You know it’s a bad day when you’ve got a load full of wet baby clothes and your dryer completely fizzles—for good. This isn’t the first time it has almost caught on fire, so it’s going to the dryer graveyard.
Dryer (and possibly washer) shopping is in our immediate future. Any suggestions on brands you would recommend or some really excellent deals?
You know that JUST happened to Rene! What’s happening in NC??
Maytag. Front loaders. All. The. Way.
Just bought an LG steam wash front load washer and dryer, absolute love!
Really? I’ve heard from several people that I don’t want front loaders bec. of the mildew issue (you know, if I happened to be one of those people that doesn’t dry immediately. . .). Any problems with that?
My sister got the LG top-loading LARGE CAPACITY (that part is important!) high efficiency washer and companion dryer last year and is in love with them. Definitely not the cheapest, but I hear they get rave reviews. She got hers at Home Depot. And I can’t get over how many clothes she can fit in her washer and dryer. Also, a blog that I follow (www.decorchick.com) recently replaced her washer and I believe took an informal poll on her blog and LG came out on top. She also has an LG dryer that I think is just a few years old. Hope that helps. Our washer/dryer is just fine, but my husband and I secretly can’t wait until we can think of a good reason to replace them with LGs! Good luck!
We have a front load LG that I love! And I have never had a mildew issue. Once a year I put in these tide cleaner packets and that’s it! And I’m the queen of leaving wet clothes in too long!!
-Ashley
http://Www.recentlyrimini.blogspot.com
I have a Maytag washer and dryer, front load, and I love them to bits! I just leave the door to the washer open a few inches after I do a load of wash, and I’ve never had any issue with mildew and it’s been three years!
I have no recommendation, but I would just caution people to not mess around with dryers that are going downhill.
My friend’s little brother and several of his roommates died in a fire caused by a dryer. Not trying to bring people down, but it’s not something to take risks with if they are on the fritz.
I love my front loaders! I believe the newer models do not have the mildew issues. I have Kenmore – they are great! With the number of kiddos in your house and given that their clothes are only going to get bigger in the coming years {just wait until they ALL start playing sports!}the capacity of front loaders are exactly what YOU need!
xo~Jill
I’ve been shopping for new washer/dryers too. One thing all my girlfriends tell me is NO front loaders. They smell bad if you don’t leave the door open ALL the time. The new top loaders no longer have the center agitator so you have as much room as a front loader. I’ve also heard to skip all the fancy extras on the dryer. You really just need it to dry your clothes, so paying extra for all the upgrades is mostly a waste. What ever you decide will be what’s best for your family! Good luck and happy shopping!!
@Fiona–I totally agree. Sorry to hear that. My husband was just in the laundry room trying to “fix” it and I kept smelling more smoke. I basically told him the same thing that you said. Time to kick it out the door.
I just got a Kenmore Elite set. It is the high efficiency top loading and the dryer is has the steam refresh. I am in LOVE! It holds a ton and the steam refresh is awesome for people (oh, like myself!) who don’t always take the clothes out of the dryer immediately! The guy at Sears said this was the only set he had ever sold where people had come back to the store to tell him how happy they are with their appliances!
I love my Whirlpool duets…Have had them for 7 years and are like new…and the new ones are amazing!! I cannot get mine to break to get the new ones ;)
Just replaced mine with Maytag top loader without the agitator, i bought the smaller size since my children are grown and it is really large. I have front end loader in one of my second homes and it flooded my hardwoods once, did not want to deal with that again.
Agree on the mildew with front loaders!…. My mom has a maytag and it always smells.
I have an LG front loader combo that I don’t love, but my sister just bought an LG pair and hers has all the extras like steam wash and she loves hers. In regards to the mildew I have been experimenting for 5 years on a fix and the best I have come up with is: check the rubber gasket often (for food/hair, etc), leave the door open for air drying, and spray the gasket after every load with lysol.
PS. I do a ton of wash– I have 5 kids too!!!
I have Kenmore front loaders and they are great. Front loaders use less detergent and less water. Most have a “clean washer” feature. Just put bleach in the dispenser and run it about once a month the prevent mildew. Love your blog!
