My Purchase of a High-Efficiency Washer and Dryer
About 10 years ago, I purchased my first front loader high efficiency (HE) washer machine and dryer. High-efficiency washer machines use less water and are more energy efficient making this a great purchase right?
Well yes and no… let me explain my struggles. I remember when I first brought my new washing machine home. I did my first load of laundry and thought something has to be wrong here.
First, it sounded like a plane was taking off in my laundry room! Second, there is no water or very little water at that when my clothes were washing! How can these clothes get clean?
So I called the manufacture and started to ask questions. This was normal and she assured me the clothes would get clean.
Why Aren’t My Clothes Getting Clean?
So over time I accepted the loud noises coming from my laundry room and learned to accept the really low water levels, but I do have to say that I was and am not impressed with how these HE washer machines clean my clothes.
I have to pretreat my stains and pretty much get the stain out before I put them in the wash or they just don’t get clean. Now I should put a disclaimer on this. I have always been the type of person who just throws my laundry in the wash, adds a bit of soap and expects them to come clean.
Laundry isn’t one of my favorite chores, to say the least. So maybe if I put a little more effort into pre-treating my clothes I might have better results in this department.
There is one challenge that I just couldn’t conquer however and that was the smell that was coming from my HE washer machine!
What is that horrible smell?
So over time, my washer machine began to smell. Not only did it smell moldy and musty but my clothes were starting to smell this way too.
I researched what to do about it and there was advise all over the place on what you should and should not do for bad smelling HE washer machines.
I hired someone to come out and clean and balance my machine. That worked for a little while but the smell came back in a few weeks. I kept my washing machine door open when not using it so it could dry out, but that didn’t fully work either. I purchased the expensive HE washer machine tablets to do on a monthly cycle but those failed very quickly.
Finally, in a last-ditch effort to have clean smelling clothes, I added this one ingredient and everything changed!
Add this one ingredient to every load for fresh smelling laundry & for a clean HE washer machine!
So just what is this ingredient I am talking about? Well, it will cost you about a $1.00 per gallon and can be found in any grocery store! Wait for it 🙂 ….alright, it is vinegar! Vinegar you ask…yep, that’s right vinegar! Now I use plain white vinegar and here is how I use it.
Just like you buy laundry detergent, I buy a gallon of vinegar and keep it right next to my washer machine. I load my HE washer machine up with clothes, add my soap and then in the bleach dispenser, I fill it all the way to the top with white vinegar.
The vinegar helps kill the bacteria that grows in your washer machine and kills the odor. Not only does it kill the odor, but it helps with cleaning my clothes too. If that wasn’t enough, it also softens your clothes naturally.
Is Vinegar The Answer To Everything?
So let’s take a look at this: vinegar cleans clothes, gets rid of nasty smells in laundry and in the machine and it softens your clothes too!
Wow, I would call vinegar my little miracle in the laundry room! Who knew one little ingredient could do so much!
So finally I have clean soft clothes and a washer machine that doesn’t smell. I still have a plane taking off in my laundry room, however, but I can live with that :)!
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Hey this is great mine doesnt smell but it sure doesnt do a good job of cleaning maybe this will help
This really does work!
I cannot complain ever about the service personnel at Sears, but the front loading washing machine is a piece of junk. It is loud, will not stay balanced but the WORST problem is that even with pre-treating, my whites look dingy. I have always prided myself on my laundry; not anymore. Does anyone make a top loader that cleans like the older models did?
Speed Queen is said to still wash well as in the better days.
I haven’t noticed a smell, but the gasket around the inside of the door is developing a black film on it that does not come off that easily. I use vinegar for the fabric softener all the time. I’ve had that gasket replaced 3 times already! And this last time it was twice the price!! I really do hate my front loader!
Try putting a half cup of baking soda in with your clothes. That helped my machine. Good luck!
