Consumer Reports says that despite the fact that front-loading washers are more efficient than traditional top-loading washers, they do have one major drawback. Mold. And the problem is severe enough that there have been several class action lawsuits filed against LG, Whirlpool, and Sears, whose Kenmore front-loaders are made by Whirlpool.
So what should you do? CR says:
Our advice:
- When washing, use warm or hot water unless a load requires cold.
- Wipe the door gasket and glass dry once you’re done washing.
- Clean the detergent dispenser and any attachments once or twice a month.
- Run a dehumidifier if your laundry room is damp.
If you see mold buildup in a front-loading washer, call the manufacturer for service and save all paperwork related to the purchase and service of your machine. In the Maytag Neptune and Whirlpool Calypso settlements, plaintiffs eligible for restitution needed to document multiple authorized repair visits made during the warranty period and soon after the warranty expired.
In response to the many reader letters we’ve received, we’re asking owners of front-loaders whether repairs they’ve had done to their washers relate to mold alone. We’ll report on the findings from the Annual Questionnaire, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, in future stories.
Does your front loading washer get moldy?
Mold can be a problem for some front-loading washers [Consumer Reports]
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Our front loader cost maybe $150 more than a decent top loader back when we bought it. It’s not fancy, doesn’t come in colors or have special steam settings. The utility savings have made up that $150 difference over and over again. Not to mention we now have the washer and dryer stacked so we save space too. I would never go back to those silly top loaders again.
Wanna save even more on the utilities? Use a clothesline. But I guess that’s a whole ‘nuther subject…
As for the cat inside the washer. With my cat allergy I’d be tempted to run it through the cycle. But maybe since you put your hand in the washer to put the clothes in you could just give a feel around for the pesky ball of fur and pull it out before turning on the machine.
I inherited a Maytag Neptune front loader when we bought our house a couple of years ago. If I had known about the mildew problem then, I would have junked it. It always has an unsightly ring of black mildew on the outer rubber seal. Most disturbing is when the washing cycle dislodges the mildew and then you see it come pouring out of the flexible drain pipe into the slop sink. (shudder)
Unfortunately, since I didn’t buy the washer and don’t have a receipt, there’s no way I can participate in the settlement. I hate, hate, hate the thing and can’t wait until I can save up enough to get rid of it! I’ll never buy a Maytag after this experience.
@billin:
Have you been leaving the door open after a wash? My wife and I have had our Kenmore HE4t for 4 years now, never any mold/mildew. My parents have had their Kenmore HE3t for 7 years, never any mold/mildew. My sister has had her HE5t for 2 years, never any mold/mildew. The common thread through-out all of this? We leave the door open unless we are washing clothes.
I really wanted one of those spiffy looking new style front loaders when we bought the current house. After doing some online research and reading tons of reviews about mold problems and circuit boards dying in some models I decided I didn’t want one so much. I have horrible mold allergies, even a bit lingering on clothes or in the laundry room would make me really ill.
I ended up buying a pair of used top loader style Whirlpool washer & dryer for $225. Not a spec of a problem with either one. I don’t do that much laundry and we hang dry 75% of our laundry so I don’t think I would be saving much.
I’ve used Smelly Washer Cleaner to clean my front loader after a family member (who shall remain unnamed) kept closing the door after use. Fortunately, it got the mildewy smell out of the washer and our towels after one use, or my husband was going to leave the washer out by the curb and buy another top loader.
Y MN T TLL M THS PPL R CLSNG TH FRNT DR ND BTCHNG THT MLD GRWS!? MY TP LDR WLD MLD T F WS DMB NGH T LT MSTR BLD P. FRKN YPP WSHRS.
@pallendo: We try to leave the door open, and that certainly seems to help, but we don’t always remember. Plus, we’re not keen on leaving it open anyway, as the kids tend to play around in that area. Every time we forget to leave it open, the mildew grows right back and puts us at square one. I want a washer where I don’t have to remember to leave the door open – I daresay it doesn’t seem like an unreasonable feature.
Affresh did not help that much. Smelly Washer (www.smellywasher.com) seems to have worked better but it’s too soon to say for sure. I now leave the door wide open for a few hours after the last load and open an inch or two the rest of the time.
It started to get stinky, so I took a few steps before I had a mold problem.
1) I leave the washer door open.
2) Dehumidifier (I had it anyway)..
3) Washer is near a window, so it gets UV light.
4) I put in bleach every few washings.
I did NOT know that cold water was bad. I always use cold, to save on energy costs (ironically).
Weve got a Kenmoore HE3t washer/dryer set. The bulk of the mold buildup is in the detergent cubby. It gets bad enough that the clothing comes out smelling musky. A hot wash with bleach and nothing in the washer, and leaving the door open definitely help the situation. Its tough cause the washer does the best job of any washer weve owned, but the mold get annoying.
Give me a break. Front-loaders are the only washers in use for most of the world other than the US. I’ve used front loaders for at least half my life. You leave the door ajar after using the washer, problem solved.