I have front loaders and have not had a problem with the mildew since switching from liquid soap to powder!
Try Craigslist, we bought both our washer and dryer there and they were both under a year old barely used, saved at least a grand :)
Have 6 yr. old Whirlpool front loaders. Never, ever have had a problem. I do leave the washer door open just a bit after I’m done and have no mildew issues. Also have found that using the Tide Washing Machine cleaner works very good about once a month. Love these machines. Prior machines (left at previous home) were 12 year old Whirlpool top loaders – never had a service call. You may want to look at Consumer Reports for repair records etc. Good luck.
The new LGs are beyond fabulous, Emily, and capable of standing up to the mess of five kids!! LOVE the steam features!!!
I recently purchased a samsung front loader and love it. It has a built in cleaning cycle that prevents the mildew/moldy smell and was rated best buy by consumer reports. I had also heard good things about the Whirlpool duets but the Samsung was a much better deal for the size and extras that you get including steam, bedding, and sanitizing cycles.
We got ours from Lowes for maybe $700 on sale. Be sure to check with your utility company to see if they offer a rebate for he appliances.
Ugh! That dips into the home decor fund. I am no help. I like simple things. I “speed wash” everything on cold because I’m boring like that. I do have an LG but it was a cheap one. I like it but I don’t use any fancy features except “delay wash” when putting a load in at night to start in the morning. It works great though! I do keep the door cracked to prevent mildew.
Good luck!
I did a lot of research last year before buying and went with the Electrolux front loading washer and dryer. I am so in love with them, although, they did cost a little more. Washer has a sanitize cycle so no problem with smells. But the thing I love the most is that the washer has a lot of different cycles, from very quick (15 minutes) to long cycles.
we’re never getting a front loader, too many mildew/smell issues!
We just got LG front loader and dryer at Sears. They will price match and beat it by 10%. Husband did all the research. I love them! They are super fast and quiet. Hold a large amount. Just leave your washer door open and it won’t stink.
You do not want a front load washer if you don’t get it emptied right away. And you will need be able to keep the door open at least a little. Good luck!
We bought the Electrolux Large Capacity washer and dryer new from a local scratch and dent place and got a really good deal. I was so thrilled bc they were exactly what I had wanted and I couldn’t be happier – they seriously hold a huge amount of clothing and are really efficient and quiet too. The “casual” wash cycle is only 32 mins – its easy to do a lot of laundry and not have it take all day.
we bought the two below and LOVE LOVE LOVE them! got $200 off each too with the specials they were running. i was told another special is coming up labor day weekend.
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Laundry-Clothing-Care-Washers-Front-Load-Washers/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbv6hZ1z1083yZ12lbZ12la/R-202220096/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#BVRRWidgetID
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&R=202220095&catEntryId=202220095#BVRRWidgetID
I’m a Mom with 6 kids and I love my front loader! I use so much less water, yet everything gets really clean. You do need to leave the door open to dry after a wash, but you get in the habit. I have a really trusted repairman who told me his top three brands (because he doesn’t have to fix them much and they have real metal parts!) His choices are Bosch, Whirlpool Duet, and Kenmore HE. I have the Bosch. He said to avoid the Korean brands (ie. LG and Samsung) because their parts are major expensive and their repair records are high. Good luck!!
Not only do you need to leave the door open on the front loader you have to leave the little detergent drawer open too. It gets mighty nasty and smelly if you don’t. I also use homemade laundry detergent which has helped to cut down on the gunk build up. I find the front loader tangles the clothes too much. I have a duet. Mom just got LG top loader with no agitator and it cleans so much better than my front loader and uses very little water also. I would go that route if I was lucky enough to need to replace that front loader now!
Don’t buy Samsung….if you ever need repairs most places don’t carry the parts and they need to be ordered ….which means a week! Good Luck!
I love our top load. Another point to consider is when you start a load in a front load you cannot add anything else. I am always adding items after I start!
My cousin was previously a manager at Sears in the appliances department, and he wouldn’t allow me to buy anything other than a Samsung or LG. We went with the Samsung front-loaders. We purchased at HH Gregg, where they will negotiate on price. After my salesguy wouldn’t go any lower, I told him it’d be a deal if he threw in 3 Affresh tablet bags (to last us 3+ years) which helps keep it mildew-free. Good luck!