I recently learned that vinegar is a good option for fabric softener. I use 1/2 cup in the softener compartment every load and miraculously the smell disappeared. I have also switched to Seventh Generation detergent and my clothes are getting cleaner. I still get the black film but will find a solution for this also.
I have extremely sensitive skin/allergies, so we use the ALL free & clear line. I have noticed that the more the washer smells, the less clean the clothes get. And I can’t wear them. They itch! Does 7th generation have a free & clear line?
We have always added white vinegar to the was, but now I’ll be increasing the amount by @ least 1/2 C. I also have to add baking soda to the wash cycle (it makes it soo much easier to get clothes clean in our area). That has helped keep the smell out of our clothes too.
I use Molly Suds.. all natural and love the smell!
Did the metal retsining ring get replaced also. It could be that the covering in the wire is defective which allows the ring itself to leach minerals and or chemicals that can then leach into the rubber itself. Its not rust. Treatments of the rubber will keep failing in the wire is contining to leach over time as a reaction to the moisture and heat. The issue is rare but can happen. Worth looking into. Mold can happen over and over but is usally easy to wipe out. The fact that its a very difficult stain to remove makes me think it could be the wire holding the rubber gasket that is the real issue.
I love that you posted this! I have a HE set after designing my laundry room around them and wish I had never done so because of the aesthetic. If I could have my post college $800 top loading pair back I would take them in a heartbeat!
I purchased a HE washer a few months ago. After selling our house and the buyer wanting the 25+ year old maytag washer and dryer. big mistake, the HE is not what it is marketed to be! uugghh!
It is not just the he machines that smell. I have a top loader that has the choice of water levels but it is one of those quite running machines that runs slow and the clothes are not agitated but just moves up and down. I have to use a cleaner for washers about once a month. Wish I had never got it. It makes no sense to have to pay for cleaning something that is a cleaner. I will definitely try the vinegar and thanks for the article.
I have repair person here now. We have a 7 year old Frigidire front loader and our symptoms were for a few weeks loads weren’t draining and would require an additional drain and spin cycle to get rid of the water. Then we started getting a “code” E20 and smell…oh what a smell! He took the machine apart and found a rotting ball of lint in the drain area. Yuck! He said it’s common with front loaders to collect lint and other small items. Can’t do much about the lint, but make sure you check pockets folks
I love that my front loading machine can do much more laundry in less time, however, I do hate the smell that comes from a front loader.
I am so glad you told us about vinegar and can’t beleive that I never thought of this. I LOVE vinegar and use it for so many things, like windows, kitchen counters and floors. It is a natural cleaner and it is so cheap!
I am definitly going to use it in my washer!! Thanks for sharing this idea! I am never without vinegar!!!
Karla M If you use vinegar in your machine don’t forget to rinse it well after so not to risk staining your cloths or having them smell of vinegar! All The Best Laundry365
this is my concern. I HATE the smell of vinegar – smells like dead moldy fish to me. II don’t do an extra rinse will the clothes come smelling like vinegar?
No, when the vinegar evaporates, it won’t smell.
Thanks a bunch for this tip! I just moved to an apartment and I have a front load washer in my unit. I noticed a smell this morning and immediately went to Google. I used vinegar to get cigarette smells out of some baby clothes I got at a yard sale and it did the trick, so I will be picking up a gallon this weekend. Thanks again.
I’ve done this for several years and started doing it when one of the kids had lice. It helps the colour stay fast, naturally softens and helps keep some bacteria and viruses down. As for the HE front loader, it depends on the brand. I don’t know about the different U.S. brands. We live in Europe, where front loaders are the only type of washer sold. We own a German brand, Miele. Now – no lie, it’s expensive but boy, does it work great. The clothes are LOADS brighter than with an American toploader and can cover any temperature from cold out of the tap to almost boiling. Good luck with your washer. Keep using the vinegar.
Thank you I plan on it! 🙂
My Maytag is a beast and cleans my clothes just awesome! However, that smell is very annoying, especially in towels. I use the vinegar in place of fabric softener and it’s a win/win.