Best front-load washer for avoiding mold

November 15, 2022 7:00 AM

I've poked around wirecutter etc. but they do not share my #1 interest, which is no mold! I have bad allergies and the mold in my current front-loader is ruining my life. Due to space constraints, a front-loading/stackable washer is my only option. Do you have a front-loading washer that is not gross?

(Yes, I leave the door open when the washer isn't in use and do the required maintenance. My current washer -- a Kenmore -- is so famously moldy that there's a class action lawsuit. Sigh.)

Some of the review sites talk about certain washers being mold-resistant, but I would love a personal recommendation, because something being true in theory does not always equate to it being true in real life!

posted by goodbyewaffles to Home & Garden (16 answers total)

Best answer: Is there a reason you can't use a stacked laundry center with top-loading washer like this one? They take up pretty much the same amount of room as stacked front-loaders, sometimes even less. There are tradeoffs, but if "no mold" is your #1 priority a top-loader might be the way to go.
posted by mskyle at 7:06 AM on November 15, 2022 [3 favorites]

My LG stackable front loader has no problems. I even recently did my best to create a problem by leaving wet laundry in there for almost a week and although it did smell, running one of those washer tabs through it cured it.
posted by HotToddy at 7:07 AM on November 15, 2022

I have a 20+ year old LG front loader that I've had no issues with. I also leave the door open all of the time when not in use. (There is a wall to the left of the washer, so even when the door is open it is not in the way. )

I suspect that the weekly load of whites where we use actual bleach helps keep the system in check too.
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 7:14 AM on November 15, 2022

I also have just a standard LG front load washer:

1. leave the door wide open with a with a DIY stopper. A friend in a condo has a small fan with a built in timer that he just dumps into the machine so he can slide the closet door.
2. have an old towel that I use to wipe down the seal, but it’s not every wash
3. my solution for the interior is to run hot acid loads. The machine has a sanitizing setting so that gets used. So I regularly run my floor mats, dish towels and regular towels on double bleach. No detergent, just bleach in both slots, on sanitary. Also all my dress shirts and pillow cases get regularly washed in vinegar instead of the detergent.
4. I also stopped using pods and will vary how much detergent I am actually using- I have generally reduced my use by almost half
5. run the self clean cycle on the machine. I used to do this with the chemicals on the regular, but the other steps mean that I run it no chemicals monthly and with chemistry seasonally? 2 a year? Infrequently.

posted by zenon at 7:26 AM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: GE Ultrafresh machines are designed to deal with the mold and smells without having to leave the door open. Most of the reviews I've seen say they work well enough.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:44 AM on November 15, 2022

I have a Bosch front-loader with no mildew issues. I do tend to run things like underwear on the "sanitary" cycle, so that might help. I do leave the door ajar to allow the tumbler and seals to dry out in order to avoid mildew.
posted by slkinsey at 7:47 AM on November 15, 2022

LG owner for 15 years, seconding everything above. I also clean the drain filter trap every few weeks as well as the detergent drawer every few months.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:46 AM on November 15, 2022

Yeah, seems worth mentioning that I regularly run bleach loads, and that the LG is my third front loader--the others were Kenmore and Bosch--and I've never had a mold problem with any of them, so maybe it's attributable to regular bleaching?
posted by HotToddy at 10:05 AM on November 15, 2022

Best answer: I have this Whirlpool stacked washer/dryer unit and I LOVE it. Top-loading washer, and I’ve had zero mold/mildew issues in 3 years. I rarely use bleach or do a cleaning cycle. I do try to leave the washer lid open when I’m not using it, but I forget sometimes and it doesn’t seem to matter much. My only caveat is that the washer capacity is quite small, but I live alone so it’s not much of an issue.
posted by mekily at 10:20 AM on November 15, 2022

9 year old Samsung front loader with no mold. It has a cleaning cycle that I maybe remember to run like once a year. I bleach towels at most once a month. Leaving the door open is our main mold abatement practice.

We bought a house with a Kenmore front loader that was moldy. Using this Eco-Gals Swirlz washing machine cleaner as directed got rid of the stink.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:24 AM on November 15, 2022

I'm not sure if it's climate or what, but the 2008 vintage Frigidaire front loader I had never had any mold issues whatsoever. The one we got here in Florida (GE, I think?) was a constant source of ick. Not so bad that I hated it or anything, but it did require cleaning the gasket pretty frequently, as opposed to the approximately never of the old one, despite always leaving the door cracked.
posted by wierdo at 11:14 AM on November 15, 2022

maybe it's attributable to regular bleaching?

The biggest source of the mold/smell problem in front loaders is the door seal. Water accumulates there and typically drains away through some small weep holes in the bottom of the rubber (at least on my LG it does, and it looks like this).

These holes will clog with lint and debris and leave water standing around. Keep that area clean and your problems will be minimized. But still do a tub clean once in a while.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:26 AM on November 15, 2022

I had the same famously moldy Kenmore! We replaced it with a Samsung in 2019 and so far, no mold at all!
posted by euphoria066 at 1:15 PM on November 15, 2022

I have had this issue. There's not enough room to keep the washer door propped fully open. I put a towel mostly in the washer, with a few inches hanging out. This absorbs moisture and props the door open a tiny bit. Damp laundry must be removed immediately, so I use a timer on my phone. If/ when it gets manky, I do a load of laundry that uses bleach & hot water.
posted by theora55 at 2:33 PM on November 15, 2022

If a useful datapoint: I have had an LG front-load since 2013. I leave the door open after every wash. I have not noticed any mold or mildew smell in the last nine years, when the door is left open and I have moved the wash over to the dryer in a timely manner.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:46 PM on November 15, 2022

Response by poster: I did not know about laundry centers so thank you for the tip! Unfortunately we need a bigger capacity, so we've ordered the GE ultrafresh (thank youuuu, Black Friday sales) and hopefully it'll work! (the guys who took away the old washer could not believe how moldy it was, and I feel like they have Seen Some Things)
posted by goodbyewaffles at 6:33 PM on November 17, 2022 [2 favorites]