I have been researching front loaders because I need to upgrade. I currently have the frigidaire models and they have been just fine. I need bigger ones though because my household is going from 3 to 5. I am down to the Bosch or the Samsung (like the silver, don't like the runors about service...).

Anyway I keep seeing threads about the odor problem. Mostly related to the LG's but also the Duet's. One of you posted an article about a product called Affresh (see link below).

It appears to be an oxygenating cleaner like OxyClean. I have always used liquid detergent because I got burned once by powdered detergent that didn't dissolve correctly and caused discolored spots on my clothes. I hate powder and will never go back. OK back to the subject...

I have been using OxyClean in my front loader ever since I bought it. I got a tub of the powder at Costco (I know! don't go there... LOL) I put a couple tsp in each load as a cheap bleach alternative and sanitizer (my boy is adept at staining his shirts I swear!). I have never once had any musty or moldy odors!. I shut the washer door all the time. I never leave it open to air out. I'll leave it that way for a week and wash the next weekend and no odor - period. I've been using my washer this way for a year and a half. I wonder if it's the oxyclean, or the combination of liquid detergent and oxyclean that I use that eliminates this problem for me. So anyone that reads this posting, that is having this problem, see if OxyClean fixes your issues.

Good suggestion. I recently bought some OC to try.

I've not had a problem with mold/odor with my FL washer because I leave the door slightly open after each use. This allows the water to evaporate.

No moisture = no mold

You are exactly right! Detergent / fabric softener residue’s build up in machines…and yes.. water doesn’t drain 100% out of hoses. I have a Duet FL and I starting experiencing a sour smell after time …. It’s a long story to post again…but I switched to natural laundry soap, and leave the door open a little and I never had a problem again. Detergents do build up and leave chemical residues….this makes our clothes and machine smell sour. I know everyone isn’t to natural cleaning/laundry… but it helps 100%..even if you left your clothes in the machine over night.. they don’t smell.. it’s amazing what I have learned. For those who like using their regular detergents.. in the past what I found that worked was : One cup of bleach run on a hot water empty cycle…after cycle is finish, repeat with one cup of vinegar. This is a quick fix, cleans out machine and hose lines…but after a while, it does come back.. Ree

I am still attempting to get this issue resovlved through Whirlpool. In the interim I have logged complaints with the Consumer Product Safety Commmission (cpsc.gov); the state attorney generals office and am seeking legal advice. I encourage others to do the same. Whirlpool knows that these issues are serious and yet do not seem to be proactive in protecting the safety of their consumers.

You probably read my earlier post..but this is what I have experienced...

I have a whirlpool duet washer and dryer, yes. .costly Machines. No one needs to have these mold and mildew problems along with health issues that go with it. They should take responsibility for their products. I have experienced the same problem, I had my machines about 3 ½- 4 years now. A few months back, everything smelled.. I was going crazy, washing, re washing… I did the bleach and vinegar rinses .. I found it was a temporary fix. I was going crazy as I am a very meticulous person also, especially when it comes to the health of my family which includes two young children who happens to be allergic to mold and mildew. I wasn’t smart enough to call and complain..

Then I started reading about residues left behind from detergents.. that’s actually when I started bleach and vinegar rinses trying to remove it. Long story…I decided to go natural in my laundry as I do with cleaning. .I bought a product called Laundry Pure. (It is a machine that hooks up to your washer, eliminates detergent, softener and bleach, puts sanitized water in you machine to wash the clothes chemical free) The rep told me to run the machine (Duet) empty about 3x’s before I put a load in…So the first time I ran it, a dark blue liquid was going through the Laundry Pure machine. .I had no idea what it was or if it was normal. .so I called to ask.. I talked to tech support and the first thing he asked was if I used Tide.. and I did (HE) ..he then told me that was all the detergent residue coming out of the machine, to now run it empty about 5x’s to get it all out.. I was sick! The Laundry Pure didn’t work out after 6 weeks of use (long story) so I sent it back.. ever since , I have been using a true all natural laundry soap and never had the sour smell again. I think the Duet holds detergents and doesn’t get out of the machine.. that’s why they build up and I guess I am on the right tract since they are recommending AFFRESH to clean it all out. It’s been months since I used regular detergent and I have to say what a huge difference it has made, not only in the machine, but in the clothes we wear.. Just as the chemicals build up in the machine. .it also does that to our clothes. .not healthy!

For your own piece of mind, switch to a all natural detergent, once all the chemicals are out of your clothes and machine, I am sure you will not experience any more moldy smelling clothes… I hope this was some help, I wanted to share this with you because it really worked for me. Ree

If you get any of the Whirl-Out use 4 tablespoons in a hot wash. A guy that services LG said they used that at a training session and showed the before and after machine there and he said it cleaned out all the scum. You can get this at Home Depot and maybe Lowes.

I would also go to powdered detergent.