using a stacked dryer? If so, make sure that the dryer can fit on top of thew washer

User behavior is always the issue on any mold. Wipe out the gasket when you are done for the day, and leave the door ajar, with that damp towel blocking it closing. Very simple.

Thank you. Are there any specific brands that are recommended or brands to avoid?

I've had a front loader for 17 years. Not once have I ever had a mold problem. As DeWayne says, mold is due to user behaviour. I have an LG that I love (since 2016). I'd buy one again.

Thank you! It's tough with teenagers to get them to comply but they are all moving off to college so it should be easier to stay on type of drying it. Our current LG has terrible vibrations that we could never reduce when it was spinning. We had several people look at it with no luck. I'm a little reluctant to get another LG for that reason.

Skipping LG products, the Electrolux ELFW7637AW received a CR recommended rating (though some LG models scored better).

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Mold is due to washing in cold/warm water instead of hot (140F/60c) and/or not using bleach. 100% of the the time. wiping the door gasket is NOT necessary if towels and underwear are washed on hot/sanitize and that cycle gets up to 140F or hotter. Those temps will kill mold.

Have never once wiped down a washer gasket in 20 years. Never had mold. We also wash nothing in cold water. If clothes can be worn on a body that is effectivly 100F all the time, they can be washed hotter then that.

I have an LG front loading washer that I installed in 2012- it was the top-rated consumer reports model at the time. It gets a lot of use, we have a lot of pets, so it deals with pet hair, I usually use warm water and I have never had a repair issue or mold.🤞🏻About every 6 months I remember to run a cleaning tab through, and I always leave the door ajar. I have been very happy with it.

GE front loaders have UltraFresh Vent System with OdorBlock. Their gasket and other components use Microban Antimicrobial technology fight mold and odor.

I have used front loaders since 1998 and have never had a mold issue. I just leave the door open when not in use.

I've owned front loaders since 2006--nary a mold or odor issue. I wash in hot or warm water, cold maybe 3 times. Powdered detergents and top brand such as Tide. Always leave the detergent drawer pulled out a bit and door slightly ajar.

What luna says above is very true. Washing in cold water is a no-no. I most always wash in hot or hotter than hot. Remember, the machines are "dumbed down" as far as temperature. Washing in "hot" is really warm. And washing in "warm" is really a cold wash. I never ever wipe my seal dry. the LG has a magnet on the door that keeps it ajar. But cold washes all the time are the kiss of death.

Current LG washers have had their temps dumbed down since 2012. On Normal warm is 86 to 87F, hot is 95F. On Heavy Duty, the heater only comes on for Extra Hot. Otherwise once it fills for the wash, the hot water temp begins to declne. For Whites, Towels, Bedding, Perm Press warm is 95F and hot is 112F. Extra Hot/Sanitze/Allergene can range from 140F to 158F.

When time comes for me to replace my 2021 LG washer, I'll seriously look at GE's line.

@kpyeatt: "Washing in cold water is a no-no. I most always wash in hot or hotter than hot. Remember, the machines are "dumbed down" as far as temperature."

Why? Clothes labels usually specify cold or warm water. Modern detergents work fine in cooler water. The machines aren't "dumbed down". They use less water at lower temperatures to save water, energy, and money.

"Today’s water- and energy-efficient washers are designed to operate using cooler water than traditional top-loaders of decades past. As wash cycles got cooler, the chemistry of detergents had to change in order for them to clean effectively. That’s why we test using cool water." -- CR Detergent Buying Guide

I agree dadoes. Hot has a specific scientific definition; a user has to learn the Hot setting on his/her machine and how it is is defined for that specific washer. Is hot water achieved by using the temperature of the water at the source? Will the the machine heat it? Or is it indeed subject to a factory default for energy rating purposes. For me I want hot of at least 130 degrees for as long as the tub will hold it. I don't have a problem washing good pants and shirts in warm or tepid water, but towels, underwear and socks I want warm to hot as I prefer it to be for my satisfaction. I could not imagine my elderly parents washing their things in cooler temperatures.

Ironically enough, the FAQ's on the page for Tide Coldwater

https://tide.com/en-us/shop/type/liquid/tide-coldwater-clean-liquid

include this:

@suburbanmd: "Ironically enough, the FAQ's on the page for Tide Coldwater"

What's ironic about that? It recommends using Tide Coldwater for washing in cold water and using warm or hot water when using other Tide detergents.

It says that Tide Coldwater doesn't work below 40°F so warmer water is needed. Most washers with ATC typically target no less than 60°F for cold, but that doesn't apply to a Tap Cold setting which isn't ATC.

Either way ... Tide is a P&G product. Wash in cold and then they can sell more uber-scented P&G additives such as Downy Unstoppables Scent Booster to cover the gnasty odor from the accumulated smutz. Two of the washers pictured above that I cleaned up, the users had removed the agitator cap and poured a bunch of scent beads into it .. go figure.

There is a distinct difference between clothing being free from dirt and stains and being disinfected. Cold/warm water will NOT kill pathogens without generous amounts of Chlorine bleach.

Chlorine bleach is NOT good for the environment. When exposed to organic matter it breaks down into chloramines, which are implicated in casing cancer.

