Mold in Front Load Washers

[westie2]

Jeff Rossen just had this on the TODAY show. I gues Whirlpool, Sears, LG and Bosh are being sued for smelly washers and mold, Something that has been discussed on here for ever. The lawyer said they knew there was a problem and came out with the Affresh and charged folks for the fix.

http://www.today.com/news/your-washing-machine-growing-hidden-mold-6C10671363

 

[nmassman44]

It just kills me how stupid people are...they get a front load washer and then they wash in cold water and then they leave a load in the machine for days then take the clothes out and then close the door...ummm duh your gonna get mold. And I am willing to bet that none of these people have not read the manual to their machine. And yet these lawyers will sue at the drop of a hat over stupidity like this. Oh don't get me started.....lol

 

[tomturbomatic]

Well, you have to implicate the utility companies that, at least in this region, run ads telling people to wash in cold water. Old Bendix and WH machines did not get funky like this because people washed in hot and warm water, detergents were different and the machine used enough water to clean itself. Plus the doors were left ajar after use. Every automatic in the early days used to state that it cleaned itself and shut itself off. Of course, this was also a dig at wringer and spinner machines which had to be cleaned after use, but it used to be a function of the machine to clean itself.

Fortunately, I can leave the doors open on my machines after I use them so they can dry out. A lot of people have their machines in a location where it is not easy or even safe to leave the door open for long periods to allow the inside to dry and low water levels and low washing temperatures compound this problem. It is like with early low water use toilets: you have to use a certain amount of water and force to remove soil. If these are lacking, you have unsatisfactory results.

 

[tomturbomatic]

You know, I'll bet that most of these people do not wash anything in hot water. If they do, they probably have no idea that the machine uses so little water that they have to purge the pipes of the cold water in them before filling the machine. None of the people in the comments area talk about water temperature and, again, utility companies are telling people to lower their water heater thermostats. The people complaining would all probably be shocked to find out the real reasons their machines and clothes stink: you are not washing away the filth. You are just spreading it between your laundry and the insides of the machine.

 

[hoover1100]

In all honesty

I bet if you took the inner tub out of most of these people's old top loaders there would be all sorts of scum and a delightful tide mark around where the water level fills to.

People don't care about their laundry and often don't know how to do it properly. Rather than accept this they'd sooner blame the manufacturer for something which is really the fault of their own poor laundry procedures, which are being encouraged by detergent manufacturers and energy companies and the like.

Matt

 

[iheartmaytag]

Mold issue resolved in three steps

1. Leave the door and dispenser tray open between cycles.
2. Use an occasional Hot wash maybe with bleach.
3. Leave the door and dispenser tray open between cycles.

Can actually have the same problem with a top loader if you close it up all the time. I always left the lid open after a cycle.

A clean washer cycle makes sense with a FL machine because it is more efficient it doesn't flush the tub and doesn't have the opportunity to rinse the entire tub during a cycle. With a top load washer, the design allows the entire inner tub to be submurged during the cycle, and rinse away gunk on drain.

 

[rockland1]

Mold in Front Loaders

I have a Maytag (Samsung) and a Frigidaire. No smells No mold. We simply leave the door open.

 

[iheartmaytag]

User error

If your car crashes every time you put it on cruise control, you may want to remain in the driver's seat.

 

[pekedogs]

When I worked for GTE and then Verizon, I had a little post-it note on my terminal. It read "T S T L" and "B O D" meaning Too Stupid to Live and Better Off Dead. It amazes me how people today refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. I bought one of the first Maytag Neptune and now have a Frigidaire. The Neptune is living at my ex-wife's house and she uses it all the time. There is not even a slight hint of funk or mold in it because my ex listened when I advised her to leave the door ajar after use. She washes all the time in either warm or cold water but she runs a hot cycle every other week with detergent and bleach to keep the machine clean. I use the Frigidaire and run it on the heaviest cycle I can get, use Sears detergent in it with a dose of both Oxi-clean and some phosphates and never have any trouble. Of course, that door is left ajar when not in use as well. And there is not a hint of funk or mold there, either. I had to bite my tongue many times when dealing with customers to prevent me from asking them, "Did your mother have any children who lived?" Needless to say, my supervisors were very happy when I retired because they were all afraid I would tell customers the truth.

