Our newer Electrolux seems to be much better than the old Frigidaire which was also made by Electrolux.

I’ve had a new Electrolux for about a year and a half with no problems at all. I don’t always leave the door open but I do follow their ’clean machine’‘ schedule without fail.

Much better. We built last year and I asked the appliance gal what she recommended. Their shop also does repairs, so she knows what works well and what has service problems.

We bought these models:

washer: GE GFW850SSNWW

dryer: GE GFD85ESSNWW

The washer actually has vents in the door and it will switch to a vent cycle if you forget wet clothes in there.

From Product sheet: UltraFresh Vent System With OdorBlock - The first and only UltraFresh Vent System With OdorBlock eliminates excess moisture to help prevent odors ensuring your washer stays fresh and clean.

I had a set of the large Miele front loaders (that are no longer sold in the US) in my previous house that I really liked, so was weary of going to GE, but I have been very happy with them.

Fan-forced venting is specific to those GE models. Some other brands may have models with a similar feature but all brands/models surely don't.

The door seal is more correctly called a bellows or a boot. It connects the machine's inner tub to the outer front panel to provide an access port and is accordion/flexible to allow oscillation of the tub during tumbling and spin.

I'd never heard of a machine with a vent. Thanks so much. Makes sense to me!

Electrolux here as well. I bought a special gadget to keep the door open a few inches because I have cleaned the inner gasket (not the obvious one but the hard to get to one) and know what collects there. Propping the door doesn't stop that, I still have to clean it and also run the clean machine cycle as Oly does.

We have 5 year old Maytag front loaders and haven't had a mold or smell problem. But I always leave the door ajar and remove the detergent dispenser.

LG has a door with a magnetic latch that holds the door in a nearly closed and not sealed tight position. It allows you to have the door nearly shut. I use that and crack the soap dispenser open just a bit. I didn't really have a problem with my last laundry pair, but I love this feature so the door doesn't need to be fully open to dry.

Before you go to bed open the washer door. Keeping the door open helps keep your washer smelling clean. And definitely run it empty with a good cleaning product made just for washers.

I read once that using powder detergent helps a front loader stay fresher and we haven't had a problem since we switched. Mine is an older model and we keep the door open, but we did that when we used liquid detergent too. We don’t clean ours often enough.

I've also used the powdered washing machine cleaner. DK if it makes a difference or not.

Better, but I still keep the door open an inch or so.

Mine is 1 year old and already has mold spots even though we keep washer door ajar and use washer cleaner regularly. Yuck but I have no room for side by side

I love my LG washer / dryer.

In my opinion, you always need to leave the washing machine door open to dry it out. It's just a matter of physics...water = mold.

I have ALWAYS since day one left my Whirlpool front loading washing machine door open after cycle is complete. No one told me to do it, it was just common sense it might be smelly if you didn't let it air out. I hope I'm not jinxing myself, but we have had ours 20 years and no problems at all. I have had to have our dryer fixed a couple of times. Mine sets on pedestals.

If you want a mold and stink free washer, wash in hot or warm, use 2 tablespoons or less detergent and spend an extra 2-3 minutes at the end of the wash day and wipe the boot clean and dry, remove the dispenser tray and wipe it down and well as the cavity. Leave the door open at all times. Your washer will look and smell brand new for years to come.

Here is my low tech solution to keeping the washer door partially open when not in use...a large binder ring that fits through the hole in the door latch, a piece of string and a magnetic hook placed on the side of the washer. I can move the hook to adjust how far the washer door opens, if needed. I keep it so that I can open and close the laundry room door which is next to the washer. I also keep the detergent drawer partially open.. It's not elegant but works well!

Unless your washer is in a really visible area, I don't see a problem with just leaving it open. It only needs to be open a tiny bit to be effective.

Thankfully our door doesn't swing on its own, it stays exactly where I left it. But if your door moves on it's own, you can stick a bulky magnet in there to keep it from closing all the way.

Or if it always swings out, you can get a gadget that's meant for the job (just google "washer door prop")

So For my front load washer I must wash my delicates in Warm water? And switch from convenient drop in detergent pods to need-to-measure powder?

