Buying a New Washer and Dryer

The set we have is LG front load steam. (came with the new house) I don't care for it much because the washer smells often and sometimes it doesn't clean well. We owned a Kenmore set prior to this one and we had no problems with it.

My mom has a front loader and I honestly love to sit there and watch the clothes wash. I think it does a great job washing, and haven't personally noticed any mold or mildew problems, but I don't live there. My mom hasn't complained about it and she usually complains to me about anything she has a problem with. The only draw back I notice is that the clothes do take a while drying on the regular cycle, then again my large capacity top loader takes 2 full dryer cycles when I do a large load, especially jeans. I use my moms washer when I come over and have put my whites that stay dingy in my washer (even with bleach), but in hers they came out nice and white. The colors also stayed bright and colorful. We have been planning to buy front loaders ever since my mom got hers, just waiting to get enough money to pay for it.

I was going to get a front load washer, but heard way too many negative things about them – mould, mildew, special detergent, leaking etc. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I always find a sock, or shirt that I missed to get in the washer in time, and with a front loader, there’s no opening the door once it has started.

Leave the door open after washing, make sure you use high efficency detergent only. Run white vinegar through once a month although awesome!

All the responses were good. We plan to buy either the GE (listed as the best buy in CR) or the Whirlpool-need to do more research. Forget Frigidare. We only have 27 inch width so it will be tight. I agree, get them after you get there. It's so much less hassle and we have had both good and bad moves on Uncle Sam. Like the old verse, when it's bad it's horrid! Plenty of Best Buys, plenty of Home Depots, Lowe's is way in on Highway 1 (from Fairfax). There's a place called Betty's Maytag in Springfield that you might look at (been there forever!) I wasn't happy with my dishwasher (Maytag) however but I loved my w/d and it is a Maytag top load. The w/d here in Sarasota are GE and we were thinking we might sell them cheap. Washer spin is noisy and we desperately need the space hence the stackable thing. DC area is amazing. Soooooo much to do! Take advantage of it all. Get the Washington Post. It's worth every penny and has all the free stuff listed. Good luck on your transfer.

I love my front loaders. Whirlpool Duet's. We are on our second pair as we left ours at our last house. We bought the same ones we loved them so much. Fairly inexpensive with just enough features to everything I need. Super quiet and never a problem with mold. I have seen the frontloader cleanser, but havn't used it. Special detergent isn't anymore expensive than regular and just as easy to get. Also they use less water as the sensors guage how much is necessary for the anout of clothes in the washer. Good luck.

I have an LG front Load washer and dryer. I love it. When it has the energy label on the machine it is for real. Our Electric bill did go down and the water went down a little also since the machine controlls how much water is needed for the load size, this way you do not use more water than needed. You can only use HE detergents but the cheaper brands do have HE detergents. Although I personally like Tide. My washer has a clean cycle where the machine cleans itself. Nice function since I can not leave the door fully open because we don't have much space in our laundry room. We leave it slightly open and once a month put the Tide HE washer cleaner in and set the clean washer cycle. We brought ours from Home Depot when they had a sale on LG appliances. We got both washer and dryer and received a rebate and Home Depot gave us free delivery and set up and took our old stuff away. We also applied for the credit card was approved and had 6 months no payment no intrest. We still made payments but did not have to worry about intersts. We made sure to pay it off. You can canel the card afterwards although we kept ours since we knew we would need that 6 months deal again. Our appliances are not old but Frigitaire appliances do not last long and never worked well to begin with.

C.,

Yes, you need to be careful of that! As a matter of fact, I was just telling my mom had I known, I would not have gotten a front load. If you look the area (on the front loads you look at) where the door closes, there is with mine, a rubber area that catches water, etc. Mine has a lot of grooves so not only does it collect water, and all debris, but it is very difficult to clean! yukky!!! --I would much rather clean a dirty diaper than that!!

I try to clean it often and then there are also deodorizers that are made specific for the front load washers. You just throw them in by themselves and run a normal wash cycle. They certainly help out alot!! oh yes, and when not in use, keep the door open, otherwise it will just get "mildewy"

I really can't think of advantages to having a front load as compared to a top load since it has been a long time that i have used the top load.

ok kiddos are bugging to color...that is all I can think of for now. good luck!! :)--oh yea, we have frigidare

No problem with mold, etc. if you follow directions. I leave my washer open until completely dry and have had no smell or anything in 1+ years. I also found some advice that you should not use as much detergent as the washer and/or the detergents say. I use about 2/3 the amount and clothes are still clean, smell good, etc. I don't know that I would spend the money for the steam, but I don't have that option. We got the Maytag set and are very happy.