 

[yogitunes]

I always wondered what they were talking about Mold and musty issues...and how they happen.....

and people are always to blame the machine rather than themselves, goodness, its all over YouTube of idiots who don't have a clue how to use a machine, among other things of daily life.....a strong arguement in court is why their mother never swallowed while she had the chance!.....that would be my first question....

sue the manufacturers, only in America can you get paid for being STUPID!....and don't ask them to walk and chew gum at the same time!....you want to really screw them up, give them a phone with a dial instead of a touch pad!.....

AND, Why are we never summoned as a juror when an idiotic case like this turns up.....because I would be the first one to show up and volunteer for jury duty, no questions asked!.....actually I want to be the one to question the idiot/plaintiff!...

since day one, I have never kept my door open/ajar, or the dispenser door open, and very few washes in cold in my Neptunes....and have yet to discover how these machines get this way.....then again, all washes are Hot or Warm, and bleach added when required.....so easy, Stevie Wonder could handle it!

 

[ronhic]

My aunts old Hoover 475 front loader didn't have a drawer. She washed exclusively in cold water. Never used bleach and never used fabric conditioner.

There was no odour at all in her machine.

You don't need

- bleach
- hot/warm water really either, though it helps...

You DO need to

- be conscious of fabric conditioner use
- wipe the seal out
- leave the door ajar

From a safety perspective, well most/all machines have a device that should prevent the door being closed on them - mines a 'bump' in the inner door frame. Turn through 90 degrees and you can't close the door.

 

[pierreandreply4]

there is nothing wrong in washing in cold water i wash in cold water most of the time and NO MOLD and i have a feeling soon it will be the norm for most washers to be set to cold water washing by default because you never know when energy star qualifications for future washer can change

 

[arbilab]

Like above, I've had front loaders almost 1/3 of my life and they never stunk. OTOH, now that I'm in an institution, I have to buy bleach and pay for 2 cycles in the Neptune, the first with hot and bleach only because it smells like gym sneakers.

A TL never "seals" even with the lid down. A FL does. It's like "duh" but if we average a population we get a heapin helpin of stupid.

The Neptune got a sock stuck in the pump and sat full of brown water for a week. Even stink would say that stinks. The Maytag Repairman came, I watched him take it apart. When fixed he ran a hot cycle but without det or bleach. He didn't even know that in an institutional building you have to run the sink 'hot' faucet before you start the washer or the machine will fill entirely with cold. This is the guy who FIXES THEM. See "heapin" above.

 

[logixx]

It's certainly not a front loader issue. There are quite a few Chinese videos of top loaders full of gunk, for example. Seem they add some white powder to the fully filled machine, let it agitate and bits of gunk start to appear in the water.

 

OTOH, with some many washers defaulting to the Normal cycle when switched on and <90F temperatures on Warm... I'm not surprised about stinky washers.

 

This one looks like it was oversudsed (?)

 

 

[MrX]

Lack of hot washes causes this problem, it's as simple as that.

Run a hot wash with your dirty towels once a week with a proper detergent, preferably containing oxygen-bleaching agents and you will not have this problem *EVER*.

We've never had a problem in our household with any of our front-loaders with this and we don't take any special precautions apart from just running a wash at at least 60ºC once a week.

I also don't buy this run the machine empty on hot wash nonsense. To ensure the machine's fully cleaned, it needs a large load of clothes inside during the wash to ensure it gets wet. Otherwise you're just splashing a pool around at the bottom.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Hello!

It's quite simple really.  LEAVE THE DAMN DOOR OPEN BETWEEN USES!  Many machines in Laundromats now tell operators to do this.  Mold does not grow in a dry environment.  Same reason we leave the dishmachine open at night at work.

WK78

 

[pierreandreply4]

Seeing this report only grows my intention of going back to

i am starting to watch the report and from what i am seeing this only grows my intention of going back to a top load washer when my duet breaks and never again buying a front load washer if i have no choice i will have no choice but so far this determines my toughs of buying a top load washer as a daily driver model in mind see picture washer with matching dryer but dryer that would be bought would be a side opening door.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Peirreandreply4

It is NOT needed to revert to a top loader for clean clothes.  If you get past this cold washing crap and use HOT WATER a FL will do fine.  Also if you are going to go back to a TL set it should be a Speed Queen and not this poorly made KM PSC drive set. 

