I tried 3 machines at home, 2nd floor, new construction. The LG was my first pick, but the pump was noisy and it had a lot of vibration. Tried the whirlpool steam, but didn't really want steam, was much more costly, and hubby didn't like the belt/bearing system. Ended up with the Samsung VRT technology. Ive been very happy with it so far. Cleans the clothes, doesn't shake the walls/floors, and I think as quiet as Im going to get. As far as the mold, this one does leave a puddle of water in the rubber gasket in 2 places so I do wipe id down when completely done and leave the door open for about 2 days. No smell or problems yet. Only had it for about 2 months now. Its really hard to test these things as I get through all the laundry I have in about 4 loads now in a day. I have a family of 7, 3 teenagers. I only have to do laundry now 1 to 2 times a week, versus about a load every day so the weekend isn't so packed with laundry. Its nice! Love the FL. Just a small bit of maintenance in the beginning seems to be all it needs to not have mold problems later on.

I have had my Kenmore Elite HE3t (similar to current HE5t) washer for over 5 years with no mold, odor, or buildup. When I shine a flashlight though the inner wash basket, I can see the outer plastic drum is spotless.

The only maintenance I do is empty out any left over water in the dispenser drawer when I am done washing for the day, and wipe any excess water from the rubber boot. I leave the door slightly ajar.

My washer does not have a clean washer cycle, but I did once run a cycle with the afresh FL washer cleaner tablet just because I wanted to try it.

I use a variety of detergents, mostly HE, though have been using up big container of regular cheer detergent someone gave me. HE detergents I have used include Tide, Gain, All, Cheer, Sears, and Charlies Soap.

I am very careful about dosing, and since I generally don't have very dirty or large loads, usually get away with using about 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. I have medium hard water.

I do use hot washes weekly, for whites and towels, and do use a little bleach with those loads. I always select the extra rinse option. I think the occassional use of hot water and bleach must help keep the machine fresh. I use liquid fabric softener for most loads, using about 1/2 the recommended amount.

Joe

We have had a Frigidaire 2940 set for two years with no mold problems whatsoever. Every few months I clean out the dispenser drawer and periodically wipe the rubber boot around the door with an old towel. I use HE detergent and a minimum dosage at that. I also leave the washer door slightly ajar to air out after use. I think a lot of the problems people have is with ODing on detergent and softener and not allowing the machine to dry out after use.

Before the 2940 set, we had a front-load Kenmore made by Frigidaire. No mold problems with that machine either. My son and his GF now have that machine, still no problems, and it is almost 9 years old.

We have an LG Steam W/D set and saw how the water on the rubber door seal and in the detergent dispenser could cause a mold problem, so from the first time we used it we just leave the door and dispenser open until they are dry. No problems at all.

Bosch 500 series, 2+ years on second floor...

Charlie's powder, no FS, once in a while vinegar, always extra rinse

Typically do a very hot or sanitize load as my 'last' load of the day, then wipe sown the gasket and door with an old wash cloth, put that at the top right corner of the door to 'prop' it open and the raise the lid on the detergent dispenser to let it air out...

No problems with mold or smell....

joe_in_philly, Is that HE detergent, powder or liquid or both ?

My 1yr FL just started noticing the mold smell, cleaned the bottom rubber lip and around the drum/basket front edge.

Have been using Tide HE liquid.

Will be switching to powder as soon as it's gone.

Have (and used) Sears Ultra w/OxiClean a few times...

I have had a Frigadaire front loader for nine years with absolutely no mold problems. Often I will leave a clean load in until the next day, also with no problem. I have always left the front door open in between uses, long before I knew that some have developed mold issues. It just made sense to me to let the machine dry out between uses.

Yesterday we realized there was a strong mold odor coming from the laundry room. Never heard of the mold issue with front loaders before, but there it was on our Kenmore . . . brown gook along the rubber seal and an awful odor. In retrospect, we remembered a faint browning which appeared to look like a discoloration from excessive heat along the rubber boot. We spent a half-hour cloroxing it down, pulled back the boot and discovered a well of brown mold below it. Yuk! Still smells this morning, but not as strong. We have never left the door open before.