I have a top loading Maytag that is 18 years old, still going strong, and I love it to pieces. My matching dryer died a few years ago. Instead of buying the pricey Maytag to replace it, I bought an Admiral, which is a Maytag, for half the price! I love it!
Our oldest son saved $700 on a $2000 by doing the following. First they shopped in the store to find what they wanted. Then he googled that set of appliances and bought them online from the cheapest priced source with the highest feedback rating. He said he did not buy the cheapest because that supplier had bad reviews. The washer and dryer were shipped freight and delivered to his house three days later. A semi truck pulled up and the appliances were unloaded and put in his garage. We will definately be doing the same next time we are shopping for appliances which will be soon for our kitchen. On another note I had a Maytag front loader and had constant trouble with it. So much so that Maytag refunded my money and picked up the washer. We went back to a regular old top loader and I was shocked to see how filthy the wash water was right after the front loader was gone. Our clothes were obviously not getting clean in so little water. Appliances are just not made to last anymore though and the average life of a washer is 7 years and we have seen that it is true.
Love our Samsung front load w/d – also loved the LG in the showroom…best wishes!
I swear by my LG Tromm set, now 5 yrs old. I can (and frequently have to) wash 15 pair of jeans + some t-shirts & a few socks, due to little boys that seem to roll in mud constantly! I can’t even tell you how much less water this thing uses. And the dryer is equally efficient. I’m so glad I sprung for it, best “gift” to myself (and my budget) BTW, I got the gorgeous RED metallic color!
BTW, my LG Tromm washer/dryer is front load, high capacity. NEVER a single mildew issue in 5 years, and I don’t use a special soap (that’s for the HE ‘high efficiency’ ones) and I’m a busy mom, so things get, um, left unattended sometimes LOL
I have a Maytag frontloader that I haven’t been happy with, but I’d certainly buy a frontloader again. Most appliance companies have resolved all of the mildew/smell issues from a few years ago.
I love the ability to wash larger comforters, blankets, backpacks, my LL Bean boat bags and other items that I’d never dream of putting in a top load washer. I think they are perfect for a household with a bunch of kids!
Just do your homework…
I purchased new front loaders for 2 houses 3 summers ago. I bought an LG for one house and a GE for the other. The GE always smells bad because there is always water in the seal around the door unless I sponge it out! The LG does not leave any water and does not smell. I did not go for the steam model because of the additional expense. Also, I did a lot of research on prices and chose Best Buy because of their price match guarantee. You can read about my positive experience here: http://www.lifeatlydiashouse.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-appliances-and-394-in-my-pocket.html . Appliances ususally go on sale around holidays and Labor Day is coming up so you can buy now and Best Buy will match the price if it drops at Labor Day!
I’m interested in these answers. We have Kenmore 12 years old and have never had them fixed or any problems. I was told by a lot of my friends NOT to buy front loaders. After reading these replies, I think the large capacity top loader w/o the agitator sounds like something I’d like. Good luck!
Oh no! I had Maytag front loaders (we gave them to our oldest for her apartment, she has since sold the set since her new apartment came with a set). I didn’t care for them for a couple reasons, 1) we had mildew around the seal issue and had to replace it a couple times, and 2) I hated bending over all the time. Our laundry room is small and the washer door was too close to the entry door.
We replaced the set with a Maytag top load washer and new dryer. I LOVE it! It holds a ton and has tons of settings, my favorite for towels and sheets being the Oxi-Sanitary cycle. I do not use BLEACH! The spin cycle does a fabulous job, so the clothes don’t take as long once in the dryer. Our dryer has the steam setting as well.
We have an LG HE Front loader and never had any problems with smells. I however will be looking at top loader HE models when this one goes kaput, for they have bigger capacity and they don’t wiggle around like ours does. Good luck on your hunt.
Hate. Strongly hate my LG washer front-loader. Smells horrible even leaving door open every night, Affresh every two-weeks, and not leaving let clothes in there. Still smells. Going back to old school washer and dryer when these die :-)
Ps. Saw the above comment about Lysol-will try!
