I completely agree with Mark. Get the LG. They are pretty good machines, but just keep in mind that the water temperatures will be lower than what you're used to. For instance, when picking heart it will be a warm water wash. The warm setting is cool, and cold is cold. Please use the sanitize setting for items like towels rags sheets and whites to keep your machine clean. This'll keep any issues at bay. The majority of the odor and mold issues are due to miss use. If you want any more tips or tricks please ask. You can also search around for more answers that you may not be looking for. Good luck with your new machine.

The Normal cycle is one that features the AI (artificial intelligence feature). On that cycle because it's Energy Star based, Extra hot is hot, Hot is warm, and warm is tepid to cool. The teerature targetes are most likely the same for Heavy Duty Cycle. The other AI cycle is Whitest Whites. The Whites cycle wawrm and hot water temps might be higher than Normal too. Heavier soil settings allow for longer water heating time.

They probabaly put triclosan or similar into the mix when molding the gasket. Buy a Miele if you want proper wash temps. Washing in too cold of water all the time is what causes mold. Proper 140F hot or higher sanitize during the week will keep your washer mold free.

Been using front loaders for 25 years (Bosch and Miele) and never had mold.

Thank you all so much for the input! Will let you know what we decide.

Hi, Just wondering what washer you went with. I just had an Electrolux front load delivered to my home but the smell from the chemicals they used on the gasket is just too strong. I can't go near the machine. Electrolux and other companies should disclose this in their advertising as some people have chemical sensitivities/severe sensitivities to such chemicals.

The smell will go away after several loads. Totally!

Hi VS, i know this is an old question, but we’re in the same boat as you: serious chemical intolerance. What washer & dryer did you go with? Were you OK with it? Thx!

Hi Lynne and VS — did the smell go away? what machine have yku been happy with? VS, i was wodnering where you saw that the gasket on LG is antimicrobial i have a fragrance allergy and choose the LG instead of GE because i thought it didnt have this added!! struggling with a scented gsjet in the new LG washer delivered this week thanks for any advice!!

I don't remember there being a smell in the Electrolux we bought. And even if there was a smell, it went away after a few washes. That said, I wish I had bought a work horse like a Speed Queen that was less likely to have mold issues too.

The LG WM4000 washer I purchased 2 weeks ago has released multiple toxic chemicals into my home since then. I am returning it. Based on other complaints I have seen online, foul-smelling chemicals in new LG washers have been reported at least as far back as 2018.

The strongest substances (which hid the smell of other chemicals) were likely organic solvents and industrial cleaning agents. One or more of these emissions gave me a bad headache for 3 days, and also sickened my dog. Those chemicals were successfully removed by running the tub-clean cycle with ammonia about 20 times. But toxic chemicals still remained, and were released into the indoor air with every steam cycle (tub-clean, sanitize, or Allergiene). Subsequently, I followed LG's online advice for removing chemical smells from new front-load washers: running the tub-clean cycle with baking soda and vinegar. But after running another 15 or 20 cycles with those agents, the chemicals are still being emitted.

The residual emissions are irritants, and they are also allergenic. My face turns red and my eyes hurt when I open the door of the machine. Running the machine causes the air in my house to fill with the washer's foul-smelling emissions and produces a rash on my face. The one load of clothing washed in the machine absorbed the foul odor. Skin contact with this clothing causes my skin to itch, rendering it unwearable.

The chemicals that continue to be released are probably anti-mold agents embedded intentionally in the rubber seal. From the odor, I suspect that chlorine or a chlorinated compound is being released, although it could be bromine or a brominated compound. Toxic amounts are released into the indoor air of my home (likely off-gassing from the drain water) during every tub cycle.

I have found similar complaints online about toxic, foul-smelling chemicals being released from new GE, Electrolux, and Samsung front-load washers. For that reason, I am wondering if the large manufacturers source their rubber seals (and perhaps other internal parts that are in contact with water) from a single supplier in China, where environmental regulations are slack or nonexistent. It is worth noting that the LG front-load washer I purchased about 11 years ago did not release toxic chemicals into the wash water or indoor air.

The US Environmental Protection Agency should be investigating this travesty. What a pity that major US manufacturers have opted to expose their customers to toxic, allergenic chemicals rather than teaching them to leave the washer door ajar to prevent the growth of mold, and making that easy to accomplish. My old LG had a catch that allowed the door to be kept ajar without swinging open: a simple, non-toxic solution to a simple problem.

Buy a European washer that is made in Europe with European parts. Miele would be your best bet.

Yea if you have thousands of dollars & like to do numerous loads of wash a day.

A bottomnoine Miele can be had for 1200-1300 US dollars. They are not as small as is thought,

You get what you pay for.