I use liquid detergent in my front load, and cold water for delicates. No pods because the measurement changes depending on the size of the load.

I think it's ok to use hot water sometimes to help keep the washer clean. Like for towels. Using hot water all the time is bad for the clothes and the environment.

" Using hot water all the time is bad for the clothes and the environment. "

How is it bad for clothes? And whether it's bad for the environment is dependant on what fuel creates your electricity.

The designated Normal cycle on washers is the basis for energy ratings, and temperatures are restricted by sensors that control the mix of the incoming flow. Hot for Normal on machines produced since the last 5 to 7 years often is no more than 85°F to 95°F, which is barely warm. Warm may be 75°F to 80°F, which is effectively cold.

Getting a proper warm or hot fill typically requires running the Heavy Duty cycle at maximum soil level (and that can be iffy) ... or a Sanitize or Allergen cycle.

" Hot for Normal on machines produced since the last 5 to 7 years often is no more than 85°F to 95°F, which is barely warm. Warm may be 75°F to 80°F, which is effectively cold. "

Not so......The "Normal" cycle on LG front load washers defaults to "Warm", which is 104F, and if you change it to use "Hot", it's 122F.

https://www.lg.com/us/support/help-library/cycles-and-options-front-load-washer-CT10000010-1337797444134

That's great if it's true but I don't put much confidence in user manuals. Only way to know for sure is measure what's in the machine. A 2011 Samsung that I repaired for my sister in 2016 has Warm on normal of 80°F to 85°F. Hot a whopping 85°F to 90°F, with my water heater set at 140°F. Heavy Duty at light soil level engages the onboard heater (Normal does not), reached 118°F for Hot.

@Toronto Veterinarian Hot water can cause fading or shrinking for some fabrics. For certain synthetics like polyester, nylon, it can break down the fibers and ruin the stretch.

I have to admit that I'm a sucker for cheaper clothes, and I found that if I wash them with cold water, they do last longer. (I also know how to mend.) They are occasionally washed in hot if they need a deep cleanse or need to be shrunk, but not every time.

In regards to electricity: yes I'm loving our move to renewable energy, but it all still has some kind of footprint. Also our demand is growing, and our current grids simply cannot support it. My state has mostly green electricity but I strive to keep usage feasibly low. In addition, lots of people still have gas water heaters, which is no longer considered clean.

" for some fabrics. "

Yes, for some fabrics. It's not a case of "it's bad for clothes".

Anal person that I am :) I've documented what the temps have been on my new LG. It is a little dependent on what cycle.

Perma press hot, heavy soil peaked at 116 without turbo, with turbo 102.2.

Normal Turbo cycle hot and normal soil peaked at 109.4. You can't turn off turbo on this cycle. Xtra hot on this cycle peaked at 154.4

Towels Hot, normal +1 soil peaked at 107.6

On a bright white cycle with a measured tap temp of 131, hot, heavy soil peaked at 111.2

Towels warm+1 temp, heavy soil, peaked at 109.4

" That's great if it's true but I don't put much confidence in user manuals. "

That's not from the user manual. And it's for a current machine, not an 11 year old machine like you're using as an example (a 2011 Samsung).

Temperature points have reduced if anything over the course of recent years with push to cold-water washing.

" over the course of recent years with push to cold-water washing. "

Interesting - I saw much higher push to cold water washing 10+ years ago than I do now, but maybe that's a Canadian thing.

Toronto Vet, there are TV commercials in the past year featuring Ice-T, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Vanilla Ice, and other celebrities pushing for cold washing. It's also pushed in print media.

" TV commercials in the past year featuring Ice-T, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Vanilla Ice, "

Cute.

Must be just in the US - our push was over 10 years ago.

This morning I used the heavy-duty cycle for the first time on my LG. On extra hot, it reached 60C/140 .With temp. set to Hot, it washed at 32C/ 89.6. Pitiful!! Apparently, they must think that stronger agitation and longer wash cycle compensate for water temp. This is well below what the temps are on the other cycles for hot and extra hot.

Posts like these really make me appreciate my German Duet.