In order to address the mold issue in front loaders and help prevent the problem of mold, you have to eliminate the conditions that promote mold growth. Front loaders have to be more air tight than top loaders to prevent water leaking out of machine. I have a Maytag Neptune purchased May 1999 and have never had a problem with mold (or any other issue). I always wipe the boot out and leave the door open. At least once a week, I do a hot water wash (towels and white clothes) with bleach.

regus,

The HE detergents I have used are mostly liquid. Once in a while I will use the Tide powder, but usually the liquid. The Sears detergent I have used is a powder, as well as Charlie's Soap.

I wish there were more HE powders available. If I use a prewash or presoak, which is actually pretty rare, I cannot use liquid detergent in the main wash compartment as it will seep out too early. When I use the delay wash feature, the detergent will seep out before the cycle starts, but that does not effect results.

After reading some additional posts, I should mention I am NOT an overnighter*. I usually remove the laundry as soon as the washer finishes. If I am busy, I set the delay timer so the wash will finish when I am around to put it in the dryer.

For very dirty loads, like dirty white socks, I prefer to run a longer hot cycle to get them clean instead of adding extra detergent. To save time, I will use the delay timer so the load finishes when I return home from running errands or work, or just as I get up in the morning. I feel like I get a jump on the day when I can wake up and put a washed load in the dryer and start another wash load right away.

Joe

*For those who have missed previous threads about this issue, an "overnighter" is someone who leaves a load of wet laundry in the washer overnight. ;-)

I use to have a Frigidaire FL washer , I had it for seven years, I never left the door open, I didnt know about leaving the door open or wiping it down, I used reg powder detergents and I always used FS. After having for almost 7 yrs I started to get a bad smell of mold and found it was growing in the FS dispenser, not on the soap side, it was under the dispenser and in the back of the compartment that the dispenser goes in, I cleaned it out but the compartment I couldnt reach to clean, so I bought another washer.

I've had FLs for about 15 years (Asko machines for 15 and Mieles for 12). And my original machines are all still working just fine, with no mold issues. I am definitely an overnighter.

I leave the doors open or ajar all the time, but as they are in a very damp basement I doubt they dry much. I don't ever wipe down the boots or dispenser drawers other than for routine cleaning about once every month or so.

One benefit of buying a machine with a drop down door panel (not the tank door, but a panel in front of that intended to make the machine look more integrated with a run of base cabs) is that you can close the DDD and leave the tank door slightly ajar for drying. For other reasons, I don't particularly like DDD however and have taken them off my Asko machines .

I use a regular big brand, non-HE powder about 3/4 to 1 1/4 Tablespoons per load; I wash about 30+ loads per week so it seems my machines are always running and I wash in hotter water than many people because I have really heavy duty soil challenges. (I live on a working farm.) And I believe in the power of heated water as a replacement for harsh laundry chemicals. I have never used f/s.

If anyone should be getting mold problems from too-damp environment it ought to me as my basement is extremely damp (it has an open stream running through it, for instance) and I routinely leave laundry in the washer after completeing the cycle. Once I accidentally left one of my machines sealed up with water inside for more than a year, and no mold with that.

I attribute my luck to: a) machine design, b) regular very warm to hot washes and almost never washing anything in cold or less than 85F, c) careful dosage of correct powdered detergent for my water, and d) no use of fabric softener, ever. The fact that I keep the doors open may also help, somewhat, but I always have moisture in the boot and drawers so I'm not sure it makes a difference in my situation.

I don't do anything special to clean out the machine, either, other than if I have washed something particularly dirty (or more likely furry) I will try to remember to wash a load of non-critical laundry for the following cycle. For example, after washing cloths used to wax and detail vehicles I will try to find something like a load of household cleaning and dusting cloths rather than a load of white linen napkins. That just makes sense to me.

I would find it completely intolerable to have mold problems in my machines, so those of you have them have my deep sympathy. However, when people mention this problem to me in casual conversation (and some are really upset about it, understandably), I find it curious that I get so much resistance to trying warmer/hotter water and using powdered products and no f/s as possible solutions. If I had a bad mold problem I would do anything to resolve it as mold would utterly ruin my pleasure in a large, recurrent household job. I would be beside myself if my washer left my clean stuff revoltingly stinky.

Molly~

I've had my LG for a couple of years now. I routinely leave the door open after the last load. If I then get tired of it being open, I close it and open the drawer.

I've never had an issue until a month ago when I was in a hurry and closed it before a 3-week vacation. When I came back it had a peculiar smell. So the first load was whites on sanatize and bleach. No problem.