I have had the front load Kenmore Elite for several years now with no problems. The issue w/ the mildew in the washer is because people don't read all of the directions. :>) If you keep your washer door ajar instead of closed you will have no problems. Blessings.

I have the LG front loaders. I have never loved a washer and dryer more! They really do a great job and my husband and I are both pleased with the purchase. We bought the extra kit and had them stacked to give more floor space in the laundry room. It has really changed out lives. The washer is now low enough that the kids can load the clothes and they think it is fun! We decided not to pay extra for the steam and we have not missed it. As far as the mildew issues. Whenever we use the washer we just leave the door and soap drawer open overnight to dry thoroughly and we have never had a problem.

We just bought a new washer and dryer this week. We got the LG front load washer but not the top of the line, the one down (retails for $699 each but we got a good deal knowing a Best Buy employee has it's perks). I have only used it for a weekend but done quite a few loads and I love it. It has tons of bells and whistles and is just great. You do have to use the HE detergent (which dreft doesn't make I noticed you have a 9 month old) but I use the ALL free and Clear HE and my 4 month old has been fine. You do have to wipe down the seal of the washer after each load to make sure that it doesn't grow mold. You are also supposed to keep the door open when not in use to make sure this doesn't happen. My parents have a front load and my mom just keeps a rag on the washer to wipe it down each time and hasn't had a problem (owned hers for over a year). I don't have the steam dryer it was a little out of our price range. But I think it looks awesome I would have loved to get it.
"They" say that the front load are so much mnore energy efficient that they will pay for themselves in the first couple of years.
What I also love about the front load washer is no agitator. Our old one was ripping little holes in our clothes. and with the new one that is not supposed to happen. So hopefully this will keep our clothes nicer. :)
Hope that helps a little bit. Good luck with your search!

We had a fabulous top loading He washer (Kenmore Elite) -it was a top loader but had all the features of a front loader (no big agitator in the middle, energy star, all digital, etc.) -it was great for 6 years then broke and no one could fix it so we got a middle of the road level front loader and we HATE it. The rubber gaskets just insdie the door get mildewy and everything falls out as you load it -especially baby's tiny socks, etc.

My advice is to find a top loader that is just like a front loader -they make them better now than our one that died.

I have no experience with steam washers-that will be in a few years when it's time for a new washer again :)

BUt I feel very strongly to avoid front loiaders and fine a good top loader that has all the same features. Good luck!!!

C.,

We have had our front load, LG washer & dryer for almost 3 years. No problems. I believe that it is the dryer is direct drive, which means that there are less parts to break. There is some maint. to the washer that needs to be done every 6 months (draining some sort of filter) It really isn't hard to do.

The mold issue is if you keep the washer closed when not in use. Because the seals on the doors are soooo tight to prevent leakage, it prevents air flow. So we keep the door ajar when not in use. we do have to keep it closed so the door doesn't open all of the way with a bungee cord. But it works.

We got the middle of the line. Can wash 27 pairs or jeans or towels & a king size comfortor. It even has a sanitize feature. I didn't get it because of the baby, more for work. Being in the medical field I don't want to bring infectious diseases home. It is also a good feature if anyone at home is sick.

I have the mid level LG washer and dryer and I love them. I have had them for over a year. I did my research and found that LG have drainage holes in the front gasket that help with the mildew problem. Every now and then mine will get a smell but I just leave the door open for a couple of days and it is better. My previous washer was old and small so I love the size of loads that I can do in these. I also feel like my clothes get cleaner. I have the sanitize feature, but I don't use it often. Sears sells HE detergent that is economical and works very well. By the way, you can pause the cycle to add more clothes.

I wish I had done research online before I bought my front loaders. I have a Maytag. I have been having a dranage problem with the washer and when I googled to see if I could find a solution (because of course it's JUST past the warrenty!!) I stumbled upon tons of reviews of people saying they had mold/mildew problems plus the same dranage problem I'm having and some people said they had to replace the whole motor, which wasn't cheap. As for the mildew thing, I wish I had known that you just need to remember to keep the door open so it can air dry after using it. I wiped away the mildew and ran vinegar through a couple of empty loads and keeping the door open to let it air dry seems to be keeping the mildew from coming back. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the large capacity, but if I had it to do over again I can't say that I would have bought the front loader washer-- at least not the Maytag-- no idea if others have the same issues.

