Do you close the door when the machine is not running? NEVER close the door; I leave mine open a couple of inches all the time.

The boot may have drain holes that are clogged with lint and gunk. You can try to unclog them, and you can also soak up the pool of water with a towel when you're finished washing for the day. Also, do what littlebug said.

Thanks littlebug and suburbmd. We always leave the door open when it is not running. We also have been using a rag to soak up the water after a wash - but I would love to NOT have to do that! Will try to find out where the drain holes are to see if we can unclog them...

I wonder if it's a difference in quality of material used for the gasket or the climate you live in? I've had FLers for 15 years and never once had mold on the gasket. First set Frigidaire and now Miele. I've wondered about humid climates being a factor.

Do you run a tub clean cycle regularly? What kind of water do you have: hard or soft? What kind and how much detergent do you use? It's hard to check the trap in a duet, but it can be done. That could be a source of crud if you haven't emptied it recently.

When you say a pool of water, how much are we talking?

Mine always has about a teaspoon that remains. I always wipe that seal out good with a towel, make sure it's 100% dry, then wipe it with an antibacterial wipe & leave door open.

Also, I'm OCD regarding the seal & I also use a hair dryer around the seal to make sure every drop of water is dry.

I got mold there once & it's been an ongoing nightmare to remove the little stains left behind on the seal.

The drain holes should be right in the middle of the gasket in front. They do get gunked up. Clean the boot with some bathroom cleaner with bleach OR make up bleach water and wash it down. Do you use liquid or powder detergent?

Thanks everyone! I am not OCD like pawprint so will not be drying the seal with a hairdryer (LOL), but I will try try cleaning the boot with a cleaning solution. POPPY - we do run a tub clean cycle somewhat regularly; we use All (clear) and fill the dispenser when needed. I have no idea if our water is hard or soft....

All free and clear liquid detergent? I infer that from "fill the dispenser." IIRC, this duet has a reservoir that you fill for automatic dispensing? I haven't had a problem with that detergent, but, in general, there can be a slimy build up from too much liquid detergent. Dosing for the FL is more an art than a science. If you have soft water like I do, I use 1 tbl or less per large load of clothes; that's about half or less what is recommended on the detergent bottle. If your machine is putting out too much based on "an average", that may be the source of your problem. A small amount of water is the boot seal is normal and shouldn't be moldy if you leave the door open when the machine is not in use. However, if you have left over detergent residue, yes, you will get a moldy build up. Have you tried not using the automatic dispenser and see what happens? Also if you are using too much detergent, there will be a residue in your clothes that doesn't get rinsed out. You can see the problem with each wash adding more chances for the moldy build up. Good luck.

I took it as you use the All for the tub clean cycle? If so, change that and add 1/2 to 1 cup powdered Dishwasher detergent . Best way is let the machine run the first few minutes which is either a rinse or just a drain, not sure. Then when it starts adding the water for the Long tub clean add the dish detergent to the detergent dispenser so it is in there at the right time and doesn't drain out too soon. The dish detergent cleans the tubs out better on the washer. By dish soap I mean Cascade, etc.

Be sure to remove your liquid dispenser tray when adding the dish soap.

Do you use the sanitize cycle occasionally? I don't recall any postings about mold problems from people who use sanitize. I run it at least once every two weeks, on a load of house cleaning rags (I rinse them before the wash, to remove the Top Job or whatever, which will foam up in the wash if it isn't removed).

Funny story: I got an HE top loader last weekend. Now I feel lost when the load finishes. There is no boot to wipe & hairdry!!

Quick wipe of the tub & done.

If you still have pesky mold stains on the boot I suggest cutting an old t-shirt or towel. Lay it carefully over the mold stains, pour thick bleach on let sit. Mine took 3 treatments to bleach the stains out.

dblevin - My mother inlaw ran one load in my LG FL, closed the door and drawer and left it for 10 days. I had some mold in the seal. I made a paste of borax and salt and left it on over night. That killed the mold where the water collects in the front of the seal . Cleaned out the drain trap then a bunch of clean cycles with a fungicide for hot tubs.

