load sizes?

If it makes you feel any better, I do laundry like you do. Everything together on cool. Nothing shrinks and no colors bleed. Towels and sheets are separate from clothes and from each other just because they can take up an entire load themselves. And this was after growing up in a sorting household. Sometimes coworkers discuss what all they sort and I literally get exhausted imagining it. This working mom doesn't have time for that! Do what works for you, and everyone keep throwing out washer suggestions because mine just flooded half our house and I'm in the market.

Stephanie H, so which washer did you have? If it's still on the market, I can at least rule it out lol.

Lol, it was an old Maytag I believe. Maybe almost 20 years old? From the era when they actually used to last that long! It will be nice to have something modern even though I'll have to replace it more often. Of course, now I get to search Houzz for new hardwood and carpet ideas, too!

I think I'm officially torn between these two:
LG WM4370HKA
LG WM8100HVA

Any recommendations on good places to do extra research on front load washer models? Is consumer reports worth it?

Before you settle on the LG, call around to some local service companies and make sure they will repair LG. A friend of mine, who lives in the Washington DC area and has been in business for 40 years won't work on LG appliances any longer.

Here is a cheat sheet of sorts, with some practical suggestions on how to know what you are buying in any price range. It also will help you gauge load size and machine size.

Between the two you mentioned I would go with the 4.5 unless you have 4 or more kids. I think that other machine is just way too big for most needs.

I admit I am a sorter because that's the way I get best results.

The very good thing about both your choices is the allergen cycle (allergiene). That's the cycle that guarantees a true hot wash, which is what gets out stains and odors. Sanitary is a marketing term and meaningless. So allergen is the standard.

Rococogurl I'm so glad you posted the link! I think that is great info. I remember when you posted this for mamapinkyO.

Consumer Reports rated the LG WM4370HKA slightly higher than the LG WM8100HVA due to its better "energy efficiency" and "gentleness".

Lawrence Sprowls, is Consumer Reports worth it for research?

CR is the only organization that actually tests products using consistent procedures. It also uses surveys to predict reliability of some products. Anecdotal reviews from Home Depot, Best Buy, Amazon, etc. are very useful supplements but these are retailers, not testing organizations. You can try CR digital for a month for $8.

Some of us don't think CR ratings are very good. I know I bought a washer based on their ratings and it didn't end well. They can be used as a general guide. But they also recommend washing in cold water which around here is akin to original sin.

For what it's worth, my mother in law has the LG 4370HKA and it's proven to be a wonderful, durable washer. They do laundry for 6 adults and it does probably 15-20 loads a week. I've used it myself many times and I'm impressed with it's thorough but gentle wash action and it's an excellent rinser. If I had one, I'd use the Turbowash feature plus an extra rinse on each load. When Turbowash is activated, it uses a recirculation pump to help saturate and clean your laundry as well as does a spray rinse during the spin portions of the cycle (which might be an industry exclusive?) and one deep rinse. The 4370 has two delicate cycles (delicate and hand wash), the exterior is also a genuine black stainless steel. LGs are among the most reliable washers on the market.

Just don't use too much detergent (no more than 2 tablespoons/load), leave the door and dispenser drawer open between loads, use warm/hot for most loads and regularly running the cleaning cycle will keep whatever washer you ultimately choose in pristine condition.

Here is a review from an industry respected repairman of an LG washer that has Turbowash. The washer he reviews doesn't have as many features as the 4370, but it's built virtually the same and all the cycles are programmed the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGY8fSrgm6A

In CR's testing the LG WM3770HWA was slightly less gentle on clothes than the LG WM4370HKA but otherwise they performed the same.

What things should I do/know when I use my front loader for the first time? I am not a laundry expert, so I know my clothes are probably doused in extra detergent and definitely will all have to be washed a time or two once we get our new washer/dryer.

So, should I do a Rinse + Spin and then run them through a proper wash cycle (maybe all through a Sanitize or Allergen cycle the first time)? Would you recommend I buy some of the beloved items like Sodium Percarbonate and STPP to do a thorough cleaning (due to unfortunate circumstances, we do not have hot water going to our current washer, but will once our new house is finished)? If so, how do I add them to the cycle? Directly into the tub? How much should I use?

Have you considered a Speed Queen? It does not have a lot of fancy whistles and bells and it is a work horse.

Laundry room · More Info

I separate my clothes and wash them on different temperatures, all rinsed in cold. I dry them on different temps also. My cold water wash clothes do NOT go thru the dryer. They get hung up.

My cold water wrinkle clothes....good dress shirts, get dried in the dryer.

With my Speed Queen, I can add fabric softener at my leisure and I do. The lid does not lock, it is a top load. I can add clothes that may have been missed.

I have always had top load, but I have determined I'm not a fan of agitators, so front load seems to be a good option. From what I have seen, the Speed Queens aren't large enough for King Size comforters and are too expensive.

