anyone have mold problems with front loading washers?
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Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:17 pm

Has anyone experienced mold problems or odorous clothes coming from a front loading washer? I've had mine for two years and it has just started. I've paid enough for this machinery.

free skin care · Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:06 pm

Hello! I have always left the door of mine open when the washer wasn't in use (have had 2 of them over the years) and it was fine.

Perhaps running it empty on a hot cycle with a lot of bleach, wiping the rubber seal around the door thoroughly with a bleach solution and then leaving the door open to dry henceforth might work?

free skin care · Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:14 pm

I've had my new front loading LG washer & dryer for a few months. I'm in love with them. They're Bahama Blue, on the raised drawers, and perform beautifully.

The guys who set them up for us told me to wipe the moisture off the door of the washer each time it's used, so I usually do that. No odor or mold yet, but my sister said they have front loaders at their church daycare, and they've gotten pretty funky smelling, from being in constant use and not being wiped down I guess. The washer uses so much less water than my old 20 year old top loader; I'm not sure why the leftover moisture is a problem, but I guess we just have to be careful.

free skin care · Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:02 pm

I've read that this is a common problem with front loaders - why else would they market a special cleaner just to get rid of the smell (it doesn't work too well)? I have a front loader too - an LG. I try to periodically wash something (dog towels, etc.) in hot water with bleach to keep the smell at bay. I also keep the door open when not in use. And my LG has a drain on the lower left side that if it's going to be sitting for a while (& sometimes "just because"), I drain out the standing water - usually about a quart or so.

free skin care · Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:19 pm

I also have an LG and although I haven't noticed any smell, I very much regret purchasing it. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think these machines clean as well as the top loaders....

The ability to soak my towels or what have you in hot water with bleach before washing or open the lid during the cycle to let things soak for a while is very sorely missed. Also am unable to use 'pucks' for detergent etc because they just don't dissolve... they wind up just bunched into some clothing item Sad

Very very sorry I switched...

free skin care · Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:27 pm

top loaders are unusual in the UK so I've always had a front loader. If they are used regularly and the door is left open, then there is no smell. Stinks arise when they either aren't used more than three times per week or you keep the door closed.

If you live in hard water areas it's a good idea to use a descaler once a month and I wash all my rags on a bleach wash once a month as well.

free skin care · Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:15 pm

We've had ours for about 2 years and never had a smell/mold problem. I've never even heard that mold could be a problem. I never wipe the door and never leave it open between uses. I do alot of white loads with bleach so maybe that helps? Just wondering though if anyone else has a problem with the legs of their pants all twisting up when the load is done. I always put the spin on the medium cycle so that it's not as fast and they still twist up so when I put them in the dryer they are always very wrinkled.

free skin care · Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:15 pm

I have the mold smell and twisted clothing. Trying to get son and husband to not leave clothes in washer and leave door open. My machine has a cleaning program to use 1x a month which includes running bleach and hot water using a special cycle. I will have to wipe down with bleach. I think the twisting may be not enough clothing in machine.

free skin care · Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:25 am

The instruction manual for mine specifically advises to leave door open when not in use to prevent the possibility of it getting moldy.

free skin care · Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:12 pm

We just bought one this summer. The manufacturer recommendation is to leave the door open between washings to prevent mold. Mold can cause damage to the machine and if that is the determining cause, it can void the warranty.

Having said that - we love ours.

Betsy

free skin care · Sat Oct 04, 2008 4:32 pm

I also leave the door of my front loader slightly ajar between loads and haven't had any problems with mold. The one thing I have noticed is if I load it more than 2/3 full, the clothes don't come out clean.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:40 am

Thanks for the input everyone. I found that leaving the door open and running the monthly bleach wash still resulted in moldy smelling clothes. A friend suggested trying Borax with my whites because bleach damages the washer, and I am happy to report that the wiping, the door open and the Borax have kept the mold away!

free skin care · Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:15 pm

Had mine for 2 weeks HATED IT water in the seal etc now have a Fisher Paykel love it would never buy a front load big waste of money

Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:06 am

I have a front loader LG steam washer/dryer in one and love it! I do leave the door open when it's not in use and have not had any problems. I use it maybe once a week on average but since I travel a lot it goes through long periods of not being used at all and then periods of being used a lot in a short period of time. Never had to wipe the seals/door down. My suggestion, on top of leaving the door open, would be to also clean out the filter on a regular basis.

free skin care · Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:25 pm

As I'm in the UK, I've only had a front loader, never had a top loader. I have used one a few times in France (no problems) and also when visiting a friend in the Bahamas who had a top loader from the US, which literally shredded the neck of a cotton cardigan....!! I was also surprised when I used the Laundress line detergents from the US that you need to use half as much detergent in front loader than a top loader so those top loaders are not very eco...

It's probably best to keep the door open to air but it's not practical for me as I live in a flat and my washing machine is in a cupboard in the hallway so I'd need to leave the cupboard door open and wouldn't then be able to walk in the hallway! That said, I've never had mould problems. And one may be more likely to get mould if your washing machine was in a basement (as in the American 'soaps'..appropriate!)

