Kaismom, I am like you with respect to chlorine bleach. I think it's pure evil ;-) and never use it. I do use Tide with Bleach (oxygen bleach) or add oxygen bleach to my white loads with other detergents. Very happy with how they come out on Sanitary cycle in my FL LG (prior and current model).

As to washing wool and cashmere, I use the dedicated Wool/Handwash cycle and love it. I wear a lot of 100% cashmere and 100% wool sweaters and they come out great using Vaska. I am also a knitter so I wash my shawls and other hand knitted items (socks go in with the regular loads since they are superwash wool). Make sure you get a washer with a specific Wool cycle (has the Woolmark sign next to it). The only issue is that you cannot wash a lot of them at a time. I usually will do 5-6 sweaters in one load. I just washed all of my winter sweaters before putting them away and it took me a few days since my drying space is limited ;-)
I don't use the delicate cycle for wool/cashmere because I find it agitates too much. But the delicate cycle is good for silk and synthetic tops and blouses, PJs etc.
So I am happy with my LG FL for both whites (on Sanitary cycle) and wool/cashmere (on Wool/Handwash cycle).
Hope this helps.

I've been pretty impressed with the way whites come out in my Electrolux 70 series. They are light years whiter than my old toploader ever got them, especially my son's socks, which occasionally spend short periods outside. (sigh) It does have a heater to maintain the temperature. I'm also impressed that my dishtowels always come out spotless. We are big espresso drinkers here, and I use my dishclothes on fine coffee grounds, espresso drips, and to wipe down the machine often. No stains, ever. I use Tide Vivid powder, no chlorine bleach.

I use the handwash cycle for delicates and woolens, no problem with damage and they come out beautifully.
Cj

This post was edited by cj47 on Mon, May 6, 13 at 13:28

Miele W4842 owner here. It has an onboard heater. Our whites come out "white" . Sometimes I use a detergent with oxygen bleach, sometimes not.

It was the same with our old conventional TL washer; not much difference..

Everything comes out the whitest when I use Persil Sensitive, but it makes us itch (probably the perfume), so that's only used on a rare occasion.

I think liquid chlorine bleach tends to "yellow" white fabrics and the fabrics do not last as long.

Hope this helps.

I wash whites at 140úF on the Extra White cycle, does the job every time!

I either use the Extra White cycle in my Miele W4842 large front load washer (140F) or sometimes I use the Sanitize cycle (158F)...and my whites are flawlessly white and bright. NO Chlorine bleach. I honestly tried bleach several times in my Miele...but with the onboard heater and the awesome machine, it does not need bleach. I use Persil MegaPerls or Tide he powder. Perfect whites everytime!!!

whites from my Sammy 520 are as white as newly purchased white clothes. I Don't use bleach--I use oxiclean powder, along with detergents. hot, soft water, of course...