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]

Anonymous writes:

I work at a Best Buy store and I discovered this bit of information while going through employee news. Whirlpool and Maytag top-loading washers will no longer come with the inlet water hoses (the hot and cold water hoses), but they will be sold separately. The loss of our free delivery, combined with the previous price hike for range and dryer power cords (from 19.99 to 27.99) a short while ago, irritated me enough to pass this along to you folks.

These two images are from the printout I made of the employee news item. I had to take them with my phone because my scanner is not working and I apologize for the bad quality but everything should be readable.

As far as I know, washer hoses will still come with Whirlpool and Maytag front loading washers.

How to take care of your parents $6000 refrigerator using an Executive Email Carpet Bomb [Ron in Israel]

-Matt

Well Matt, We've been hearing mixed things about this Maytag dishwasher recall. Our friend Reader Steve just received a brand-new dishwasher from Maytag because they simply called him to ask if he was happy with his repair...and he wasn't. (Because there was no repair.)

Reader Sandy had the Maytag man over to her place to repair her dishwasher... and he broke it. Sandy advises: "If Maytag sends you the scary "you're all gonna catch on fire and die" letter, do not proceed with the repair just yet. Instead, just sit in front of your dishwasher with a fire extinguisher while it's running . You'll be better off in the long run."

So, what we're saying to you, Matt, is that Maytag is inconsistent. The only real advice we can give comes from Reader Leor. He pestered Maytag into sending a free dishwasher. What was his secret? He used email.

Leor writes:

I have one of the defective Maytag dishwashers that was recalled. After waiting over a month, I did not yet get a repair kit. I started complaining and send emails to the director of investor relations and customer support. After several weeks of correspondence, I got them to give me a new machine for free! They are replacing my 6.5 year old model with a brand new comparable model, free pickup and installation. Seems that they are so backlogged on repair kits ( I was #253 in the queue), that if you complain loudly, they will respond.

Matt, this leads us to recommend the EECB, or Executive Email Carpet Bomb. You can learn how to launch one by clicking here. Maytag's email format is: firstname.lastname@whirlpool.com or firstname_lastname@whirlpool.com.

Good luck to you.

(Photo:redjar)

Read his email inside.

Steve writes:

A few months ago, I saw a full-page ad in Parade (or one of the Sunday supplements) about a recall of Maytag dishwashers. The photo in the ad looked like mine. I checked the serial numbers, and mine WAS included. I called the Maytag number, and followed the instructions. I got a letter from Maytag with instructions on who to call. The local repaiman came to the house and said that he would also need to replace the circuit board, and would order it from Maytag. That was almost a month and a half ago.

Last night I got a phone call from Maytag, asking me if I'd received the circuit board and if the dishwasher was repaired. I said we hadn't received the circuit board and that the dishwasher was still out of commission. The woman from Maytag (I'm sorry, but I forgot her name—I was kinda shocked by the call) said that Maytag regrets that they will be unable to supply the circuit board, but that she would forward my file on to another division. They would be in touch with me regarding the delivery of a free, new dishwasher.

Time will tell if they're as good as their word. I'm just shocked that they're replacing the whole damn washer instead of just giving me a coupon for $100 off a new washer (that was one option when I first called—either a repair or a $100 coupon off a new dishwasher).

I remember the trouble a friend had getting satisfaction with her Maytag Neptune clothes washer and the bad press they got. Maybe someone at Maytag is on the ball.

Anyway, just thought you'd like to know about a company that seems to have its customer service hat on correctly.

(Photo: redjar)

Hazard: Water leakage onto the electrical connections to the washing machine's thermal sensor could cause an electrical short and ignite a circuit board, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Sold at: Major department and appliance stores nationwide from April 2005 through August 2006 for between $1,000 and $1,200.

Step 1: Click here to see if your serial number matches the recall. Not all washers are being recalled.