Routine maintenance is the biggest thing. Door and detergent drawer open between uses, wipe out the boot when done for the day. I run clean cycles weekly with dishwasher detergent.

@ Pawprint....You got a new machine, an HE toploader....and you HAVE NOT shared this with us, your family?? lol We need pictures, and share your experiences. Do you now have 3 washers, as you had 2 before??

Yeah...wait a second Paw...what do you mean you have a new HE top loader?

DETAILS PLEASE! WITH PICTURES!

Paw...you didn't tell Mama!!

You may not like this response but you need to wipe out the boot. I get the same accumulation but no mold/mildew because I do mostly hot washes. But I do get some type of gunk build up inside the boot and I go around it periodically with a microfiber cloth and some vinegar. Alcohol is another idea.

Yes, rococogirl is correct. Part of your laundry routine has to include that final act of wiping the water out of the seal. Microfiber clothes are great for this and many other household purposes.

I have never wiped the boot in 15 years. I wipe it after a tub clean and that's it. I've never had mold. This is why I wonder if climate a factor. There must be some extenuating influence (?)

Could also be boot design.

My boot has an angle to drain the water to the drain holes and a dimple in the middle to guide that water there also.

Yes, I still wipe down the boot but it's just drops of water no standing pool.

What about the gunk that collects between the boot and the frame? That is neither visible nor accessible, and can only be seen when the boot is being replaced. Is that uncommon?

Top load or front load, there's always gonna be some areas water and dirt can get to... but a cleaning tool won't, unlesd you take the machine apart.

What is the purpose of the rubber gasket anyway? Do the large sized euro washers have a gasket like that or are they more like the small Askos and Mieles? I also don't understand why US front loaders have a tilted drum? Doesn't that require more power to turn and cause more stress on the washer? I'm an accountant not an engineer and it doesn't make sense to me. It's almost as if they are engineered to breed bio hazards. Maintenance avoids it but it just seems like it's a self made problem.

Asko and Miele have different designs. Miele has the traditional boot. There may be some small differences in design that help with keeping it clean.

Tilting the tub means manufacturers can use less water and drum opening can be positioned an inch or so higher for easier (un)loading. I prefer non-tilted.

24" washers use the same gasket design - just a little smaller. The only residential washer that come to my mind without the gasket are Asko and the infamous Dyson Contrarotator.

Here's the short-lived Dyson Contrarotator that had the inner door mounted to the tub and a secondary safety door to avoid hands getting squished during operation. The drum was devided into a back and front part and would move in two directions during parts of the main wash.

1st time I've seen the Dyson! It looks kind of like a giant toy. Very cool. Why was it so short lived?

Because it was Dyson-expensive to buy, too expensive to make and the mechanism that caused the drum to contrarotate usually failed.

YouTube has plenty of videos, if you're interested.

I still don't know why the gasket has to be there at all? Is the Asko model flawed somehow?

The Asko has it on the door, instead of on the drum. I think the rubber is needed to create a tight seal. My guess is there's probably some cost involved in designing it the way Asko does.

The gasket (boot) attaches and seals the front of the tub to the front of the outer cabinet and is flexible to allow the tub to oscillate during operation. The tub is suspended inside the cabinet on springs and hydraulic shocks. The door is mounted to the outer cabinet.

The Asko design has a separate "front panel" and inner door mounted directly to the tub, which is also suspended on springs and shocks and oscillates inside the outer cabinet (along with the inner front panel and door). There's a separate outer door mounted to the outer cabinet, which closes and locks over the inner door as shown on the Dyson unit above.

Thanks dadoes

My seven year old Miele has no mold. The door is always closed because it is in a hallway. My 13year Miele has no mold. My 2year old Miele has no mold either. I have always closed the door because they are in pathways. I always do at least on sanitary wash a week at a minimum. My other washes are mainly warm washes. I don't use fabric softener often. I also use mainly powder. I live in a humid climate in the summer. Just one other experience to take into account.

homepro01, why do you have so many miele's?