First time you wash laundry in your new front loader, don't use detergent as you likely have some built up residue. I'd use the cycle you'd normally use for the given load. Some STPP would help remove the residue.

I don't use additives like STPP. Definitely no soap in the front loader for the first load and possibly the second. It's always a surprise how much soap remains in clothes.

Can't say which cycle to use as that is a getting acquainted process. Would use hot water on everything. Expect --- sometimes it doesn't happen -- but I would expect the loads without soap to look like they do have it.

Also, once the machine becomes familiar you can see whether to use liquid vs powder/tab.

I'm currently using tabs mostly (Grab Green) as they are pre-measured and no spilling or errors. Very handy.

Also have liquids for certain loads. F.ex. I use liquid sport wash on all the athleisure stuff as it's made for fabrics with elastic properties.

Go front loader! Don't use too much detergent! If you use liquid detergent, dilute it before adding it to the dispenser. I recommend against using tabs, because they'll usually have too much detergent (company wants to sell more), especially if you don't have a full load all the time, and too much detergent (and too thick liquid detergent) will harm your machine and shorten its lifespan (BTDT). To help avoid mould and mouldy smells, leave your washer door open a couple of inches after you remove the clothes to let water in the rubber door gasket evaporate - I actually stick an old washcloth in the fold of the gasket to absorb excess water and help it evaporate quicker. I sort my laundry primarily by temperature more than colour, but then I have virtually no white anything.

Don't underdose detergent, either, especially if the water supply tends toward hard. Insufficient detergent doesn't sequester mineral content out of hard water (STPP deals with hard water, it functions as a non-precipitating water softener, among other actions) and may not keep laundry soils suspended in the water to be drained away ... which can promote accumulation of smutz on interior machine parts.

Mineral residue in the water that isn't properly sequestered can accumulate on moving machine parts such as the interface of the drum drive shaft at the bearing seal and wear down the seal, leading to failure of the seal and the bearings. It seems counterintuitive but too much rinsing can exacerbate this situation. The mineral-sequestering ingredients in detergents also function to protect machine parts from mineral residue accumulation ... so a smidgeon of detergent remaining into the final rinse is not necessarily a bad thing. Some detergents in the past (phosphates!) stated "ingredients to protect washer parts."

(edited to add photos)

This is the transmission from a 7yo toploader that developed bad bearings, roars like a freight train during spin. The city utility supply at the location is appreciably hard water. It's a deep-fill machine, used by a family with three teens and for a while an older son with his girlfriend and baby living in an apartment space at the garage. They use Tide pods, only one pod per load which isn't enough under the conditions ... there's a gray scum-line on the agitator and basket, and this mineral residue on the transmission spin drive shaft. See the line where the seal faces to the shaft?

Dadoe, on the second picture I see the tan thing removed, and a scored area above, what looks like a pristine shaft, where the tan thing sat. Is that what you are showing, the damage to the exposed shaft?

How do you determine if you have hard water? Our house isn't complete yet, so I don't know what type of water it will have yet other than County water. Where we currently live is on a deep well and has a ton of iron in it which turns everything orange.

I have read that some people say you can determine that you are using enough detergent based on how slippery it feels, but then it was stated that soft water can create a slippery feel as well.

Contact the water department, they will tell you. I don't know much about the values. My water is medium hard at 5-7, IIRC. It is water from the nearby town that treats it. You'll like your water compared to the rusty well water. I used to live on rusty well water and it turned all the fixtures red, even though we had an add-on to our softener to remove rust.

This is the interior of the machine's tub. The transmission and seal mounts into it from the bottom. The basket sits upon and anchors to the drive block at the top. The agitator mounts to the splined shaft that protrudes above. The spin shaft, top surface of the seal, and the seal lip that contacts the spin shaft are exposed to the water in the tub.

Oh, I get it... Not, LOL. So those pictures are the mineral deposits that accumulate with hard water and poor mineral sequestering? Dadoes, you are always helpful!

You can get an idea for how much detergent to use by how much suds it makes, though that's not ideal either. You want to just see a little line of suds at the bottom of your front loader's window - of course, there's a bit of trial and error to get there. I have a compact FL, and I use about half a tablespoon (of liquid) per load.

Do a simple search on here for "LG"... or a simple google search. The fact of the matter is, most people who purchase LG or Samsung washers, tend to REGRET it later. It's South Korean plastic garbage, made with profit margins in mind.

I'm serious. Do a simple search on here. LG. You'll find well over 40 posts talking about problems, like a premature failure, destroyed clothes, water control issues, water hammering, property damage, and more.

If you want real advice. I would tell you to save your money and purchase an Electrolux, Whirlpool, or Bosch brand Front Load Washer, and to purchase an extended warranty because nothing on the market is made with quality like we all grew accustomed to.

