Follow up on Washer Cleaner Question

Updated on February 04, 2014
V.S. asks from Birdsboro, PA
9 answers

We have a 14 year old top loader. It runs great and I've had it repaired a few times. I asked the repairman the last time whether it was time to get a new one and he recommended that as long as the parts are still available, we should continue to repair for as long as possible, saying it's a better made machine than what is made today and it's a lot cheaper to repair than replace (repairs have all been minor).

But I know the day will come. Seeing all the complaints on here about front loaders (and from my sister), I don't think I want one. But I know there are top loader HE machines. Do they have the same maintenance problems as the front loader machines? I like the idea of HE (one downside of our machine is that it uses a lot of water). Does anyone have one of those top loading HE and what are the problems with them? I've found reviews of individual machines on the internet, but haven't seen anything about these machines in general.

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Featured Answers

S.T.

answers from Houston on

I love HE machines and have had front loading since converting. The odor issue is a non-issue for me for the reasons listed below - keep the door open while not in use, wipe down the seal periodically and an occasional (and I mean very occassional) clean wash run with bleach. Typically I run a load of cleaning towels on hot/hot with bleach and call that a wash cycle; a two for one in my mind.

My biggest gripe about top loading HE machines is I can't stack them. I love stacking my set because it allowed me to add a 60 inch long cabinet to my laundry room. That is so much extra space I did a little happy dance. Also stacking puts my dryer on top which is really convenient as well; I can fold straight out of the dryer. Plus that fabulous cabinet I added gives me 60 inches of folding space right next to my set. Can you tell how happy I am about stacking my set and my added cabinet? :)

3 moms found this helpful

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J.S.

answers from Richland on

I have a front loader and have never had issues with it at all. It is all the same common sense I used when I had a top loader like keep it open when not in use. Both hold some water between uses unless you are willing to dump it after every use, I am not willing.

I honestly don't get all the complaining about the front loaders. You seal up a little slightly dirty water it is going to grow mold and smell, duh. Keep it open and let it evaporate.

Oh and you cannot become trapped in a front loader for a whole cycle. It has a release button.

3 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My first front loader was an Asko. Wonderful washer, it had an internal hot water heater, I could pick 90° Celsius, 100° Celsius is boiling. So it was HOT water.

The spin at the end was 1100 RPM's so the clothes were half way dry when I opened the door. The dryer plugged into the back of the washer and the washer used 220. I loved that washer.

I have a Samsung front loader now and have had it nearly a year. I don't have any issues with it at all. There is no odor.

I use real bleach in it, I use Clorox Stain stuff in it, the blue bottle with an orange lid, and Downy Fabric Softener with the green lid. The door is usually cracked open when it's not in use.

I don't know of any of my friends that have real issues with the odors. I can't imagine mold growing and the wash cycle not killing it off.

3 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I also have a front loader and have not had any issues.

3 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i've got a maytag centennial HE top-loader and i love it. i considered a front loader so i could do horse blankets, but decided that the advantages of having a good solid reliable washer with an agitator outweighed the once-a-year bennie of not having to hand scrub my horse blankets- plus they're so gross that i'd just have to add the ugly chore of then scrubbing my washer.
mine is a solid workhorse, does a great job, and all i have to do to it is swab it out with white vinegar every now and then.
khairete
S.

2 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

They'll take my old fashioned top loading agitator washer from me when they can pry it from my cold dead hands.
I especially like mine because it has an extra rinse cycle and we're sure there's no soap residue left on the clothes to cause itching and irritation (and I don't use a ton of soap either).

2 moms found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

I've had a front loader since they came out and I have never had an issue. I had a Maytag Neptune for my first one and it never gave me a problem. I run the washer a lot and about once every couple months or so, I'd just run a cycle with nothing in it and bleach.

This past June, my Maytag started making noises, etc and we decided to replace vs repair. I got a Samsung FL which holds even more clothes and I LOVE it.

The washer door does not fully seal when it is not in use, therefore there is air out time for it to dry out. I don't have the set that stacks, I saw that and liked them but I like my larger side by side set with the pedestal.

The ONLY drawback I have found with a FL is that.... If you forget to throw something in, it is too bad... that item has to wait for the next round.

The overall drying time is cut about it half.

Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Kansas City on

We have a top load HE washer. It's 3 years old and we haven't had any trouble with it!

1 mom found this helpful
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P.K.

answers from New York on

Have a front loader. Never an issue. Love love love it.

1 mom found this helpful
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