Mold problem in front loading washing machines
I’m shopping for a washer and dryer, and decided I should get a front loader, because they are more energy and water efficient, and more gentle on clothing. However, when I did some research online, I found that many people are complaining about mold developing inside their machine. This problem appears to affect all brands…
I’m shopping for a washer and dryer, and decided I should get a front loader, because they are more energy and water efficient, and more gentle on clothing. However, when I did some research online, I found that many people are complaining about mold developing inside their machine. This problem appears to affect all brands of front loaders. I know someone who is getting rid of her front loader because the mold problem is very bad, and she decided to go back to a top loader. Costumer support didn’t know how to solve the problem. It seems that no one really knows why this is happening, and how to prevent it. Another person told me that they have had their machine for years, don’t have mold, and are very happy with it… Consumer Reports briefly mentions the problem, but they recommend to leave the door open after using the machine, to use HE soap in small amounts, and they say this should prevent the mold problem. But it seems that some people still get the mold depite all those precautions…
There have been multiple posts here that discussed washer and dryers, but not that particular issue. Any opinions or advice on this?
After many months of research, going back and forth from top loader to front loader, we decited on the top of the line LG Tromm.
After reading all the reviews about mold issues, I was very scared to actually do my first load!
We read the owners manual front to back, and it actually says in plain view to keep the door ajar and wipe the seal to remove moisture when you are finished for the day.
I have a microfiber hand towel that I keep in the laundry room. After I’m done I wipe the inner and outer gaskets and the door window. This takes all of 90 seconds! I also leave the door open all the time. We live in a home where the laundry room door can close so It’s not an issue as an eye sore. I also use small amounts of HE tide.
I did think of something though….Sometimes my laundry room seems very humid and I’m scared that might cause mold to grow even though I leave the door open and dry the seal. Has anyone heard of a Humidity Absorber called DAMPRID. You can put this in a high humidity room and it controls the moisture! http://www.damprid.com
I’m thinking of putting one in the room, just for safe measure.
Hopefully by being one of the few that actually reads the owners manual and follows all the directions, I can avoid the mold problem.
JIM: You’re advice is golden and right on spot!
I had a repair man tell me the key is to use citric acid. He said bleach will help temporarily, but it only masks the problem and doesn’t get rid of it. He suggested I run powdered lemonade through a couple cycles (just put it in where you’d normally put the detergent and run a load with old towels). This seems to have solved our problem.
He also said (as others have mentioned) to leave the door open and not to use much detergent. He said the detergent manufacturers have to put a general guideline on the amount to use, but that varies depending on each person’s water. I’m in a suburb with city water – so he said just to use a small amount of HE detergent.
I have a 4 year old Whirlpool Duet and a year or two ago, we started noticing our towels smelling like mold and found the mold in the front gasket. It’s easy enough to find prevention ideas (leave door open, wipe after use, etc.) but guess what — no one wants to spend time cleaning out their washing machine after each load. Sorry, that’s just unacceptable. We started using bleach on our towels and whites, which eliminated the mold smell, but made the towels really rough (so we had to start adding fabric softener, which I read is another cause of mold).
Aside from not knowing ahead of time that the door had to be left open between loads, the only other thing I would recommend would be to avoid using non-HE detergents (like Dreft), which might have caused my problem in the first place (note: the manual never said non-HE detergents would make the washer moldy, it only said they would make additional suds, might not clean as well, etc.)
The whole thing is a racket and I completely disagree with the person who said the people with mold issues were a bunch of whiners. This is the fault of the manufacturers who obviously didn’t do a good job on the design and operator’s manuals.
OK, now I am mad.
I am furious and it is over something as stupid as a washing machine! Yes, you heard me, a WASHING MACHINE!!!!
New government regulations for new water efficiency washing machines has my family’s clothing smelling like a stinking, rancid, moldy basement! This is absolutely absurd! I have been told to change laundry detergent, run hot bleach water through my washer and, get this; my washing machine is 1 year old and my clothes smell filthy!!! The mold and mildew from these nasty machines have wreaked havoc through skin rashes and allergies in my children!
I paid $1,000.000 for this da*ned washing machine and THIS is what is being sold to the public under the disguise of efficiency!!?? I have been on the phone with GE about this problem. I have, over the past 3 months, with a technician on the phone, been instructed to do the following:
#Make sure I use high efficiency detergent. THAT will fix my problem.
Wrong.
*Cleaned the lint trap (..that is stupidly behind a metal access plate that you have to use a screwdriver to remove screws to get to it EVERY TIME dumping nasty water all the place..) and THAT will fix my problem.
Wrong!
*Cleaned the water hoses; THAT will fix my problem.
Wrong!
*Cleaned the gasket around the door. THAT will fix my problem
Wrong!
*Cleaned the tub with bleach water. THAT will fix my problem.
WRONG!
*REMOVED the hoses and cleaned the pump. THAT will fix my problem.
WRONG AGAIN!
*Take the pump out entirely and clean all inlet, outlets and hoses. THAT will fix my problem.
WRONG! WRONG!! WRONG!!!
NONE of this fixed my problem of filthy, wet, stinking, rancid clothing that has endangered my family’s health! I even washed my children’s clothing out by hand in the bathtub and put them in the washer just to rinse and spin and they STILL smelled horrific.
Finally, at the end of my rope, I returned to the appliance store from which I purchased this machine and they have told me that they cannot accept a return. They will not accept a return and I have to deal directly with GE. I HAVE dealt with GE up until the final straw when I they told me I needed a new pump, but so sorry, your warranty JUST expired 3 days ago!!!