I have a GE (FridGEMore)washer that is soon to be 2 years old, and it's in the basement of a split level home.

I use Tide HE Powder, did use Fabric Softner up till about 5 months ago, now use vinegar instead.

I used to run dishwasher detergent every 3 months as a "Preventive maintence" now, I use Affresh instead.

No order/mold issue, and I do run my whites last with hot water and bleach.

I wipe down the door, gasket, and dump the water out of the compartment when I am done washing for the day. (I only wash once a week(

My climate is probably too dry to encourage much mold but I leave the door and drawer open anyway. We got our WP Duets in March and haven't had any problems with them, yet. Experience is still the best teacher, IMO. I've got a 5lb box of OxiClean that I'll probably still be using through the decade, lol.

I switch between various brands of powder and liquid, currently Cheer powder and Wisk liquid. The powder usage is now a whopping 1-2 tbl for 'day' clothes and towels, with a 1/4 cup or less of white vinegar. I took a new bottle of Downy, poured half in the old empty same-size bottle, then filled both with water. THEN I reduced my usage to 1-2 tbls and only with light and dark knit loads. The Wisk HE is another 1 tbls mixed with a tbl or so of water when I put it in the dispenser. So far, the clothes are coming out clean and most of the towels are soft enough for us. One thing I've learned is to use that OxiClean very sparingly. It'll remove color. I've now got purple splotched dark blue towels and my son quit complaining that his jeans were too dark...

Simply put "pilot error" seems to be the major cause of any mold issues. Front load washers ARE DIFFERENT than top loaders and though they do the same job in the end, like a snow blower and snow shovel, they operate differently and you need to learn how to use it correctly to avoid problems. I think too many people get a machine after being used to a different type and just carry on with old methods and then can't figure out why there's problems. Top loaders aren't water-tight on the lids so there's more air circulation, although I've always left the lid open on mine anyway. I did it so I'd know if I had wash in there or not.

When you run some hot washes on a regular basis, you're doing a maintenance. That will help. If you don't do a lot of loads then standing water will cause more problems. Mold doesn't grow within minutes. It takes correct conditions. Dealing with it shouldn't be a big deal.

"My gut instinct tells me these mold issues could be a small percentage of actual FL users..."
I think you hit it perfectly. Read through the myriad of threads about FLs. The vast majority are happy with them. Elated. In love with them. Radically, overly-defensivly aggressive at times!!! So the point is, don't be scared away from them, but educate yourself on the potential issues, especially issues caused by misuse. And to me, most of the mold issues are simply misuse. I don't believe detergent and FS make that big a difference. I do believe that the number and type of loads, ambient conditions, ventilation and other things are far more important.

It's an old and proven technology. Don't be scared. Be educated and learn to use it to its maximum ability and I'm sure you'll be pleased if you choose to go the FL route. TL machines need maintenance too! Occasional cleaning cycles, proper ventilation, etc are required on them too.

No issues on my Frigidaire Gallery Series. Consumers keeps giving this model line top ratings and best buy. I agree. And they cost less than $600 a piece. So think twice about those $1600 plus units.

I have had a Bosch axxis FL for 8 years. Even though I made no conscious effort to leave the door open after a wash, my machine never developed bad smells. A small amount of water did pool at the bottom of the door gasket. Over time rather than mold, hard black mineral deposits did "stain the bottom of the gasket. When I investigated, I also saw a black slime under the lip of the gasket. After replacing the gasket, I now wipe the gasket dry with a microfiber towel. It only takes a second. I also leave the door open for added preventative insurance. With regards to "pilot error", there was never anything in the washer manual that ever mentioned the problem of mold or hard mineral deposits developing.

I am responding to "cynic"'s last comment: It's an old and proven technology. Yes, but. The but because in recent front loaders big changes have taken place: the outer drum which used to be stainless steel is now often made of plastic. Internal heaters are either non-existent or much less powerful than they used to be. Evidence: you could wash in 200F water. This is no longer possible.
So, the proven technology has really been changed where Front loaders are concerned in this country.
Instead of providing properly designed machines the onus is now on the consumers to deal with the mold issues in many front loaders. Asking consumers to use bleach to clean out their machines is a cop-out by the industry. Btw, I have an older Miele that has the stainless steel inner and outer drum, heats water up to 190F, and cleans like dream. No mold problem ever!

