GE GFW450 SSm1WW Front loader-stinky clothes complaint

[combo52]

In over 50 years of working with and restoring washers

I have never seen any kind of detergent or soap buildup inside machines.

Yes, there is lots of scum and mineral deposits from using too little detergent or using poor quality detergents, that's a frequent problem and yes, liquid fabric softener can build up to some degree if you don't have good washing practices and use sufficiently hot water and plenty of detergent to remove it from the machine and the clothing as well The next time the clothing is washed.

Detergents whether liquid or powdered generally dissolve very easily in water so even if some detergent was left from one load it would be gone the next time.

We fixed a 1994 Whirlpool Direct Dr. washer the other month where I had had the basket out out of the washer about three years ago to replace a failed basket drive block. The machine was beautiful and clean and an excellent condition for such an old washer. We went back two months ago because the machine is now leaking. There was so much grudge buildup in the bottom of the outer tub. It was almost a half inch thick and it had corroded the center post through the center rubber seal in the plastic outer tub, I had to pull it all apart, clean it up put a new seal in and seal it back together.

I asked the customer what has changed and she said oh I'm using these little laundry strips for the last three years, they're wonderful. The machine was gross but again it was not detergent building up. It was because you're not removing the dirt and soil that is in the clothing being laundered. It's settling out in the machine. I told her it's time to go back to using good detergent and hoter water.

John L

 

[logixx]

"And our premium powders like Persil and Ariel."

Really? That's interesting. It's in practically every powdered detergent (universal/for whites) here.

 

[wayupnorth]

I had a complaining tenant like that once, that wanted to do it her way, not the right way. Since it was my machine, not theirs, they were told to operate the machine the way I say and if you dont want to, go to a laundromat.

 

[mark_wpduet]

So this bleach activator...why is it not in Oxi Clean? I mean, I would think Oxi Clean would be a perfect candidate for that

 

[gelaundry4ever]

respect for machines

It just goes to show that people have no respect for other people's machines.

 

[me]

bleach activator...why is it not in Oxi Clean

I think Affresh washing machine cleaner doesn't contain TAED either, which I would have thought would be an even stronger candidate to include it.

I believe 60°C plus is recommended for sodium percarbonate on its own, its performance tails off at lower temperatures. Including TAED produces a stronger oxygen bleach that works very well at 30°C and I believe I've read it is still fairly effective as a stain remover as low as 20C.

Here, it's not in Astonish stain remover, but as I mentioned is in Vanish.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Taed

OxiClean Home and Laundry sanitizer did have TAED, but it was recently discontinued. Plain OxiClean does not contain it, which I agree is kind of crazy. Lots of people use it as an additive in situations where it is not doing much., as stated above it needs a fair amount of heat. Affresh as far as I am aware does not contain it either. I recently bought a container of Vanish and really like it.

 

[mark_wpduet]

If someone is REALLY bored, which laundry products in the USA actually have this? I'm thinking it's not a very big list.. I tried looking this up... Not much luck.. they list the ingredients (but not all of them) so I can't be sure

 

[gelaundry4ever]

finish ultimate

If Finish Ultimate has taed in it, why not laundry detergent? You'd think the TOL laundry detergents would at least have it to activate oxygen bleach.

 

[logixx]

NOBS was developed by Procter & Gamble in 1983 and was first used in American laundry detergents in 1988. NOBS is the main bleach activator used in the U.S.A. and Japan. Compared to TAED, which is the predominant bleach activator used in Europe, NOBS is efficient at much lower temperatures.

-->

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate

 

[appnut]

Clorox website has Powdered version of Clorox 2. I found it on Amazon and Walmart. But I've ben using Biz powder since 2001 because it dealt with a stain after surgery that wouldn't budge otherwise.

My best friend from high school,his mom used Clorox 2 powder and this was back in 1970 to 1973

I'd been using Axion as a presoak in conjunction with the 30 minute Enzyme Soak cycle on our Kenmore 800.

 

[askolover]

I've been using front load washers since 1997 and have never had any smells or mold but like has been mentioned already, I DO use chlorine bleach, I NEVER use cold water, and I ALWAYS leave the door open. Common sense tells us that a warm moist environment is perfect for mold and mildew to grow. But common sense is really not very common especially in America.

 

[combo52]

Reply number 30, amen

My older Speed Queen front load washer is going to be 20 years old this year and I still marvel at how wonderful it smells inside and I’ve never attempted to do any cleaning of it. Just use it and use it

I once had a houseguest use the Speed Queen to wash several loads of his clothing and he was very picky about his clothing so he washed it all in cold water, when I went to use the washer a couple days later it had a mild smell in it just from a couple loads obviously your clothing is not clean if the washer smells when you’re done washing clothing.

This is another reason for not using a warm rinse you leave the machine at the perfect temperature for bacteria to multiply and grow.

Mold and smells are not limited to front load washers. We regularly do service calls where we’re asked to disassemble and clean top loading washers that are absolutely gross Because of poor usage habits.

