Mold in Front Loading Washers – Care and Class Actions

We bought our house in 2004 and I put in top of the line LG washer and dryer.  I think on sale at Fry’s, they were about $1200 each.   I was deciding between Bosch and LG because I wanted “quiet” as they are quite close to my kitchen where everyone dwells.  I regret not choosing the Bosch, I can’t totally remember why I didn’t but Bosch has endured some mold complaints too.  Not nearly as many as LG though.

My experience:  Anyway, as you can see in the photo we have been fighting a disgusting mold problem.   That’s the mold stain left on the plastic rim or gasket around the door of my LG washer. I called LG about a year ago and the told me that to just use bleach and keep the door open when not in use.  Wipe the entire washer down after each use. What?  The gasket has folds that you have to squeeze a towel into or use a Q-Tip.  That’s not a practical way to fly.   At least once a month, I accidentally leave a load in overnight.  I’m busy and I forget.  Or sometimes I forget for a few hours.  That has to be semi normal behavior.  Keep in mind that until May of this year, this was my vacation house.  The washer wasn’t used all that much and was wiped down before we left for long periods of time.  I mean people keep washer/dryers in their vacation homes, right?   The mold problem has gotten much worse over the last few months.  La Jolla Dad finally took notice and is not happy.

A year or two ago, I did call LG to complain.  The woman at the time was very nice and told me that the problem could be solved by using a bleach/water dilution on the washer gasket.  In my case, that didn’t help so much.   The mold quickly comes back because there are too many small crevices for the mold to breed in.  The water pools up at the door after each wash.  The woman also told me (which they denied ever mentioning today) that this was more or less a design flaw that has since been rectified in later washer models.  But, there was nothing they can do because the washer was out of warranty.  La Jolla Dad called today and was told the same thing – that we should wipe it down and use bleach.   They denied mentioning the “design flaw” probably to avoid compensation.

Class Actions:  I’m allergic to some kinds of mold, not to mention the thing stinks so we’re replacing the washer with a different brand.  As I was angrily researching a new washer, I noticed that mold in a front loader is common in particular brands.  In fact, there are many class action lawsuits brewing about it:

LG Class Action
Whirlpool Duet Class Action

People are kicking up a fuss about mold in the Kenmore Elite front loading washer but I’m not sure if there’s a class action.  There are also other class actions for washers that have perpetual error codes and other issues.  Obviously, do your research before you join one.

If you have mold in your washer:   The first thing you should do is contact the manufacturer.  Odds are, you’re out of warranty though.  Some people have reported success with a product called Affresh High Efficiency Washer Cleaner. The manager at LG said to use it over and over and over again “until it hurts” but that it may not work for everyone.  Affresh has helped us manage the mold, until we decide what to do.  It does work, but it’s going to cure the problem, possibly because our washer is dire. I’ve also tried Washer Magic with no success.  If there is mold in the gasket, you can also try replacing it.  That’s not really going to solve the problem unless you’re really diligent about maintenance.  I’ve read that once the mold appears, it’s really hard to totally get rid of, which has been my experience.

Why does mold build up in front loaders: Front load washers typically use less water so the dirt, grime, detergents, etc. do not always fully drain out.  Using cold water versus hot can also exacerbate the problem.  Hot water (less efficient) kills bacteria better than cold.  It is SO DIFFICULT to fully dry my LG front loader after use and it isn’t practical to leave the door open, due to it’s location.  You also MUST use low sudsing HE detergents or cut back on regular detergents.  Leftover suds are tough to drain and contribute to the mold problem.

We haven’t decided which make and model washer to buy next, but should know within a day or so.  My main decision is whether or not to risk another front load washer or just go to top load.  My bottom line is that we’re busy and I won’t always remember to take out the wet laundry right away.  It’s wasteful to be using numerous paper towels (I’m not getting gunk on cloth ones) every time I wipe the washer out.  It’s quite a process, actually.

Hope this info can help if you have mold in your washer.  If you have a washer that you LOVE, I’d LOVE to know about it.

Tagged as: Cleaning, Home, Homekeeping, LG, Mold in Washer, Washer