Regarding the above message:

Certain compact capacity import front load washers (Asko, Miele & Bosch)generally are electrically connected to a single 220 volt connection point. A highly unusual arrangement in the US. As such they are very far and very few. Yes these machines do offer the ability to heat to 190 or higher.

American full size and now many compact & full size imports operate off of a single 120 volt circuit commonly found in the USA. These machines can heat to 140-170 rather slowly. Most laundry does not require these super high temperatures to get clean with good HE detergents. Furthermore, many synthetic or blend fabrics can't withstand these really high temperatures. Only cottons.

Yes the "onus" is the user to comply with the manufacturers recommendations. True on any consumer product. No news there! Using cheap & plentiful clorine bleach from time to time does not seem like a big deal to care for an expensive investment. Clorine is proven to disinfect and deodorize.

You take of it, it'll take care of you!

Isn't it just common sense that the FL are more air tight so of course there would be a mold problem if the door is not left open for the inside to dry out. I don't see leaving the door open a big deal actually.

I love my FL for so many more reasons than I loved my TL. Let's see, it saves my back (I have the pedestal), it saves water, electricity, soap and gets my clothes so much cleaner. What's not to like? With the sanitizing feature there is no worry of not having absolutely the cleanest clothes possible. Cleaner than a TP could ever give.

I bought a Bosch Nexxt 500 about a year and a half ago. It has literally changed the way I feel about doing laundry. No kidding. I actually enjoy doing laundry now - used to hate it. My clothes are cleaner and I feel are looking new longer than when I used my old TL. I use Charlie's Soap powder and no f/s. I do a couple of hot washes a week at the least, the others are warm. No problems here with mold or bad smells. I do leave the washer door and the detergent door open most of the time.

My mother-in-law has a Frigidaire front loader with no internal heater. She was complaining one day about her washer smelling and the fact that she had tried everything she knew and still couldn't fix the problem. I suggested she try Charlie's Soap powder detergent and use no f/s. She did and the smelly washer problem disappeared. I suspect a lot of problems that people have with front loaders is detergent build-up, especially from liquid detergents.

I went to that link. IMO, the article itself wasn't nearly as informative as all the responses -- several pages of them. It seems that owners of all brands of FL's, even the most expensive, have experienced that problem.

Every time I respond the this mold issue I feel like a broken record. I sarted using Fl way back over 30 years ago in Europe. I never ever had mold or mildew problem. I never use the cleaning cycle, why waste water if you can use sanitary cycles w/ whites and light colors on regular basis. Now I have 2+ years old LG set and few years old tiny european washer. The small one washes better whites b/c it heats water to 194 and rinses better too. The LG does good job but I always use water plus and always add extra rinse and spin.
The only maitenance I do is clean the bottom filters on both machines.Threads and hair get stuck in there and it can smell if you leave it for a year. The rubber gasket dries out on its own.
To prevent smelly issues, use hottest water possible ALL THE TIME! If you use aditives and bleach, use extra rinses!
I never believed detergents cause problems. I used anything from powder to liquid,non HE too,cheap all the way to Persil which I now alternate with Roma.I use vinegar in the rinse.
I put all detergents right in the drum so no cleaning of the dispenser. All my drums are stainless which I think is better.
I also learned full load in my LG needs few extra rinses otherwise you can smell that is residue left behind.1/2 to 3/4 loads rinse out fine w/just one extra rinse and spin.I never use bleach,Cascade works better for me.
For me this worked all my life: 1)hot or sanitary always-never cold wash unless it's comforters, than I use warm water.
2) more detergents for very dirty laundry, more extra rinses is needed.
3) clean filters
4) use prewash for most cycles too
5) always waterplus and extra rinses
I'd like to say that from reading here, I think lots of people doesn't use enough detergent which I think can cause musty gunk smeared inside the washer.Combined it w/use of warm or could water, you have a mess.If there isn't enough soap to bind w/ dirt and luck of rinsing water on top of it,it must be causing problem over time.
Todays Fl use very little water, not like back in Europe years ago when my drum filled 1/3 andno extra rinses were needed.At least mow we have all the buttons to push to add the extra water or rinse to it. If not,use one fast cycle without soap after.
And I have to say I tried Tide after ages and I hate it and it soaps up in my machines too! Specially in the tiny washer. Suds spilled from the bottom everywhere!.It never hapened to me before even w/ non HE detergents. So I gave the Tide to lady at work.

have a GE set no problems with mold ,after use we leave the door open!