Also - Ditch the liquid detergents altogether, and switch to Powders. You'll experience better cleaning, easier rinsing, and less washer buildup.

" most people who purchase LG or Samsung washers, tend to REGRET it later. It's South Korean plastic garbage, made with profit margins in mind. "

I may not be most people, but I loved my LG washer and dryer, and would have bought another except I needed to switch to a compact size (and they don't make a vented compact dryer).

And LG washers and dryers are actually very well considered and well rated.....As the Yale Appliance blog says "The Korean brands, LG and Samsung, have overtaken Whirlpool and Maytag as the most reliable laundry units for 2019. LG’s number has been the most impressive with more units." and they consider them the some of the best front load washers this year. Several other appliance sales and repair sites report the same.

I'd personally love to recommend a Whirlpool or Maytag but am so extremely disappointed in the build quality of their new 2019 models. Talk about cheap plastic garbage...These new models replaced the durable glass windows with plastic. The doors feel so light and cheap now. And the detergent dispenser feels like it would be the first thing to break.

For those who have about a $1000 budget for a washer, LG is still the most reliable brand (according to multiple respected sources, including Consumer Reports). For folks that are able to afford them, I'd recommend a Miele, Bosch or Speed Queen. A Speed Queen front load set with a stainless steel finish is at the top of my shopping list when I finally find a house. The cost of that set is going to be almost $4000. A Miele W1/T1 would be my next choice.

Samsung dryer drums have been reported with more frequency than others for cracking open at the cylinder's weld seam. That being said, a 2011 set friends of hers gave to my sister in 2016 (the washer's drum support / spider broke which I repaired), the dryer has not (yet) suffered that problem.

Haley, you have to ask yourself, how often you would wash a king size comforter? I take mine to the laundry mat 1X per year instead of buying an oversized behemoth of a washer! Different choices, different priorities. Here is a great article about washing linens at home......

https://www.thespruce.com/wash-and-clean-heavy-winter-bedding-2146325

My Speed Queen was not overly expensive. But I got a basic top loader with an agitator and knobs instead of electronic buttons.

Also, front load washing machines can have a long wash cycle. My sisters can last an hour. She hates her front loaders and cannot wait to get rid of it.

You don't have to get a "matching" dryer. A basic dryer will serve you well. Dryers can be very easy to repair if you get a basic model. My husband has replaced our belt and heat sensor. It is 20 some years old and works amazingly well.

Maybe I'm weird, but I wash comforters/quilts at least once a month, possibly more frequently since I've never really thought about how frequently I wash them.

And I have read that front loaders have longer wash cycles, but I have developed a hatred of agitators. Plus, that's not any longer than our current top load with agitator takes. It has taken up to 2-3 hours to wash a load of clothes before. Although I know a lot of it has to do with our water.

A front-loader can take an hour to wash a load of laundry, but generally you can wash in one load what would be three-loads worth of clothes in a top-loader. Even if you had an old-school top-loader that takes 30 minutes per load, you'd still save a half hour by washing one huge load vs. 3 smaller loads. And virtually any non-compact front-loader is big enough to wash most king-sized comforters, even the moderately-sized Speed Queen with a 3.5 cubic foot or 22 pound capacity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50WcZSa82PI

And it looks like the SQ will wash a king size comforter in only 40 minutes.

techs recommend Maytag as they provide very good after market warranty should you need it. I made the horrible mistake of buying Electrolux after having Maytag for over 30 years. The washer shredded my king size comforter, a set of queen sheets and the dryer has been making a racket since day 1. They said that I should never have put a king size comforter to wash...but that's what they advertise and part of the reason I bought it. Electrolux blamed me for it all. They provide the worst customer care I have ever had. Their products are poorly designed. As an example, the racket made by the dryer is caused by lint blocking the blower fan. I remove all lint after every single load as I have always done. When the tech came, he said we have to take the machine apart every so often to remove lint that did not get caught by the screen. Who takes their machine apart?!!!! So I used a very long handled rubber spatula to squeeze it in that area to get excess lint out but still not perfect and back to the infernal racket. After multiple visits from a tech to "repair" this, the last tech put an extra thick felt around the lint screen to try to keep all lint on the screen. So far so good. The kicker is the letter I received from Electrolux stating that should this repair ever re-occurs, I will have to pay for it!!! Unfrickin believable!!!! So I asked the tech who provides best warranty service...hands down, Maytag. Lesson learned.

Agnes, Whirlpool bought Maytag in 2006 so today cannot be directly compared to 30 years ago.

" A front-loader can take an hour to wash a load of laundry, "

Mine can take over 2 for a super-hot load, but I don't mind. I put a load in at night and set the delayed start so that I can switch it to the dryer when I get up in the morning. I guess I'm just not in a big rush to get a load washed. Besides, the loads may take longer to wash, but they take less time to dry.