Furthermore, my pump was fine. I did NOT need a new pump and have now been told that I cannot return the new, unused pump that cost me another $183.00. I have now been told that this is a problem with ALL front loading washing machines and I should do the following:
*First, run a full complete wash cycle on hottest setting containing Bleach – * Note: wash cycle takes 1 hour and 20 minutes
*Next, run a full wash cycle on hottest setting using high efficiency laundry detergent for another 1 hour and 20 minutes
*Next, run a full wash cycle on hottest setting using Cascade automatic dish washing detergent for an ADDITIONAL 1 hour and 20 minutes
*Next, using Bleach water, wipe down entire interior of washing machine
*Next, using clean white cloth, wipe entire interior of washing machine dry
*Next, leave door ajar to air out machine
*Finally, I have now been informed that I cannot use fabric softener in the machine even though there is a fabric softener dispenser right in the machine because the new front loading machines cannot handle fabric softener!!
Furthermore, I was told that this is new technology and since it is so new, no one really knew these kinds of problems were going to manifest themselves and I just need to try to work with these problems because it is not the manufacturers fault but the GOVERNMENT’S fault! Sorry.
Are you kidding me??
Now I have a $1000.00 piece of junk that the appliance companies are pawning off on unsuspecting consumers and hiding their horrible designs by blaming the government.
So, now this is what I want!
I want the legislature to force manufacturers to properly inform the public of these problems and those who did NOT inform consumers of these issues, COMPENSATE their customers for the $$$$$ it has cost us and the misery and frustration caused by THEIR neglect by NOT informing the consumers of these issues. I want this to be retroactive BACK to at least the year 2005. Furthermore, I want compensated for the cost of buying a top loading washing machine in an effort to keep our families away from the mold and mildew and filthy mess this has caused! Finally, I want manufacturers to own up to the fact that they disregarded the health and safety of consumers in their efforts to profit as much as possible while touting efficiency.
This is outrageous and we need to speak out and make our voices heard!
I own an LG Tromm WM2277HS and it has a problem with the mold smell. I have tried everything and LG has no suggestions and nor am I able to get rid of the smell. I too purchased it in excess of $1500 thinking I was getting a great deal but I did not and I’m not happy with the smell. Yes it washes and with only two of us in the home it’s a great savings however, the smell and having to replace towels and clothing is not saving a dime. These are convenient washers with the front load but the stench is unreal. I have used bleach and it still smells. Oh yeah, and I shouldn’t have to empty the front filtering system every time I’m done with my laundry.
We have an Edgestar combo and have an awful mold problem. I can’t remember why we bought this no name brand. Wasn’t cheap either.
Being European it is interesting to read about the mold problem with front loaders here in the US. ALL washers in Europe are front loaders and in the last 25 years I have not heard about ANY mold problem. I always leave the front door of my washer open, use the proper amount of detergent and just a bit to almost no fabric softener since most of the softeners are not environmentally friendly. Interesting enough, it seems that we have a smaller problem with mold in general not only when it comes to washers but also when it comes to the rest of the houses mold is usually not a problem since most bathrooms have a window or washers and dryers are kept in a basement room with windows and most European houses do not have aircondition but we open the windows…
Being European it is interesting to read about the mold problem with front loaders here in the US. ALL washers in Europe are front loaders and in the last 25 years I have not heard about ANY mold problem. I always leave the front door of my washer open, use the proper amount of detergent and just a bit to almost no fabric softener since most of the softeners are not environmentally friendly. Interesting enough, it seems that we have a smaller problem with mold in general not only when it comes to washers but also when it comes to the rest of the houses mold is usually not a problem since most bathrooms have a window or washers and dryers are kept in a basement room with windows and most European houses do not have aircondition but we open the windows…
Jim
Thanks for all your good info, but apparently you have not read the LG owner’s manual. It makes no mention on how to deal with mold at all, even in the trouble shooting section. Plus that it does not tell you to leave the door open to prevent it from happening in the first place. It has instruction on for cleaning out hard water scale, but that is not a problem with my water. There is not even a suggested monthly maintainance regime for mold prevention.
I now have a terrible mold problem with my LG top loader. The mold is not where it can be seen, but instead underneath several layers of the gasket where you can’t get at itvery well to clean it.
I just talked to the customer service at LG who obviously doesn’t know how to deal with it either. After telling me that the door had to be left open and that monthly maintanence was needed to prevent mold, she couldn’t give me any for sure way not get rid of it. She suggesting several vague remedies including bleach and vinegar, but she said that I would probably just have to replace the gasket once mold got started. I was told I should try to clean up visible mold with bleach but she could not give me a recommendation for a safe concentration to use on the rubber gasket. She also suggested vinegar, as bleach is bad for our septic tank, but said that vinegar rarely works.
I have a septic tank so can’t use bleach. Basically it seems that if you don’t regularly use bleach, or can’t use bleach to regulary sanitize the machine, that you are at a high risk for developing mold. You will have to replace the gasket each time you get mold, at the cost of $40.00 plus the cost of a repair man, basically at least $150 each time.
LG knows this is a problem. They should address how to prevent it in their user’s manual, and their sales people should be instructed to let you know that mold control will be a problem if you can’t use bleach. Mold isn’t just an odor problem, it also can be very dangerous to your health. Maytag had to settle a class action suit for precisely the same reason. LG needs to get on the ball and let people know that the probelm exists and how to deal with it.