Mine are 10 yrs old or more but they are GE Harmony and I have loved them! Washer is not front load because of my space issues..
Just thought I’d chime in, if (by any chance) you’re considering using cloth diapers for the twins then a top loader makes washing those a lot easier. I second the recommendations for LG and Samsung
Something to think about with the new top loaders that don’t have the agitator in the middle…. I recently heard of a little boy who drowned while he was trying to reach in and touch the water.
At least with a front loader it locks after the wash starts.
Craigslist! I got mine for $25 a year ago and it’s still going strong (and it’s a large capacity – perfect for a large family!). See what your local craigslist has!
whirlpool duet, they’re reliable, inexpensive and work great. I have a family friend that has sold appliances for 20+ years and says Whirlpool is the only worthwhile brand for washers and dryers. I’ve had mine for five years with no problems – as far as the mildew with front loaders; if you leave it open after you run the load until it dries out, you will never have any mildew issues.
I love my LG HE top loader and dryer. They hold SO much! They also play a little song when they finish the load… Much better than buzzing.
We have LG front loaders, and while I am happy with the quality…I REALLLY hope we can sell them with our house and get something different in a year or two. We love LG, our entire kitchen is LG. But the front loaders….boy oh boy. They don’t get whites white, bleach doesn’t do anything as far as I am concerned in the front load, I pre bleach things in the bathtub and drag them to the laundry room. We use the tide washer cleaner about every other month. YES, if you leave clothes in the washer for more than 4 hours they stink…I can smell it on other people sometimes and wonder if they know why their clothes smell like that (or do they even smell themselves??) We always leave the door open until the washer is completely dry, if the gasket ever were to crack from water damage (which happens to people all the time) your washer will leak until you spend the upwards of $100 just for the gasket itself.
If you are fine with all of that, they are convenient, its great to have the space on top for folding and whatnot, and I love the speed cycles!
Oh no!! Good luck!!
I just have an old-fashioned, el-cheapo basic top loading washer and dryer set (which has its perks…I love being able to soak loads in there with the lid up before I put it going for example). But, my mom has a Maytag front loader and Would NOT recommend it…they even gave her a second one since she had so many troubles with the first. Hope that helps! Hope u figure it out soon…I just had my fourth child in June and a) cannot imagine having twins! :) and b) would hate to be without a washer or dryer for very long! Good luck! Let us know what you end up getting as we will be moving soon and will probably be in the market for a set.
Isn’t it summer there…. what about hanging your clothes outside in the sunshine getting some goodness on those baby clothes…. Free clothes dryer
I’ve loved my cherry red Samsung washer and dryer. The color is fun, and I haven’t had any problems for the four years I’ve had them. Good luck!
Love my Whirlpool Cabrio! They are a large capacity top loading washer and dryer, and have served us well without incident for over 5 years. Good luck!
Emily….we just recently (end of June) purchased a Whirlpool, cabrio set and I LOVE>>>LOVE it. I had a front loader that had so many problems. This set is wonderful….good luck!
I’ve had an LG front loading washer/dryer (one machine) for 7 years and never had any trouble with it. We never click the door shut (just leave it slightly ajar) and have never had mildew issues. It is very water and energy efficient. I also love that I can use the top of it as my ironing board! (just put a thick folded towel down).
Pre-child I loved being able to put a load of clothes on wash-dry in the morning and come home from work to a pile of clean, dry clothes. But now that I’ve got a child I find the wash-dry cycle too slow to get through the washing piles. With 5 kids you might have even more trouble!
So we now have a separate dryer to help out with the loads. We bought ours from Aldi (not sure if you have that shop in your country?) and love it. It is a ‘Stirling’ brand, exclusive to Aldi. It has a sensor so only dries as long as needed and seems to use a lot less energy than other driers. It was a bargain and I’ve been very happy with it.
WE just got front loaders. They are really nice in so many ways. But they are not so great at taking care of heavy duty laundry (cloth diapers, something that is horribly soiled, etc.).
I like this blog so much but I’m interested on the blog of washer dryer repair Edmonton. So better to keep on posting!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.