LG.

I don't know where the pump is, but mine was 12 years old before I had a bit of trouble with it. They make excellent front loading washers.

Toronto Veterinarian, thank you! It is so refreshing to hear from someone who is happy with their front loader! :)

Absolutely love my Maytag MHW6630. We have been using it just over a year now, and never a whiff of mold. We wash lots of king bedding in it. So far as pump access, dunno.

In the last 6 years I've had 5 different front loaders (in 3 different homes), and 3 of them were LG. About 5 years ago, I replaced my 12 year old LG washer/dryer set with a set by Gorenje (I couldn't get the LG I wanted), and I really liked that one too - you don't have that brand in the US, I think. My next home had a condo construction standard top load all-in-one, and I replaced it when I could with an LG set. When I moved in here I had the Samsung set that the previous owners left, and I replaced those lousy machines within the first few weeks - they were horrible....I replaced it with an LG Washtower. Three homes in 6 years, and I've liked LG so much that if there wasn't one there when I moved in, I made sure to get one.

What size washer will you accept and what is your budget? Have owned Miele for ages and never any mold. if you routinely use hot and sanitize there should be little if any mold.

I had an Electrolux FL and kicked it to the curb. It was 5 years old, fully functioning and clean as a whistle but our clothing built up biostink. I ran 2 hour heavy duty warm cycles with extra rinses and somehow the clothes werent getting clean and built up the biostink. We ended up buying an LG FL and it is so much better. No more stink in the clothing. The model is the 3900 which has been replaced with other models since then. It handles my king size quilt with no problems.

Thanks so much for this additional input!

Luna, we are willing to spend up to about $2K for a really good washing machine, although it would be great to spend less! I love our Miele dishwasher, but I see that most Mieles are not in stock. I also see that the ones that are in stock are 2.3 capacity and marketed as "compact". Are you able to fit a queen quilt in yours? I assume we could not get away with that with the 2.3 capacity.

It depends what the quilt is made of. If it is filled with down then you will have zero problems. When down gets wet it shrinks significantly. youbcould wash a king size if it was down. If it is synthetic fill that does not shrink in the washer. depending how ”full” the quilt is stuffed ,you would very likely get a queen, but not likely to get a king size.

hopefully that helps. We have a queen size down comforter and have no problems washing it in a Miele W1. Don’t own anything king size.

Abt in chicago has them in stock according to their website.

W1 top model with full LCD: https://www.abt.com/Miele-WXR-860-WCS-W1-24-Lotus-White-Front-Load-Washer-11613700/p/162914.html

Same washer with rotary dial for cycle cycles:

https://www.abt.com/Miele-WXI-860-WCS-W1-24-Lotus-White-Front-Load-Washer-11614140/p/162913.html

MOST Miele owners are very happy with their washers. I am pretty sure you would be as well. Washes on any cycle other than than the EPA ”Normal” cycle always reaxh their set cycle temperature using the onboard heater. Nornal usuallt will as well as long as you have actual hot water available near the washer.

We do many 60C (140F) washes in ours and never, ever have stink. we can always kill funky smell on towels that kids leave on the floor for days that were damp woth just normal detergent and a Hot (60C) or Sanitize (170F) wash. Sanitize take a while, but at least we know the water gets hot enough to almost anything.

We have had all of the bodily fluid stuff that compes with kids. We no longer worry that if you put in ”soiled” textiles they will come out germ free.

+1 on LG front loader. Go for a model with Turbo Wash and steam/hot water heater. The Turbo Wash blasts the clothes with water throughout the cycle so it goes faster and also cleans better. I was able to fit a queen comforter in my 3.7 cu ft unit, so you definitely can with the newer, bigger units. For mold, just never close the door all the way and you'll be fine. LG has a spring magnet to hold the door in place while still cracked open. I sold the house with the LG (had them 6.5 years) and moved to a rental with Whirlpool FL's and there is no comparison to the LG.

Regarding the OP’s original question part regarding pump access, Speed Queen front load washers have easy front access to the pump located behind a panel for that purpose.

HU, thanks so much for your help!

Speed Queen front loaders have the reputation of being the longest lasting machines out there, I guess the experience of thousands of laundromats helps? We really like ours. Some say "But it's only 3.5cu-ft"? Well, that's larger than the 2.4cu-ft of a Miele, and frankly most people with the massive 4.5cu-ft (or whatever) front loaders only load them to a fraction of that capacity in general anyway, so what does it matter?

Theres more imvolved in cleaning machines and avoiding odors then mearly wiping the gasket off…. odors can depend on several things such as what detergent you use, the temperature you wash in, liquid or powder detergent, too little or too much detergent. Have you ever run regular cleaning cycles using Citric Acid? its great for cleanimg washers and dishwashers. More then likely there is gunk built up inside that you cannot see or be able to even see. im surprised this has not already been mentioned here and it will not matter what brand you buy, no getting around those issues … as fsr as one that won’t have mechanical issues who knows now days… i love my LG

Ken, thank you! So you have a SQ front loader? If so, do you find that you can wash a queen-sized quilt or comforter?

