These types of trademarked "features" are hilarious to me. More working parts to fail which will provide the service network with an added stream of income. All you need to do is leave the door ajar. It's really that simple. Why do you need a fan for that?

It seems the washing machine manufacturers are on a race to trademark and promote every little basic thing - FanFresh, Affresh, Oxy dispenser, AquaStop, blah blah. Now countless people are going to be relying on FanFresh and derivatives to make up for poor laundering practices. Who would leave their damp clothes in the machine overnight? I mean really.

I was hoping that I could put a few lightweight sweaters/blouses into the washer and have it wash and "dry" them. My daughters seem intent on buying tops that say lay flat to dry, and I thought that if this feature would work, I'd have them throw their blouses/sweaters in the washer at night, and they'd be ready to hang up the next morning.

That's what both GE and whirlpool claim... See link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dry Clothes in the Washer! Whirlpool FanFresh

Thanks for the link to the youtube video. I'm really hoping to find someone with actual experience with this feature, because I think it could be very useful for all the lay flat to dry items. It seems that more and more apparel manufacturers are putting very restrictive care instructions on the labels. Does laying flat to dry reduce the pilling on acrylic sweaters? I can't think of any other reason that acrylic couldn't be put in the dryer on a low setting.

I have to agree, that these new tradmark features are a gimmick. Whats the diffence if the wash blows outside air in the wsher to dry a fe items or you put them in the dryer and use no heat (air Dry) to dry them. When I had my front loader washer I never had a need for this feature, use to wash clothes at night and dry them in the morning all the time, never had issues with smells and such. Used it for almost 10 yrs, never left the door open or wiped the rubber gasket.

I'm interested to see if anyone else has experience with these features as well. I think that the fan sounds great if it means I don't have to keep the door ajar to prevent the mold/mildew issue so prevalent amongst FLs. This would be my first FL machine and I'm really concerned with having to leave the door open seeing as I have three kids under 4 and feel like this would be a safety issue.

I just bought a Maytag with this feature. I understood it to be a way to keep your clothes from getting musty if you forget them in the washer, or if you choose to leave them overnight or something. It doesn't seem to be the equivalent of leaving the door ajar (aokat15, I always put the Control Lock on when I leave the door ajar, so if kids mess around they won't be able to turn the machine on), nor was it marketed in the Maytag materials as being a way to dry the clothes.

The fan is great if you forget the clothes, or get delayed emptying the washer. The clothes don't dry, but they do stay clean. I love mine. Just got a new washer without that feature, and I miss it terribly.

I will post here to discuss this topic since it was already bumped. My Duet has FanFresh. It has been a blessing in disguise. Leaving clothes in the machine overnight is not an issue. Especially in winter when it is very dry inside, I can leave a load of towels in the machine and they will slowly release moisture into the air overnight. Not only does this keep them fresh, it also humidifies the air and slowly reduces the moisture content of the towels. Our machine's boot and other surfaces are virtually dry when opening the machine the next morning. Certain companies provide a product that can be mounted on the back of the washer and run all the time. This would be an issue when performing warmer washes as it would slowly reduce the temperature. Otherwise that is the best alternative possible if your machine does not have the option.

We have a very good friend that has a newer Duet with the option, and she runs it on every cycle. As the typical modern housewife, she likely leaves items in the machine for extended periods of time. This feature is a life saving option to keep the machine and clothes smelling fresh. A majority of people keep their door closed for far too long!

In short, spring for the more expensive machine with the option if you can! Lol.