DH and I are currently having this same debate. My parents have a GE top loader. My mom loves it. I've used it when visiting and clothes do not get tangled in the washer. With hers(I have no idea if all are like this) you put the clothes in first and the machine "weighs" the load to determine how much water is needed.
I have the Kenmore elite front loader. Overall, I like it. It has the steam treat and steam sanitize cycles, a soak cycle, a clean washer cycle, etc. I do find that my boys clothes get super clean if I add oxyclean and use the "kids cycle" option, however, that cycle takes almost 2 hours!! I find it mildly irritating that I have to keep the door cracked and the detergent drawer open (open cabinets drive me nuts and it's kind of the same thing). I always do that b/c I had heard of the mildew problems with US front loaders. If I had answered this a few weeks ago, I would have answered no mildew problems whatsoever. But just in the past few weeks I am noticing a mildew smell around the gasket of the door- not inside the washer itself- and clothes are fine so far. I guess I need to try to peel it back and wipe it out with bleach or something. I did the "clean washer" cycle twice with bleach but it did not take care of it.
ETA: I've had the machine almost exactly 3 years.
Last edited by Gia; 04-11-2012 at 06:52 AM.
Reason: typo
I have the Kenmore elite front loader. Overall, I like it. It has the steam treat and steam sanitize cycles, a soak cycle, a clean washer cycle, etc. I do find that my boys clothes get super clean if I add oxyclean and use the "kids cycle" option, however, that cycle takes almost 2 hours!! I find it mildly irritating that I have to keep the door cracked and the detergent drawer open (open cabinets drive me nuts and it's kind of the same thing). I always do that b/c I had heard of the mildew problems with US front loaders. If I had answered this a few weeks ago, I would have answered no mildew problems whatsoever. But just in the past few weeks I am noticing a mildew smell around the gasket of the door- not inside the washer itself- and clothes are fine so far. I guess I need to try to peel it back and wipe it out with bleach or something. I did the "clean washer" cycle twice with bleach but it did not take care of it.
ETA: I've had the machine almost exactly 3 years.
You can buy a bottle of cleanser specifically for cleaning the front loaders, and you can wipe down the gasket with the cleaner. Apparently bleach can break down the rubber.
I just wanted to add that we've had a LG front loader for 2 years now with NO mildew issues. I usually leave the door to the washer open for 12-24hrs and once a month or so I open the hose at the bottom that you're supposed to drain (and rinse the filter). Do you all do that?
I use the washer for everything from delicates to cloth diapers and have had no problems. Clothes get clean and I love that my drying time is in 1/2 b/c they spin out so well but without wearing out clothes. Our LG isn't the most expensive one either, it doesn't have the sanitize cycle (heater inside) since ours is installed right behind the water heater we weren't worried about the temp.
Honeygirl- We did not have a problem with ours at 2 yrs either- it just started at almost 3 yrs. We were never told about any hose we were supposed to drain or filter to rinse (but it is a different make than yours)- we were just told to run the clean/sanitize cycle monthly and leave the door/drawer cracked, which I always do. I will check the manual on the hose issue! We recently had to have a repair guy out b/c it was not draining and he had to take apart the whole washer to get to the drain/filter (turns out a baby washcloth had gotten stuck inside). He said they have changed them in the more recent model so there is a way to access it now without taking it apart. I am guessing this is not something I could do (easily) on a regular basis with my model.
Gia - Look at the bottom of the washer, mine is on the left side. It has a little "door" that you take off and then just unscrew the cap from the hose (it's a small hose) for it to drain. I usually put a towel or two down to catch the water. Then on the right side of the hose is a filter cap that I unscrew and rinse off. I am supposed to do this monthly I think, it was on a flyer when the washer arrived. My washer does not have a cycle to clean itself (as far as I know!?!).
Nope, no access door. You have to unscrew the front of the washer to get to everything. I guess this is the change in newer front loader models that the repair man was referring to. He did show dh how to do it in case anything ever gets trapped in the drain again. Sorry for the hijack!
Gia - Look at the bottom of the washer, mine is on the left side. It has a little "door" that you take off and then just unscrew the cap from the hose (it's a small hose) for it to drain. I usually put a towel or two down to catch the water. Then on the right side of the hose is a filter cap that I unscrew and rinse off. I am supposed to do this monthly I think, it was on a flyer when the washer arrived. My washer does not have a cycle to clean itself (as far as I know!?!).
That is interesting to know you're supposed to do it monthly, we had a 20 year old front loader that finally died last year (it was original to the apartment building). We did have the front access door in the old washer, but in our new washer, there's no access door (make is Electrolux).
Instead of having "answers" on a math test, they should just call them "impressions," and if you got a different "impression," so what, can't we all be brothers?
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Originally Posted by Gia