Step 2: For more information, consumers can call Maytag toll-free at (800) 868-5109 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or go to Maytag's Web site at www.washerrecall.com - Samsung customers can call (800) 515-7902 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or go to Samsung's Web site at www.Samsung.com/washerrecall

—MEGHANN MARCO

Maytag and Samsung Brand Front Loading Washing Machines Recalled Due to Fire Hazard [CPSC] (Thanks, LAGirl!)

How To Disable The Potential Fiery Inferno:

Consumers should immediately stop using these dishwashers, disconnect the electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker controlling it and inform all users of the dishwasher about the risk of fire. Contact Maytag for either a free in-home repair, or a $75 cash back reimbursement following the purchase of a new Maytag , Jenn-Air , Whirlpool or KitchenAid dishwasher. Consumers should not return the dishwasher to the retailer where it was purchased, as retailers are not prepared to take units back.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Maytag Corporation at (800) 675-0535 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.repair.maytag.com. According to the AP, you may have a hard time getting through on the phone, as Maytag is experiencing a deluge of calls.—MEGHANN MARCO

Maytag Recalls Dishwashers Due To Fire Hazard [CPSC]

On the upside, there was a class action lawsuit that was settled in your favor, making it possible for you to have your Neptune repaired—including that fetid, molding gasket. We'd suggest heading over to the settlement site to determine what you need to do to get your electric warsh tub fixed.

Unfortunately for the future, it would appear that Maytag is going to merge with Whirlpool. That might improve Maytag's bad quality issues of late, since many have recommended Whirlpool units over their Maytag equivilents, but it's possible that the Maytag acquisition could drag Whirlpool's quality down. Time will tell.

Update: A call to the Maytag customer care center has clarified the confusing wording of the settlement site. In short, if you haven't already filed a claim with Maytag about your Neptune, you're up a creek. Sorry.

1). Maytag Neptune front loading washer. They oughta call this the TwistMaster. Even on the hand-wash cycle, a garment with any length to it—pant legs, shirt sleeves—comes out twisted and knotted. The twisting also stretches the item. Further, even drying on a gentle cycle doesn't always relax the wrinkles that the twisting imparts. Oh, and another thing: the rubber gasket around the door opening surpasses agar in a Petrie Dish as the perfect medium for growing mold. A real piece of shit, purchased at a premium price. Good for greasy shop towels, though!

More of Bob's bad purchases, which probably entertain us far more than is reasonable, after the jump.

2). Toro CCR 1000 snow blower. When they designed this gem, Toro's human engineering department must have been out to lunch. It's got an electric starter. But unfortunately, the socket where you plug in the power cord is located way down underneath the rear part of the housing. To plug it in you've got to tilt the unit waaay forward—and then the gas runs out of the top. Not only is the socket located way down low, it's recessed into a little dark hole, so you can't even see it. You have to plug it in by feel. This wouldn't be so bad if the socket and plug weren't of the one-wide- and one-narrow-blade type. So, you've got a 50-50 chance each time to get it right. Why is it trial and error? No one thought to put a little diagram next to the dark hole to tell you how to orient the plug to the socket.

3) Almost forgot the thing about Jockey products. Today I bought three 3-packs of Jockey Classic T- shirts and washed them in the TwistMaster. ( I always wash new clothing before I wear it, doesn't everyone?) Well these came out of the dryer looking like they'd be a good fit for a well-fed hog—they're about as wide as they are long. Looking at the package label more closely, I read the phrase, "Comfortable Modern Fit." Pretty good code which means, no doubt, "Will fit even the morbidly obese." And here's another interesting thing. The T-shirts in each 3-pack were made in a different country—the shirts in one 3-pack were made in Jamaica, those in the second were made in Honduras, and the shirts in the third were made in the United States. I didn't realize this until I was folding the shirts and found that three of them were of especially poor quality, with improperly sewn hems, sagging neck lines, and pulled seams. Can you guess the country of origin of these three shirts? Yep, all made proudly in the the good ol' US of A. I'll be calling 1-800-JOCKEY1 first thing tomorrow. Should Jockey not permit me to return the shirts, looks like I've got some more shop towels.