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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I’ve been using VINEGAR with EVERY wash for many years. It’s all you said and MORE.. It keeps the inside of the drum spick and span and shining like the day it was purchased back in 2005. My last washer was in full use for 17 years. NOT ONE REPAIR. Finally it decided to spit up OIL! (my description to the problem) But it continued to work, and not miss a beat. Still in USE the day they brought my new machine in. I also use VINEGAR down all sinks, toilets, clean windows/mirrors/glass. Use VINEGAR(always WHITE) on soft cloths to polish furniture(wood and more) Countertops..and in my dishwasher. LOVE VINEGAR. My kids are in their 50’s but their diapers were aways rinsed in VINEGAR as were their bub clothes.Now I do all the dogs laundry/rinsing with VINEGAR.Cheap as……….
I have sure had that odor; but I countered it by leaving the washer door open. Never realized I could get rid of it with vinegar and (finally) close the door! Thank you!
I still would leave the door open so it has a chance to air out.
I have heard the HE washer need to be cleaned on a regular basis. I’m going to give the vinegar a try right now with a load of towels. Will post my results. Thanks for the info.
If you towels have a build up in the (of detergent and fabric softener) you might want to try this method first. If it is just the washer machine that smells, then go with the vinegar method.
I will sure be trying this! We’ve had our HE machine for 2 years now with no odor only because we have been wiping dry the inner rubber seal every time we use ours, such a pain! But I do notice at times that some areas on the clothes are dry when I take them out. Has anyone out there also experienced this? What should I do?
Are your close coming out clean? I had this happen and called the manufacture and they told me that some items spin longer making them dryer (like towels). This was normal. Just make sure the items are getting clean.
Halle, this is another thing, I’m not too sure they are coming out clean. We don’t get “dirt” dirty, so it’s hard to tell, but my feeling is, they are not getting super clean. But I think there were some comments here stating that the vinegar also cleans the clothes better?
You may be using too much detergent. HE machines only require 1-2 tbsp MAX.
I have been extremely happy with my Kenmore. It is gentle on the clothes and they have never been cleaner. I even tested a really black-soiled white rug in it and it came out super-white. Do an occasional load on the white or sanitizing setting to ensure no build-up and yuck forms on the gaskets, etc.
Great tips, thank you so much. I now do my towels with baking soda only and we have stopped using detergent all together for them. I agree, to much detergent is not a good thing!
Okay it is easy leave the door open you. It will never start to smell. They use about 7 gallons of water compared to top loader that uses 30 to 40 gallons U used mine for ten years never had a problem cleaned fine no pretreating bought a Frigidaire loved it.
We always leave our door open, but mine has started to have that sour smell. I hate it. I will start trying the vinegar.
I had a repair man out too. Nothing in the drain underneath…I use vinegar all the time, also tried adding baking soda
and I tried tea tree oil.. nothing has helped the sulfur smell.
I have tried vinegar, vinegar and baking soda.. tea tree oil.. had a repair here too. I drain water out of drain weekly on bottom
and tried to wash only in cold water for a while…. sulfur smell is still there..
Thank you for your advice. But I found a way of my own. I hate those washer too. I believe that only enough water will clean clothes and remove stains and odour. That’s why I add a bucket of water every intake cycle. And only this way clothes get cleaned.
Try this: once washing is finished do not take out clothes. Start extra rinsing cycle and pour enough water thru front drower. Could be two galons before you see the water level reaching a half of washer compartment. Observe the foam and viscosity of water. That’s all that detergent that didn’t rinse out during normal washing cycle. Now imagine what are you actually wearing in touch with your skin and that’s not clean clothes .
I like the tip about adding more water sjoe. I also believe they need more water as I have found some clothes still folded and dry when the cycle finished.
One final comment on H/E washers: http://www.today.com/news/list-washing-machines-named-lawsuits-6C10674058. Apparently, newer models have resolved this issue but it is worth doing the research, as design engineers were tasked with resolving the issue with a “fix,” and couldn’t do it, a total re-design was needed.
I use this also for years as a softner, I also use washing soda and borax along with my regular laundry soap. Also, I leave the door ajar and make I clean the bottom filter