The early Maytag Neptunes DID have an issue where even this common sense step wouldn’t help, but they’ve redesigned them and offered to repair affected units free.
For those with real Euro front loaders, whatever you do, DON’T use bleach! The chlorine attacks stainless steel and the outer drums of real Euro units is stainless as well as in inner drum. There’s a reason the true euro machines don’t have bleach compartments in them.
Living in Florida, both my beachfront home & in-town homes have front-loaders and NO mold. Even a top-loader will develop mold if you leave the top down.
If you’re like me, and can’t stand bleach (makes my nose run something fierce), you can use vinegar (about a tablespoon or so) in every wash (poured in the fabric softener bin). It seems to keep the musty odor down and it also softens your clothing. We use it for all the cycles – delicates, towels, cottons, etc. Just don’t use too much, or you’ll smell like a pickle.
We’ve had our front loader since 2000 – and 3 moves later, it’s still working great.
If keeping food in an airtight container prevents mold from growing then how is the opposite true for a washing machine with an airtight lid (I guess all the moisture)? Also, cool air holds less moisture than warm air and mold needs moisture to grow. Then again, heat can kill mold. So how would a cold wash promote mold growth? Furthermore, how the hell do I know any of this?
I do know that if I forget a load of wash in my old school top loader for more than a day, even after drying they need to be washed again or else be permeated with that awful, musky mold-odor.
There are also fungicides that one can buy that are safe for clothes and therefor could be safe for spraying in your washing machine after use. A homemade spray of diluted rubbing alcohol would be even better for an after-wash spray. I know that can kill mold and odors though I have no idea of the repercussions of using a bit inside the machine.
I have had my front-loaders for only a few months and literally just now (not ten minutes ago) noticed that the washer smelled kind of weird. Not… bad, but not fresh, either. It’s the first time I’ve noticed it, and I’ve been using the washer a lot more often recently. I’ll definitely leave the door cracked from now on–thanks commenters!
We have had a Maytag Neptune washer for 8 years, in Western Washington
where the humidity and mold is fairly high – mold will grow in any moist
area there if you don’t constantly watch it.. You have to do all the
things stated above, plus have a wash load which uses plain old bleach,
and use my secret weapon of white vinegar. A repairman stated it was
the best way to keep your clothes fresh, but I also found if you pour
white vinegar between loads into the basin as well as the ring around
the basin your mold smell goes away quickly – which is my best indicator
that I am retarding it’s growth. Vinegar is a weak acid so I don’t
think it can harm anything.
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I have a Kenmore front-loader for about 5 months now and I did my research before buying one. One of the most common complaints was the mold issue, so I have always left the door wide open the after my last load for the night. After which, I have left it open a crack. Have not had any issues what-so-ever with it so far.
The slight inconvenience (and by that, I mean VERY slight) does not out-weigh the water saving and benefits of a front loader as oppose to a top loader to me.
So just remember to let it dry out and run the clean cycle with hot water and bleach once a month or so.
Ventilation ventilation ventilation
Many of the people right have said as long as they remember to leave the door open and use bleach in a load a month you should be alright.
I think it was madog that said cool air doesn’t hold moisture but a cooler surface attracts moisture I believe.Look at condensation on a cold drink in the summer or windows in the winter.Probably what happens with the front loaders is that as they cool the moisture get’s more concentrated on particular surfaces.Ventilation helps eliminate that.
Another problem is that many put their appliances like washer and dryer in un ventilated areas like a basement or closet.Those rooms themselves can attract moisture because of the poor circulation of air.
People think because you ‘cleaned’ something in it,it will be clean as well.But it’s the moisture.
When ever possible in you should open up your place and let air circulate through if no other reason to help eliminate all the indoor air pollution other than mold.Most don’t realize how much off gasing occurs on common household stuff from paints & carpets to perfumes,plastics and cleaners.
One more thing on cold surfaces.I think there were some posting here about putting an AC too high with condensation accumulating on the walls.The metal on the machines probably looses heat the quickest which means certain areas will accumulate moisture faster than others.
Ventilation ventilation ventilation.
bluebirdred mentioned the problem of her cats getting into the washer. Yes, you can check for a furry critter before loading the wash, but I’d worry about a cat getting stuck in the washer if someone (maybe even another cat) closes the door. We always close the dryer door after removing a load, to keep the cats from jumping in, but it sounds like we’re not supposed to close the washer door, and that would worry me. I’ve been considering buying a front-loader, but now I’m not so sure.
Oh how I loath top loaders, the agitator literally shreds clothes to pieces in no time. I end up now trotting down a km to a laundromat to use a front loader. I really wish North America would lose it’s obsession with the top loader.
As for the mold problem, when I stilled lived in Europe I never had that. I did leave the door slightly open, and even though the cats (I had then) occasionally opened it and jumped in, they tended to get out when tried to put clothes in.
Frontloader’s FTW.
Yep, it happens to mine.
We moved into a new home with an existing Maytag Neptune washer. It has mold all around the interior door gasket. Since I am not the original owner and don’t have the paper work on it, beyond spending my own money to get it repaired do I have any recourse to get the manufacturer to provide the repair?