I hate my whirlpool top loading HE washer-
it is a LEMON.
no problems with mold or fungus...
but the machine is an expensive hunk of junk!

I have the Samsung front loader washer and dryer and I love them. In my last house, we had the GE front loader washer and dryer which were also wonderful, just couldn't find our model to replace them. We've never had a mold problem and I've had front loaders for over 5 years. I didn't buy the steam washer and dryer. My Samsung has a Silver Care setting that kills germs and I thought that was a much better value for the money. I air dry most of my clothing and use the dryer for jeans, towels and play clothes so I wasn't as concerned with the steam for drying. For mens dress shirts, I've heard the steam dryer will save you a fortune at the dry cleaner if you need that. You'll have to decide what you really need those settings for to determine if they are worth the money. Also, check Sears Outlet for scratch and dent and the clearance aisle at Home Depot and Lowe's. We saved on ours because we bought a color they no longer make.

I have heard others mention getting mildew in front load washers, but I have had a front loader for over four years now, and have never had a problem. We keep the door ajar when not in use, and we run a bleach load for our whites about once a week, so that could be why.

We have the Whirlpool Duet, and you CAN add items to the load after it starts. It has a light that indicates when you can pause the cycle to add an item you may have forgotten. Also, I used regular Dreft in the machine with no problem. Just used half the amount recommended, as the front loaders use less water, which is why HE detergent is recommended.

I have only seen the commercials for those steam washers, but if mine weren't so new, I would definitely be interested. Curious to what others who have them have to say.

We also have the Kenmore Elite and LOVE it. I keep the door ajar on the washer and it still manages to get some mold in there, so once a week I just put bleach in it and run it empty and it takes care of it.

We are also military and lived in DC for 4 years and LOVED it too=) When you do move, be sure to tell your movers that you have a front loader. It will need to be properly secured each move with special bars and foam. I would just wait until your next duty station to purchase it. Good luck.

I don't know much about how they compare. All I do know is that top loaders hold more. When we compared them, the one we bought held twice as much. But we have four kids. It's a GE, as was our previous one and we've had no problems.

We were just talking about this at work! We bought the GE front load washer and dryer a year ago. I do not like either one as much as I liked my top load Amana stainless steel washer and regular dryer. I find on the front load washer that it holds standing water in the rubber ring inside the door and starts to smell sour. You have to leave the door open for it to air out or dry it with a hand towel.I saw where you have two little ones and I don't know that leaving a door open on a low to the ground appliance with a large enough tub to fit into is the best idea.Also when you go to switch clothes into the dryer they tend to all spill out onto the floor becuse they all get wound together. With the dryer I noticed that lately my drying times were going up (it's all electronically set)so I went to do a deeper lint cleaning and discovered there is no way to do so. It even says in the trouble shooting guide that you will have to call a professional out to clean it for you and that is not covered under extended warranty.

i don't have either one of the washer/dryers you mentioned, but my cousin does. and my aunt does the laundry for them bc she watches his kids. she said that she hates the front load washer/dryer. she said that it doesn't seem like the clothes get as clean and also the dryer takes FOREVER to dry. she has also heard complaints from others who have them also.

Hi C.,

I purchased the top of the line Samsung front load steam washer and dryer about 2 months ago. I am very happy with them, however, I have not used the steam function very much so far. It is nice to have but if I purchased again I'm not sure if I would spend the extra money on steam. My dad recently purchased a front load LG washer and dryer without steam and is very happy with them.

As far as the mold issue goes I just quickly wipe around the seal and leave the door open or cracked until it is dry. If you don't leave the door open to dry I could definitely see where mold could be a problem.

Happy washing!

I got my washer and dryer at a yard sale for $60.00 for the set and have had them about a year now. I would look on Craig's list and check out the flyer before buying new....

With any washer, always keep the lid open when not in use, so as to keep moisture from building up inside.
Ask for "scratch and dent" sales, and secure the same warranty as if "new...

All I can say is do not buy a Whirlpool/Maytag. We paid a lot of money for them and they don't last. Maytag was taken over by WhirlPool and guess what? Do you see those commercial's any more where the Maytage guy has nothing to do. Now the commercial is, that they can fix anything. That's a forshadowing of our machines need fixin'.