Anoop,

lt did not start that way. I had one set and I saw a deal on a showroom floor for another set. I got the set since I had several family members living with me for a year. The third washer, just a washer no dryer was a craigslist find for a friend. After I picked it up, she found a newer Miele set on Craigslist and bought that. So I got to keep the washer. I promise I am all done now. I no longer search Craigslist for Miele washers. Although I was searching for a vacuum cleaner part the other day and saw a little giant set for sale. I seriously contemplated it but I did not reach out to the seller. You see, I am cured!!!!

homepro -- you have always known I want a Lacanche. Now I know we were separated at birth LOL. I am very envious of Larsi's l.g. However, I like my 13 foot long counter and wouldn't give it up even for that

Rococogurl,

Now I will have to start a hunt for your Lacanche. What color do you want?Craigslist and EBay can be dangerous. I have been on the hunt for a Miele Hm 16-80. To tide me over, a got a great sprayer for my linens:-). I would love a huge countertop in my laundry room but no such luck! I have to tell you that walking away from the little giant was tough and then Larsi started posting a few days later that he got a little Giant, I was quite sad:-(

It seems like a very unacceptable design flaw. I recently purchased my home and the previous owner was, let's just say, "Not a neat freak."

They must have never took the time to sop up the water in the boot, but in the same breath, why on earth would a manufacturer make it so you had to "sop up" anything. YUCK!

Natasha Hulme, wiping the door boot is not necessary if the machine is used with good habits ... such as *not* washing everything in cold water (use HOT for kitchen linens, cotton socks, and white bath linens, and warm for most everything else). Regular use of chlorine bleach effectively keeps mold away (on that kitchen/bath linens & socks load) ... or run an empty cycle with bleach every couple weeks if you are dead-set against using it on clothing.

Our Hotpoint Machine that was bought back in June has always had this happen on every wash it’s really annoying having to keep wiping it I actually assumed it was a fault so contacted the manufacturer who sent out a repairs to it when he inspected it he said it was fine ...

our prev machines of same brand never did this but saying that these newer ones ain’t built to last lesson learnt there....

Help. Just bought used whirlpool front loader it has a puddle in the boot with mold. It has been looked after butttt never had a front loader before. It's a whirlpool 2.0 cu ft. I'm not even sure how much laundry that will hold.

Dry it with a cloth/paper towel after each use and leave the door open always unless the machine is in use. The mold should disappear in a few days at most depending on how bad the problem is. It may leave some discoloration, though.

Run a cycle (empty of clothes) on the strongest setting at HOT water (Heavy Duty or whatever it may be) with 1 cup of chlorine bleach.

Frontloaders can be filled loosely (don't smash the clothes down) to the point of a fist of space inside at top of the drum.

My whirlpool top loader just started doing this pool of water and I've had it for 3 years. What's the solution besides wiping it out after every wash?

Where/how is a top loader pooling water?

My mom had the same issue. i fixed it by cleaning the drain holes at the bottom back of the boot. You have to pull the boot out a bit from the plastic rim and wipe out back there too. I used a Q-tip and needle nose pliers to get lint out of the holes and along that seem, as well as behind the plastic piece. Can use a flashlight to see in that crevice. Hope this helps the next person with the same issue as the water drained out immediately!

Yes

I have a Whirlpool FL now for about 4 years. I always wipe out the boot or gasket whatever and remove and drain the dispenser tray so no issue with mold.

However, recently, I notice when I am wiping it out, there is a lot more water in there. I've tried to figure out what is going on. Nothing has changed, I did not move the machine, I'm doing the same size washes and all... I did come across a youtube saying to take a q tip to clean out some holes.. I really don't see them but it makes sense.

Anyone have a dummies diy guide I could try? I'm convinced it shouldn't be a big deal but I am toying with calling a ((gasp)) repair person.

Among my searches, this thread came up.

Well to follow up-- I tried using the qtip but it didn't seem like there was any gunk and it wasn't really going into anything.

Since I did religiously wipe out that boot since I got the washer, there really is no mold, no odor, nothing.

DH just went at it with the Qtip again, and was able to push it a bit further though not very far at all. We got barely any lint but there was some......maybe enough. We do have a dog and it makes sense that some of his hair may clog??

I just tried doing a wash and to my DELIGHT, when finished, the boot was only damp like it used to be. No puddle of water.

Phew! I hope it's back to the way it should be.