<p>sjmom’s comment bears repeating…the recent front loaders finish with so much more water removed from clothing during their spins that at first I felt the dryer “was joking”…everything was dry like immediately and it took some getting used to the speedy finished product.</p>
<p>The only problem I have had with the first gen Neptune is the mildew thing with the outer seal. I did the free replacement years ago, but there are still problems. You can wipe it down with bleach, but it’s still gross. I wipe it off after every load and leave the washer door open, so the problem hasn’t gotten worse.</p>
<p>Another happy front loader. I splurged and bought a Miele a few years ago, and a Hettie dryer - a Sears Ht3, the big frontloading dryer.
I wash woolens and silks and many delicate things I wouldn’t have dreamed of putting in my old washer. The whites come incredibly clean.
The feature I like best about my washer, though is the simplest, it has a delay feature, so I can load it up when I go to bed, it comes on in the middle of the night, and I can dry the load in the morning before work, that’s great.</p>
<p>Is it more difficult to access front loaders? Would a person with a back problem find themselves always crouching to reach the laundry?</p>
<p>AhHa- Good question. It isn’t too bad for me yet, but there are these neat risers you can get that make the washer and dryer higher up. I have my eye on them. H says if you go to Lowes or Home Depot with your model number they will special order them for you.</p>
<p>I have my washer and dryer on the risers (also like the drawers in the risers). This makes the machines at a very convenient level. Would rec. highly.</p>
<p>I have Whirlpool Duette (washer and dryer) and it has cut my electricity bills. My repairperson recommended the Duette, said not to pay the extra the Kenmore will cost (extra middleman, Whirlpool makes both). One disadvantage is that I need to leave the door open between washings, otherwise there is some moisture left and it gets musty, and things do collect in the lower seal. However, one can do a very small load with quite a clear conscience, extra water is not used, only enough for whatever size the load is. You can stuff lots into the load if you wish. Good luck.</p>
<p>But can you throw in the lost sock you find in the hallway after the wash cycle has started?</p>
<p>yes, if it is within the first part of the cycle</p>
<p>
I’ve never done it simply because I recall a repairman telling my neighbor once the very worst thing you can do is stop a machine in mid-cycle. He was repairing her dishwasher at the time.</p>
<p>Right – on ours there’s an “open up” button which takes a few minutes to pause the cycle and you can then open the door and toss in / restart.</p>
<p>The water level is <em>not</em> at the door level, it’s below (and the clothes are tumbled into the water, rather than soaking in it all the time), so there’s no danger of the water spilling out onto the floor when you open the door, if that was your concern.</p>
<p>message to front loader owners or owners to be…do look out for mildew in the “airtight” seal rubber on the front door area…we are belatedly cleaning that routinely after getting some odor and getting rid of mildew…we used to leave the door shut, now we leave it open. google your model number</p>
<p>Another happy front-loader user here. We’ve had a top-of-the-line Kenmore for several years. It has a huge capacity and many cycle choices. I use the HE detergent, about 1 tablespoonful per load (we have very soft water). I also put white vinegar into the softener compartment. My kids have allergies, and the vinegar removes all soap residue (this is the function of softeners) without the irritating smell (the wash does not smell of vinegar). I have always left the door open between loads to prevent mildew. When I first started using it, I felt that my clothes had never been really clean before. They come out almost dry, but twisted up all together. They need to be shaken out before being put in the dryer (old Kenmore) where they dry at lightning speed. </p>
<p>Mine is not on risers and I don’t mind bending over - but then I pay to do this at yoga class!</p>
<p>We just got a Kenmore Elite front loader – got a floor model and they gave us a nice break on it and the pedestal. I love it, but I had a sweater trashed in the first load. I ran it with the jeans and darks on the normal cycle – the only thing I can figure is that someone’s velcro caught some weak threads and that was all she wrote!</p>
<p>Have a 2 yo Kenmore dryer and am finding that the new washer holds more than the dryer does – which is the reverse of what we’ve dealt with previously!</p>
<p>I love not having the agitator – I think we have solved the Missing Sock Mystery!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the input … we will definitely look at front loaders. I had no idea about the risers and appreciate the info.</p>
<p>We moved out of our house in August leaving our troublesome Maytag Neptune duo behind. We’d had it serviced twice, wiped it out with bleach, ran bleach only loads…and mildew was still a problem. We HOPE to be moving into our new house in April, so I’ve been looking at front loaders again. I think we’re between the Maytag Epic and the LG Tromm. The salesperson did note to us that the basin in the LG is made of plastic, not the usual stainless steel, and expressed some concern that the continued vibrations might cause problems in for the machines in the long run. Has anyone had any probs with this on the LG? Anyone have the Maytag Epic?</p>
<p>I’ve had my Frigidaire stacking front loading washer/dryer pair for 7+years, and am happy with the set.</p>
<p>Does anybody have a front loader brand that doesn’t get the mildew problem?</p>
<p>Also, does anybody feel that the drums of front loaders make an annoying amount of noise when they reverse directions? Any quiet machines?</p>
<p>My front-loader (Kenmore top-of-line) does not get mildew, but we leave the door open between loads. It seems to run quietly, but since it’s in the basement I’m not nearby. I have been down there during load reversals and have not noticed an annoying noise.</p>
<p>I bought a Whirlpool Cabrio about a month ago. It’s a top loading HE machine. The capacity is enormous-- 4.5 cubic feet. I know front loaders use less water, but we have a well and are not paying for water, only the electricity to pump it. So far, so good.</p>