NJTrout
We also have LG front loader machines. As others have said, leaving the door open to air it out for a few hours, and wiping the inside of the gasket prevents any problems. Granted, this is a tiny bit of an inconvenience but every technology has it foibles. All in all, we’ve been extremely satisfied with our washer and dryer, and have been since buying them 2+ years ago.
Um, yeah. We leave the washer door cracked open like they say to do in the instructions. No Problems.
we’ve had our LG frontloader for 2 months
within the first week, i made the mistake of leaving a load of towels in the machine over the weekend… when i took them out, the whole machine (and the towels) smelled like mildew. running the machine’s CLEAN cycle with a cup of bleach took care of the machine, and running the towels through on the SANITIZE cycle with some store-brand oxy-clean took care of them.
seriously, leaving the door open helps.
We’ve had a front load Frigidaire washer for almost 4 years and no smell. We always leave the door ajar when not in use.
I’m actually curious to know if this is a water quality issue…like there’s not as much chlorine in the water of those who have mold problems.
Someone should do a study on the location of moldy front loaders vs. non-moldy and see if my theory holds any weight.
I’d do it, but I don’t have a mold issue, so I don’t wanna.
My front loader is only about a month old but I always leave the door open and haven’t had a problem.
I did buy a bottle of Tide with the machine but also placed an order for Charlie’s Soap on line – a natural soap not made from petrolium. I believe Costco’s natural HE soap is very similar and cheaper.
GREAT stuff (haven’t tried Costco’s yet). Clothes come out better that Tide and without the oily residue. No fabric softener needed either.
Be careful with the bleach. Our Bosch specifically says don’t use bleach, as do many other makes. Don’t know if they use different composition in the seals for the North American market but certainly in the UK bleach is largely out.
That’s right — just leave the door open between uses and no mold.
Or just do what we do. Keep the door open after every load.
Yes! Whirlpool duet. Wife started complaining about mold in the washer a few months ago. Unfortunately we’re outside the warranty period… Not sure what to do. We cleaned the hell out of it and have been leaving the door open after washing. This is bullshit to be dealing with on a $1,200 washing machine.
It’s not just front-loading machines! See the Maytag post at falselaborblog.com for a photo of the inside of a top-loading Maytag Atlantis. There is a link to a do-it-yourself remedy for this recurrent problem.
There is a new product on the market called Affresh , they are tablets you run through your washer to get out all the gunked on soap scum and fabric softener deposits that are inside your washer, usually between the outside plastic and inner stainless steel tub. You run them once a month with hot water, and you will have no odor problems. They come in a 3 pack for around $8.00. All the people that use bleach will never truly get the gunk off, all the bleach does is kills the germs on the surface of the scum, you actually need to remove the deposits to make a real difference. The Affresh will do that, it has stuff in it that will dissolve the deposits so that they can wash away.
I bought a LG Tromm front loader two years ago and there is a lot of mold building up. Clothes of course do not smell so good and nowhere in the manual does it talk about mold or leaving the door open. Any solution or recoarse? There is no way you can wipe it down enough to get the gasket dry, despite what LG says. Very frustrating.
We have an LG front load washing maching and mold is always a problem if we close the door between washings. We also wipe out the rubber gasket in front and spray it with Febreze, which is alcohol and water. The soap dispenser also had mold because the pump was not clearing it. New pump. No problem now in that area. We do love the clean, large loads. Barbara Silver
POTENTIAL BUYERS BEWARE
(Current owners – tough luck)
Some of these front load machines have aluminium (Al) spiders connecting the spin drum to the drive pulley.
Aluminium is corroded by, amongst other things, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) otherwise known as ‘bleach’, Sodium carbonate, Sodium percarbonate, (these later two I found listed on the contents of a popular laundry aid), sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) (this one is sometimes used as a stabiliser in ‘bleach’ but I did not find it listed on the two containers of ‘bleach’ I found in our house).
To demonstrate what ‘bleach’ can do to aluminium just find a piece of scrap aluminium, without any coating, or remove the coating and let it sit in air for a couple of days to develop the naturally occurring oxide coating, then put one drop of ‘bleach’, straight from the bottle, onto the aluminium and leave it overnight. The following morning you should have a nice little pile of corrosion products on your aluminium. This is what can happen to aluminium components in your washer, albeit at a much slower rate because the ‘bleach’ is diluted.
To check if any of your laundry products are harmful to aluminium perform an Internet search for the material safety data sheet for the chemical concerned (e.g. Sodium Hydroxide Material Safety data Sheet).
I know these spiders are fitted to some ‘Kenmore’ (manufactured by Frigidaire) machines, some Frigidaire machines sold under their own name, and some GE machines.
This information has been passed to Sears and Frigidaire.
Sears advise that the information ‘will be passed to the appropriate departments’ but have refused to pass any further information on to us.
Frigidaire have assured us that they use only the best quality materials and that they will pass on the information to their design engineers, the very people who would have specified aluminium in the first place. Hardly re-assuring.
Good Luck