Hot water with oxygenated bleaches are just as effective, better for the environment and have the positive effect of disinfecting most clothing items.

washing in Cold/warm water is a good water to spread germs and infectious disease. It is the main reason so many prople used dryer sheets, strongly perfumed detergents and other chemicals to cover up the stink on their ”clean clothes”

Nope. That's why I use Tide wBleach Alternative and extra hot water. I've not used LCB in years since getting a front loader with onboard heater.

@dadoes: "It says that Tide Coldwater doesn't work below 40°F so warmer water is needed"

As a result of this information I have decided to no longer wash my clothes using melted snow or ice cubes.

Funny, but many people live in cold climate areas where the water coming out of their well is in the 40-50F range. When a cold wash is done that is the temp of the water that fills the washer.

I doubt Tide was trying to be funny with their disclaimer.

The FAQ says that warm and hot water clean better, and I thought that was ironic, considering that it's on the Tide Coldwater page. Irony or lack thereof isn't the important thing, so never mind about that please.

Your quote from CR doesn't argue that that cold cleans just as well as warm or hot, so perhaps my entire response was unnecessary.

dadoes, I would image that using the scented beads gives people laundered items that have the same bad smells only now mixed in with a whiff of lavender or vanilla. It is why I was trying to figure what to do with my towels, but never did I think of using those beads. I figured it would only compound the problem.

@suburbanmd The FAQ comment about hot & warm vs. cold doesn't uplift the brainwashed & uneducated masses that simply cart blanche wash in cold. The scent beads and all the other stuff is smply to mask the icky results of poor laundering practices.

When I do my next, semi-annual wash, this "brainwashed and uneducated" consumer, suffering from "poor laundering practices" will happily "spread germs and infectious disease". I will not, however, be using "other chemicals to cover up the stink". There is no need as research has proven that I cannot smell myself.

Most people who smell like laundry detergent have stinky clothes and can not smell it on themselves. Those they walk by or spend time around usually can smell it as they are not acclimatized to it.

We can usually smell people who use perfumed detergents as the smell is so strong. It then becomes easy to avoid any food or other items brought at larger gatherings. After all if washing underwear in cold followed by clothing is okay by them, who knows what is acceptable for their food prep or storage containers.

Following the same logic, why don’t healthcare facilities wash their linens in cold? Or the dental office wash their tools in cold with chems? Its because cold wash not reduce pathogens. Tools go in autoclaves and laundry goes in a hot sanitize wash.

"There is no need as research has proven that I cannot smell myself."

But other people can. Not saying that YOU smell, but I can tell you one of my family member's family STINK. It's not BO, it's most definitely their clothes -- it's so bad sometimes I avoid sitting next to them at family gatherings, it's a dank, musty smell.

It is the same logic with washing elderly family member's laundry and linen's-it is not just body oils and/or perspiration that dirties them making them in need of laundering. It is bodily fluids that must be dealt with. Speaking only for myself, I love my parents too much to not insist the laundry be washed in hot water with good detergent, even if doing so shorten's the lives of the fabrics. I always check their washer and make certain it is set to Hot water and heavy duty soil.

On my LG perma press cycle today my hot was 42C/ 107.6 . It went down to 40c/107F. before the rinse cycle started. There have been a lot of updates and I wonder if some of them are dumbing down temperatures even more.

What soil level did you use? I have a WM4200. 've gotten hot on PP at 112F but that was max soil level.

My overall assessment of my WM4200 and temperatures.

The LG front loader from my observation; Normal and Heavy Duty do not engage the heater unless extra hot is selected. Extra Hot also allows for total fill at whatever temperature the hot water heater provides. Otherwse, those two cycles fill with hot or warm water that is regulated for specifc temps for warm or hot and that's different for Normal or Heavy Duty. For Whites, Permanent Press, Bulky/Bedding, and Towels warm water is a maximum of 90 to 95F and hot is a max of 112F. On these cycles, once the maximum temperature is reached, the heater turns off and doesn't come back on. All these cycles allow to select any soil level and you know that impacts the wash phase duration. Sanitize engages the heater after wash flll has completed after 5 to 10 mnutes. You can also select the range of soil levels and that also impacts what the temperature is by the time wash water drains. The follwing cycles have steam as an option: Whites, Normal, Heavy Duty, Bulky/Bedding, and Sanitize. Steam is efault on for Allergiene. Two things to remember when steam is selected--no prewash is allowed and soil levels aren't available. Steam target temperature for the wash cycle environment s 162-163 degrees. But depending upon load size, cycle, how warm or cool temperaature for the surrounng area where the washer is can have an impact on how hot the wash cycle is before the spin and rinses begin.

Go naked! Clothes will kill ya!

I have a five year old front loading LG washer and dryer. I've never had a problem with mold or odor from the machines. The doors have an almost-closed position that keeps the open door near the machine, but not actually closed. Air can still circulate. I also leave the detergent drawer slightly open so that it dries out quickly.

I do use chlorine bleach for my towels and bed linens.

After washing a load of clothes, I carefully wipe the door and gasket with one of the articles from the wash. It's good enough. I don't use scent beads or fabric softener in the washing machine or the dryer..