MiMi, thank you for the input! It does sound as if too much soap and water temperature are big factors too. Any brands you especially recommend?

Luna, I am not sure if you are still following this thread, but I have a follow-up question for you. How many bath towels would you say you can fit in your Miele front loader in one load? Thanks so much!

I agree with LG! Also, I recommend the 1 cup citric acid on a tub clean cycle monthly!

I agree with the citric acid approach to keeping a handle on gunk buildup. Oh, yes yes, we wash both queen AND king size comfortors in our Speed Queen and it cleans them like a champ!

I recommend you buy an LG or Bosch washing machine because these are the best companies producing washing machines at normal prices.

I just can't think of a single useful feature that we don't have on our SQ. What are we missing?

The onboard heater thing is a favorite of so many on this forum, but to us it's a total "don't care". The SQ does not mix in cold water with the hot on a hot cycle and we have a hot water recirculation pump, so I make sure the pipes are primed before we start the machine when running a hot wash and it's plenty hot enough based on the washing results.

I'm curious, how many loads a day does it take for 14 people in a 2.4cu-ft washer?

We donfive to seven a day. it might sound like a lot, but its not one person doing it all. We have multiple bins in the laindry room for colors and types. its about the soze of the washer. when a bin is full someone puts rhe whole basket in.

Girls are more picky, especially things they paid for. They take turns washing their specifx things with specific detergents and specific cycles. Towels all go in no matter the color.

saniwash is used a lot during sick season.

As for features, it is the old you dont miss what you never had. Auto detergent dispensing doeanr sound that important until you use it. Its great for kids since they dont have to measure. Just load, turn dial to cycle, set temp and push start. The bin has the settings on a card.

Just depends on your needs/wants.

Do not purchase a Bosch!!! Our washer leaked from 1st use. They will not honor the warranty. We have purchased 18 appliances in last 3 years in our remodels, Bosch has been the only negative customer service experience!

The W1 sit at the top.

The Speed queen FL7 is #2.

The mieles heater is superior to feeding a unit with hot water because it can sustain sanitization level heat. Even if you feed a speed queen 140 that temp will come right down when it hits the drum. True 60C laundry is a thing for a reason.

The drum is better - SS ladles make a difference, Drag a zipper with 35 lb of wet clothes on top back and forth across plastic and take a close look.

The speed queens are plastic. Good plastic but plastic.

The Miele spins faster and puts 250 more G forces on your jeans and towels

even compensating for the speed queens slightly larger drum. This speed makes a difference in the dryer and a big difference on a line or rack.

The Speed queen can hold 3 more lb, which still isnt close to big enough to let you do a king size bed and comforter in 1 load. Both machines require 2 loads to do that.

"William Sampson: True 60C laundry is a thing for a reason."

Yeahbut, all the industry sayers are pushing for cold water (which in turn pushes the masses toward those uber-scent add-on products to cover the resultant stench of the machine and clothes).

dadoes Yeah but...

So are you saying the ability to do a 60C load is not an added feature?

Most dark loads should be washed in cold water.

Notable health orgs come to 60 as a sanitation stanard, and most units with a heater target this or higher.

Here's two.
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/environmental-control/laundry-bedding.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8231443/

I'm saying that onboard water heating on a washing machine is a non-concern for majority (probably 95%) of the washer-buying public ... to the point that it's rarely, if ever, used.

I have a lovely tankless water heater that can be set between 50°F and 140°F in 1°F increments. I never wash anything at less than 95°F. My go-to warm is 110°F to 116°F, on up to the maximum for kitchen/bath/socks whites. (My washer{s} don't have onboard heating so the resultant temp IN them of course is lower.)

If you want to clean really nasty stuff like cotton diapers in your machine - you have to use bleach, I can just push a button.

95% of the public doesn't know it even exists as a feature depending on generic terms like "cold" ' warm" and "Hot" and they have no idea what their wash temp even is.

It doesn't matter what people set their tanks, or heaters at (I have a tankless as well) at the water has to get to the machine and by the time the load starts the temp drops considerably, not to mention where it is 15 minutes into the load. Lot of poeple dont have recircs and never see a hot load, but they dont even know it.

Most of the public does know that their machines either do or can get smelly, and often go through a bunch of rigmarole after ignoring cleaning it.

These same people that dont know about internal heat - don't know that a simple button push fixes all odor and build up problems without special cleaning agents.

Its a premium feature for sure - does someone need it? No. Is it a benefit and extremely nice to have - you bet it is.

