I'm not really sure if any machine made today will last as long as the old ones did, but I am hopeful. I purchased my Bosch Nexxt series FL washer and dryer over 6 years ago, and have been very happy with them.

FL's are very different, require much less soap, and a bit of care. My machine does smell a bit musty if I close it and don't do a load for a week. Otherwise, I just leave it open to air out overnight and it does fine. I've also discovered the type of detergent I use (often too much) makes it smell even more. These machines use much less water, therefore if you use too much soap, it doesn't get rinsed out, possibly causing some of the smell. I never notice a smell when I use Persil soap, or when I use just a tablespoon of liquid soap. My soap does seem to last forever!

As for dryers, mine has never had a problem with drying things completely. There is a sensor behind the lint collector that senses when things are dry. If you use dryer sheets, the product in the sheet clogs the lint screens squares, blocking the sensor and the dryer can stop working well. I was told by my appliance guy to never use dryer sheets in these newer type of machines for that reason. I have only used liquid softener in my washer and I never worry about static, and my dryer has never not worked exceptionally well, even with larger loads. One thing though, the Bosch dryers get super hot, so I changed my flexible duct for a solid one, mainly to decrease the risk of fire with it being so hot. I also clean out beneath my dryer's lint collector with a long skinny brush to remove any lint that may not come out with the screen, and also vacuum that area once a year.

I think it's a small amount of maintenance that has kept my machines doing well. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to ask the Bosch technician a ton of questions when the washer's seal came off my machine 2 weeks after I got it. I learned some valuable information and have had no problems with my machines since following his advice. I'm very happy with my set, and I do hope they last another 10 years or more.

Moisture sensors typically are not behind the lint screen, but rather are in the drum, directly exposed to contact with the tumbling load. Wet/damp items touch the sensor bars to complete a very low-voltage electric circuit between them. The control board reads the "hits" to determine moisture content.