John L

 

[elksk]

Sorry This OP hasn't been back until today. been prepping the house for a hardwood fllor sanding and refinish on both floors.

I did just order a seal but can always return it again.
and more Affresh tablets.
Tennant goes on vacation tomorrow for 4 days.
I will plan on washing with bleach and tide on super hot...the water heater is set to about 115f but I will turn it up for these 4 days.
I have no idea how she does her laundry. I will post the detergent brand on Saturday. I know she doesn't use any thing with scent but I thinks its probably ECO and sold at whole foods.
This current model doesn't have the microban in it.

I was thinking the best thing was to jsut buy a new washer but...
This is a stack location only. I called GE and waited 25 mins having to press the 2 every 2 mins or get dropped.. hate emoji goes here..
I wanted to find out was models will stack under the current dryer model. gal says they have no list like that.
Went to lowes yesterday and they have in stock a gfw550 with the clean vent and microban and its on sale so I could get it delivered for 770$. They wont install one under a stack or restack unless both washer and dryer are new. so I would have to do that plus they dont hook up unless all new hoses. I was thinking if tenant would pay 300$ this would be a solution and if it didn't work I would tell her to use a laundromat. But then I read the reviews and lots of smell issues and other failures on this machine. oh also its 1" wider in the specs and they couldn't tell me if my old dryer would stack but thought it would... no response when I asked what if my dryer wont stack on it securely.
So my questions are what is the best sanitizer I should be using to try to super clean this machine? clorox? we have oxiclean. I have diclor for my hot tub? How much citric acid? I have some we use for cooking and preserving food. I will watch all the videos everyone posted and take apart the soap tray. I can also try to scrub all around the lip of the seal...One solution was the 4800$ speedqueen tall unit with washer and dryer

 

[luxflairguy]

115 degree hot water? Shame on you! NO wonder there's a problem!

 

[combo52]

The 115° water is not the problem

Because the tenant isn’t even selecting hot water in the first place.

You can actually wash in cold water, but you have to use twice the recommended detergent and you have to use chlorine bleach on a regular basis so it’s cheaper and faster to use some hot water.

This machine has a heated or sanitized cycle. If you’re not gonna use chlorine bleach that must be used every few loads Always towels and sheets should be done on this cycle, regardless of the color of the items.

The newer GE front loaders are 28 inches wide, somebody that’s handy can figure out how to attach the dryer to the new GE front loader but you could also buy a better front loader like a whirlpool or a Maytag or even an LG if you could find somebody that will repair it in your area.

Also consider building a shelf and putting the dryer above the washer a couple inches that way the washer can be pulled out for servicing and replacement without having to buy a costly dryer as well in the future. We try to get our customers to build a shelf for the machine Greatly reduce the service expense.

John L

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>I was thinking the best thing was to jsut buy a new washer ...</blockquote> That won't fix the problem with a tenant who continues bad usage habits.  The Microban is unlikely to be the magical fix that you expect.

 

[elksk]

I thought 120f was the maximum tap water should be for Risk of burns?
That TEAD video was eye opening smell and mold after just 10 loads.
Now where to find a powder product with TEAD? perhaps the P&G Arial from Mexico can be found in Hispanic stores and has it.??
The Indian guy on you tube with that GE 650 with nasty mold with the microban and air fresh system.. and mold growing right on the microban rubber.. and that soap dispenser issue... yuck.. how can a company make untested crap like this.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

ultra fresh scam

The GE ultra fresh sounds like a scam to me. Supposedly it would let you leave the door shut and smell fresh.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>I thought 120f was the maximum tap water should be for Risk of burns?</blockquote> Only if one exposes oneself to it for sufficient time.  Is anyone in the tenant's household expected to do that?

The trick you may be overlooking is that washers nowadays have ATC (automatic temperature control) ... electronics with a sensor monitors the incoming water flow and modulates the hot valve on/off to limit the mixed temperature.

The designated Normal cycle is the most restricted, being the basis for energy-ratings tests.  It's not uncommon that Warm on Normal is mixed at 75°F to 80°F and hot 85°F to 95°F ... even if the household water heater is set at 140°F.

Electronics and control software also allows different target temperatures *in the machine* for a given temp selection (Warm, Hot, Extra Hot) on the various cycles.  Warm and Hot on Normal will be cooler than on Whites or Heavy Duty.

Soil level also affects the temperature point.  Getting a higher temperature, a reasonably warm Warm and somewhat hot Hot requires 1) increasing the Soil level and/or 2) choosing a more aggressive cycle (Whites, Heavy Duty, Sanitize) and/or 3) adding a Steam option or selecting Extra Hot temperature ... all depending on what choices a given machine provides.

That's why you're being advised to instruct your tenant to run the Sanitize cycle (at the highest soil level) on a recurring/regular schedule so the machine's onboard water heater can do its thing for a reasonably HOT-zap to deal with residue accumulation.