I don't disagree with anything you've said. The general public doesn't care is my point, nor do the pundits and detergent industry pushing cold washing. My mother and sisters for example, even after they've seen the smutz in mom's previous washer and other examples that I've disassembled. I'd never buy a Miele, though. There's no dealer or service here.

I care. I wanted an on board heater. I run hot washes now for most things as well as sanitize and allergiene. Yes even colors. Never cold. We have a tankless heater. It is set for 120. It can be raised but I don't want to raise it and I do not want to go back and forth raising it for wash and then having to lower it again.

My tankless has a temporary override function that automatically reverts back to the normal setpoint after a time-out period (which is adjustable via system setup to 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes). The unit is in a broom closet in my laundry room, which is a whopping three steps from the washer. My normal setpoint is 102°F for showering, although I often lower it (temporarily) to 92°F after a Texas-summer yard-mowing session. Or raise it for the few instances of a hand-dishwashing. No need to raise it for the dishwasher which has assured water heating (up to 150°F wash and 163°F rinse on the strongest cycle).

@dadoes I have no clue if my tankless has that feature. It is a Rinnai propane tankless and is in our mechanical room which is right behind the laundry room but the tankless is probably 9 or so feet to the washer.

Outside of Euro washers most washing machines in the American market do not use the onboard heater in any cycle other than than sanitize. Bosch and Miele and possibly asko use their onboard heater in most or all cycles.

Miele is the only one that lets you set temp based on the actual degrees C or F. Everyone else is just cold, warm, hot, etc. without any referece to what those temps actually are.

@luna123456 My LG has an allergiene cycle which uses steam so I suspect the on board heater is working for that. I always assume cold is cold, warm is cold, hot is warm and sanitize is hot on my machine.

For those saying a heater isn't important how do you address the OP's original request?

3) Reputation for minimizing mold without use of treatments such as Microban.

With ATC involved, a given temperature selection may not be the same in the tub across all cycle choices. I found, for example, when I rebuilt a 2011 Samsung frontloader that was given to my sister eight years ago that Warm and Hot were lower on Normal than other cycles ... including Delicate, surprise! It has a water heater which functions on the Sanitize (150°F and Pure Clean (tub clean 135°F) cycles. YMMV.

Mold avoidance ... minimize cold washes, always select Hot when using the Normal cycle; chlorine bleach regularly for whites; avoid liquid fabric softener; don't skimp on detergent and don't use budget-brands*; leave the door appreciably ajar (not just unlatched) and the dispenser drawer open at least 1/3 when not in use.

*Contrary to popular tenent, I don't believe detergent causes residue accumulation. Smutz is more likely caused by insufficient detergent to sequester laundry soils for flushing away, and overuse of liquid fabric softener. Avoid "natural" soap-based products, soap is made from animal and plant fats ... FATS ... and can't handle mineral content of hard water.

So one answer is compromise your clothes using the wrong temps to help keep the machine clear of buildup.

You're referring to my recommendation to always select Hot when running the Normal cycle?

Hot temperature on the designated Normal cycle for a typical washer nowadays is commonly lower than warm on machines in the 1990s and earlier. My note from some simple testing on the sister's Samsung says that "Hot on normal is only 85°F to 90°F" and that was with the tankless set at 140°F inflow. It ran tap-cold for majority of the fill, as I recall, with some hot or mixed-warm (whichever) toward the end. And that's a circa 2011 model. And a typical big-box frontloader that a typical consumer would buy ... not a Miele with onboard water heating for boosting to a specific selectable temperature.

Yes.

Everyones water path and resultant water temp and machines are different.

My advice to the OP stands, if you want a machine that can minimize mold without any other treatment the best way to do this is to buy a machine with an internal heater.

As long as it can sustain 140 or better it will eliminate mold.

It doesn't need to be a Miele, my electrolux (I have two houses) has a sanitize mode, you pointed out some samsungs have that, others do as well. That said the Miele is still at the top of the food chain whether you would buy one or not.

Seek out this feature, its worth the money.

Many people don't understand if your hot water is set at 140, even if it uses straight hot, it will cool down as it fills the tub. Love my Electrolux with Sanitize & 130-degree Allergen.

We just returned from a trip to Ruidoso NM (beautiful area) and the cabin had a stacked Whirlpool duet set. The owners thoughtfully left Downey F/S and I could tell it has been used as well as liquid detergent. I went to a Dollar store and bought a box of Gain to use for the couple of loads I did. We ended up doing towels, and I observed the same thing with this washer as I did with the LG FL washer we had for a number of years. The machine spent at least 15 minutes trying to balance the load before the final spin. As I multitask during the day-laundry, yard work and whatever else, waiting for a load to finish was irritating when that happened. I have never understood with technology why the manufacturers can't produce washers that will spin at their highest RPMs without going unbalanced and possibly causing major damage to it or the room. I would add that requirement for me to ever consider going back to a FL. With our LG there were too many times it would just give up and never spin, even at a reduced RPM.