front load washers
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
November 15, 2012 1:06pm CST
Well if you read my other discussion you'd know my washer is not in good shape. Now the one store we've bought our appliances at has a sale on a front load LG washer and a GE top load both being HE (the GE being what appears to be a similar/same model to mine). And of course another model I was considering won't be a good price til black friday, so then I may have to worry about if I wait til then what if they don't have any in stock on black friday? or I do go with the one that's on sale now & they have a 30 day price match as well.
Either way I need the HE for my septic system so I can't really get away with a regular washer. But anyway a girl at work told me if we went with the front loader we'd have to clean it! I was like clean it... it's a washing machine? Then I was reading some reviews on problems with the front loaders an the seals on the doors. Then there was the dreaded "black mold" & smelly clothes possibility! IDK what to think on this! I really don't feel like having to clean my washer and buy special soap to keep the machine from smelling?!?!? Pulling out dispensers so they dry after every use.
Then I was reading you could buy a special fan to run air thru the machine to help prevent mold from the moisture build up. Really is all this extra stuff I'd have to do and buy make it worth my wild to get a front loader? Has anyone bought of those fans and thoughts on it? I just don't want to spend a lil more on a front loader to create more work and expense when the HE top loader would work out just fine and about $150 cheaper KWIM? Your experience would be appreciated!
2 people like this
9 responses
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
15 Nov 12
Mom had a front loader when I was growing up and she always left the door ajar when she wasn't using it. She said it kept it from growing mold. In fact, that's how I found out how mold grows. I never saw her clean it but then, she always washed at least one load of whites each week and always added a little bleach so that probably took care of cleaning it.
Sounds like a lot of work for someone already busy with family and work! I'd get the machine with the 30 day price match if it was a good deal. I don't know why anyone would want a front loader, too much chance of a disaster as I see it.
2 people like this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
15 Nov 12
I was thinking though even if we kept the door open we would still need the lil fan gadget anyway. Our basement can be fairly damp so I would think even if I left the door open we still could have a problem. Dehumidifiers maybe last 1-2 yrs in our basement and I had to empty the bucket up to 2x a day.
Yes it does sound like some extra work I may not have time nor remember to do. Well you know front loaders are the latest and greatest which is probably why hubby suggested that one and it uses even less water than a top loader HE. IDK nothing is made well anymore and companies don't stand behind their products either.
2 people like this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
15 Nov 12
Wow, you have a really damp basement!! Have you thought of putting a fan in the door to draw that moisture into the main house? It would really help in the winter, humid air makes the place feel warmer. Have you checked for leaks around the foundation? How about caulking around where the walls meet the floor? I have a vent open in my basement year round to keep the upstairs floors warm in the winter and cool in the summer and it doesn't add anything to my bill since the heat/AC doesn't have to work so hard that way to maintain the temp. It really helps keep the basement dry, too.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
15 Nov 12
Even with the vents open our basement is usually about 20 degree's cooler than upstairs. So if I ran a fan in the basement to blow upstairs in winter it would make upstairs cooler than it already is. A good idea in summer though as I've done that with a big box fan at the bottom of the steps.
Oh I'm sure we could use more everything to seal up the basement and the rest of the house. Trust me my list is huge of things we need to update and upgrade BUT as long as I only work part time and are in alot of debt we have to take things on an emergency basis :(
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
15 Nov 12
I just bought a new washer and dryer....but mine is the usual top load. Both my daughters have the front load and love it....but they have never mentioned that you have to clean it or have a fan on it....I love my new set. Its so much bigger then the last one I had.....
2 people like this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
15 Nov 12
I'd love to just have a regular washer but with a septic the less water I run the better off I am.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
15 Nov 12
I am afraid I am of no help to you. I have only ever had top load washing machines. I would probably just go with the HE top loader if it were me. I don't think I would want to deal with all the extra hassle of the front load. It is hard for me to get myself to do laundry as it is.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
16 Nov 12
I don't mind doing wash. I just don't like putting it away or finding somewhere to put it if I'm ahead of what room there is in the dressers ect.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
15 Nov 12
hi 3snugglebunnies I lived in El Dorado Gardens apt. complex and they
had all front load washers. I never saw any mold on the rubber gaskets
and i really do not think anyone went around and did anything special
to them, the one handyman they had did all the gardening and I never
saw him cleaning in the wash room I went to.I really do not think you
have to go to all that expense. I always wiped off any residue with some
paper towels but I never saw black mold.but I think top loaders are
much easier t o use.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
16 Nov 12
The mold to my understanding is in the HE versions and water doesn't fully exit the pump and sits there getting yucky til it's used again. IDK but always something to think about.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
17 Nov 12
I have heard about the mold build up too. I have pretty much stuck with the top load washer. I know some people that have front loaders and they love them, but there was one guy that I knew that complained about the smell and had to buy special stuff to clean it. For me, I don't want to spend more on the washer and then even more on all the other stuff. It just doesn't sound like a win for me.
@Sindelle (824)
• United States
16 Nov 12
I'd be interested to read some of these responses for myself. I will be purchasing a new washer and dryer soon too. I've always heard front load washers were the best. I was considering putting out the extra money for one myself. They say they're easier on your clothes, use less water, and not having an agitator gives them an extra large capacity. Like you I've never heard about any mold problems though. Front load washers are so much more expensive it seems so silly that you'd have to deal with nasty smelling mold and buying a silly fan.
Have you considered getting one of those new top loading washers with no agitator? They seem like they have many of the advantages the front loading washer has such as extra capacity and being easier on your clothes. Also they cost hundreds of dollars less. Does anyone here have an opinion on those perhaps? I've been debating between the two designs.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
16 Nov 12
I've had my front loader for several years and I don't have a problem with these things.
I've been told that the "softener dispense" is a mold trap by a repair guy so we don't use fabric softeners any more.
Front loaders use less water, that's why I bought it.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
16 Nov 12
i would never get a front loader.seals go bad and it pops open,you got a flood.
at least with a top loader you've got half a chance.
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
16 Nov 12
We just into a new place recently that came with a front-loading washer/dryer. Prior to this, I had never used a front-loading machine.
So far, I like the machine. Of course, it isn't exactly the same as what you are looking at; however, it is in the same vein.
With a front-loading machine, it does make loading and unloading (especially, the latter) easier. I really like that.
The machine I have seems to do a nicer job of spinning the clothes than any top-loader I've ever dealt with; I know that when I've retrieved things from it (pieces I didn't want to put through the dryer cycle), the clothes seem a lot drier than they have with other machines I've used in the past.
As for the seal holding up and issues with mold, I haven't had enough experience with the machine yet to be able to really speak to either. I suspect that, given that my unit also has a dryer built in, the latter is unlikely to be an issue with this particular machine.