I don't know if it's made a difference to my machines but I always do at least one 'boil wash' a week (in reality 90 degrees c which is the max my machine does) with wash cloths etc but I also do a maintenance wash once a month to keep the washing machine and drain pipes clear. Partly to do with living in a hard water area, but also my washing machine shares pipes with the kitchen sink so this has extra benefits in my case. This maintenance wash is basically a max temperature wash with no clothing or detergent (v important), I put in a cup of soda crystals or baking soda or bicarb of soda and two cups of vinegar. I put this into the compartment rather than the drum to help clean the machine's internal pipes.

I am not sure about cleaning the rubber with bleach, it may damage the rubber. Though if you dilute it before you apply and then do a plain hot wash on afterwards it may prevent too much damage.

free skin care · Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:35 pm

So what's the difference between a front loader and those typical regular washer? Embarassed

free skin care · Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:17 pm

Well the top loaders are a historic US thing (and I think Australia too) whilst in Europe we have mainly had front loaders.

I haven't looked too much into things but I understand the front loaders use a lot less water than top loaders as they are called HE for High Efficiency. Also, when I was in the Bahamas I noticed the top loader I used there took longer, so presumably they take more energy too. My limited experience was that top loaders are harsher on clothes and an English person I know who lives in the States said that too, but as that's just two of us, that could be subjective.

My brand of choice on washing machines is Miele but sadly I currently don't have room for a standard sized machine but only a less deep one, so have a Bosch.

free skin care · Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:12 pm

I leave the door open when not in use.

Some people say front loaders use less detergent than top loaders. And the clothes come out cleaner too.

Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:56 pm

I agree with daisylondon on the differences between the top loaders and the front loaders. As an observation though, I have found the top loaders to be better at cleaning large loads of clothes and also to take *much* LESS time than the front loaders. My front loader does have a quick cycle but the standard cycles are much longer than those of my parents' top loader.

A few years back top loaders were probably >80% stock in the stores in Australia. Now we have a fair few more front loader options than before because they certainly do use a lot less water (something that we have a shortage of) and are generally more efficient with energy use. From my experience, the front loaders are also quieter.

There is one obvious disadvantage with the front loaders - if you forgot to chuck something in, tough! With the top loaders you can open the cover at any time and add more stuff.

free skin care · Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:39 pm

I found that the front loading washers did not rinse very well. the clothes did not seem as clean. but I guess they are easier on the clothes with less agitation.

free skin care · Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:24 pm

I have a Bosch front loader for about 5 years -LOVE it.

Cleans so much better then any of the front loader machines I had before, does not rip clothes, etc.

I do not leave the door open, and I am not using bleach at all (actually the manual explicitly prohibits it).

I did research quite a bit which detergent to use, etc. - so now I use a combo of Charlie's Soap, OXY and Shaklee's Spot remover - all very healthy, no bad chemicals, comes out - perfect (whites are truly white, towels are fluffy, etc.).

I have read about mold problems ( I believe it was specific to LG and may be Whirlpool). There is a very interesting website - http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/ where you can find the answers and suggestions to most of the questions.

free skin care · Sat Jan 24, 2009 10:51 pm

sigma wrote:

I have read about mold problems ( I believe it was specific to LG and may be Whirlpool). There is a very interesting website - http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/ where you can find the answers and suggestions to most of the questions.

I had a Maytag with serious mildew problems...got rid of it. Shock

My sister has the LG, and also had mildew problems that were solved by wiping out residual water from the big rubber door seal after using, and leaving the washer open (an absolute requirement).

free skin care · Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:57 am

I have the front loader Maytag Neptune. I hate it!! I have had the rubber seal replaced numerous times and I still get the mold smell and now I have new black mold spots. I've tried the Afresh and have had good results with removing the smell but it still leaves the black dots.

I am now looking into getting the new Samsung front loader with the Silver Technology. Water passes over the silver plates and this prevents the mold and disinfects without the use of hot water. Just need to save up and wait for a good sale.

free skin care · Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:25 pm

I've had a National front loading washer/dryer for around 3 years now. It is also the economy water user (wash load up to 9kg uses 35 ltr of water compared to old top loader that was max. 6kg load using 72 ltr of water) and I have never really noticed a problem with clothing not being cleaned properly.

I love ours because the door is on an upwards angle, not just flat-front, which means it is possible to stop mid wash and toss in something else.

We've started to have a few dryer issues in the last few months (probably more my fault than the machine), but other than that it has been a total godsend to our busy lives.

Like others, I leave the door ajar and do a maintenance wash (mine has a cycle, but the longest wash with hottest water would do) with bi-carb/vinegar regularly. I clean the dryer filter after every load dried (have to really) and there is a lamp to tell me when the regular filter needs a clean.

I have not had any mold problems on the rubber door and only really wipe over it with a microfiber cleaning cloth if I notice some fluff stuck on it. (I really should do it once a month though).

Anyway, I dont think it is a problem just of front loaders... even top loaders not left open to dry after use will go moldy and produce smelly clothing too.

(doohicus, sometimes the leg twisting can be from too many clothes too)

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