WK78

 

[pierreandreply4]

for your info whrlykenmore78

for your info i will never use hot water for regular load i will always wash my clothes in cold water the only time i will use hot or warm water its for bedding other than that i will stick to washing clothes in cold water.

 

[arbilab]

>>>I also don't buy this run the machine empty on hot wash nonsense.<<<

I'm not putting MY clothes in that machine smelling the way it does. I'm gonna kill whatever is growing in there first with a cup of bleach. Whether it's "really clean" or not is irrelevant. Just that the spores are dead.

 

[w5872]

Hey

It's simple, use a powder detergent for your whites, wash them @60C or above. And don't leave your laundry in your washer after it's done.

Never had mould in any machine.

 

[gorenje]

Here in Europe we always had front loading washing machines for more than 50 years (no new tecnology) but never had problems with mold and smelly machines.

There is no defect in machines. You just have to use your own logic and leave the door ajar so the moisture can dry.

Use proper temperature for the laundry you are washing. That means use also hot water and there is no way you will have problems with mold and bad smell.

But the think I was most shocked when I heared this video is that people are suing the manufacturer. What???
Here in Europe no one would ever think of doing something like that. It makes me laugh.

It's just like put a wet sock in a sealed tupperware for three days and than when you open it go mad why it is not dry and nice smelling.

Go figure....

Ingemar

 

[joeekaitis]

Frigidaire Affinity Lowe's special. Door left ajar between loads, hot water and chlorine bleach in every load of white cottons.

Never had an odor problem.

 

[frontloaderfan]

Frigidaire FL's

Maybe more manufacturers are doing this, but the door boot of my Frigidaire FL has had an almost perfumey smell to it ever since I bought the machine. It's not as strong now, but it still definitely has it's own (pleasant) smell. I'm thinking they did this as a counter measure against any possible odor problem. The fresh air latch is also a nifty little device that makes keeping the door open between washes very easy to do.

I too use hot water and bleach with my whites and have never had an odor problem. The machine still smells like it did when I bought it.

 

[arbilab]

My Frigiwhite still smells like neoprene after 15 years. But it's not allowed in this building. Otherwise I wouldn't have to cope with the commercial Neptune. Which does have a door-open latch that props it but the people in this institution are too stupid to use it or even know the door should stay ajar.

 

[qualin]

I think one way they can solve this "Problem" is just to put a fan which blows air into the tub and moisture sensors. The machine should be smart enough to run the fan when the moisture gets too high.

Whirlpool already is doing this to some extent with their washers.

Now, in saying that, if they just went back to building combo's like they used to, problem solved. Then I could run two combos in my laundry room.

 

[arbilab]

You reckon without what a 7W fan motor would do to the Energy Star (groan) rating. They're already pissing and moaning about 0.7W appliances keeping their remote receivers alive when not in use.

 

[dj-gabriele]

put a fan which blows air into the tub and moisture sensors

Or educate the consumers better as was done over here for ages! (sadly a thing that is starting to disappear!)
Sure most of the rage against front loaders would disappear in seconds.

 

[pierreandreply4]

i do not think this would solve the problem to solve the problem is to stop making front load washers and to keep making top load washers with agitators for classic models and toploads wih wash plates for those that went the option i think its the only way to solve this problem

 

[aquarius8000]

What I can't get over...

...is how people can put off cleaning their machine! I had a machine come in, the door-seal was BLACK and the seal was full of goo, gunge and so much hair! Every scrap machine I've had in, has ALWAYS had mold on the seal and most have hairs on the door and in the seal! And how on earth they think the clothes are getting cleaned, who knows! They're probably cleaner before entering the machine! It's horrible, and how on earth they don't do something about it shocks me.

That's just what I think.

(The machine I'm on about with the black door seal is below, the seal was being cleaned, but wasn't getting far,tho you can't see the hair.)