New steam washers & dryers

by Sherrilee

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Who knows anything about these?

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Shari on Dec 28, 2014
I have a Whirlpool Duet front loading washer and dryer that both have the steam feature. What do you want to know?

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Sherrilee on Dec 29, 2014
I've never heard of them before, just thought they would be better on the clothes, didn't know they would be both, do you like yours?

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- Shari on Dec 29, 2014
  @Sherrilee When I started shopping for a new washer/dryer, the primary thing I wanted was a washer and dryer that was large enough to wash our king-size bed linens. In getting a model large enough to do that, my washer and dryer came with the "steam" feature. I've used the steam feature on the dryer a lot because I often don't get back to the dryer to hang clothes right away and a short tumble with steam will take out the wrinkles. I've had my washer/dryer about 4 years and I would say that until about a year or 18 months ago, I never used the steam feature on the washer. However, we own a horse farm and one day I decided to try the steam setting when washing my husband's stinky, filthy barn clothes. Wow! What a difference! The steam definitely helps remove dirt and odors. I also now use it on all loads of towels and bed linens. That may be a feature you may, or may not need but in my case, I'm sorry I waited so long to try it! I do like my Whirlpool Duet front load washer and dryer a lot. My only complaint is, I don't feel like the washer uses enough water but you are going to find that with pretty much any of the High Efficiency water-saving washers that are manufactured these days. On some loads, I compensate for the low water level by adding water through the detergent dispenser drawer. If you are considering a new front load washer, I do have some advice, based on a lot of research I did prior to buying mine. One thing about FL washers...people seem to either love them or hate them. They definitely do require a little bit more special care than the old top load washers. The most common complaint about them seems to be the stinky, moldy smell they can develop, which in turn can make your "clean" clothes stink. (Unfortunately, no brand seems to be immune from the mold/mildew problem.) In all the pre-purchase research I did, I found a strong correlation between liquid laundry products (liquid detergents AND fabric softeners) and the all-too-common mold and mildew issues with the FL washers. Apparently, the oils these liquid products contain are not adequately washed away because of the energy-saving low water levels. The oily film left behind on the washer's internal parts is thought to be enough to trap moisture and in turn, cause mold and mildew and unpleasant smells that can even permeate your clothes. If you do buy a front load washer, once you get it home, I would recommend using only 1-2 tablespoons of POWDERED laundry soap per load and NO liquid fabric softener. I actually have been using a recipe for homemade laundry powder for a couple years and I love it. I got the recipe from this HomeTalk member/blogger: http://ourcloverhouse.blogspot.com/2012/09/diy-laundry-detergent.html She wrote an eye-opening post on how her smelly washer problem went away after she switched from liquid soap to a homemade powdered version. Additionally, I never leave wet clothes in the washer. Whenever I think about it, I check the folds of the gasket around the washer door for hair, threads, lint or anything that can possibly trap moisture. After I finish doing laundry, I don't generally bother to wipe the door seal/gasket dry but I do always leave the washer door wide open (not just cracked) and open the detergent dispenser so they can dry out. There are a couple products on the market designed to "clean" your washer and supposedly prevent the mold/mildew problems when used once a month, but I have found that with the steps above, frequent bleach loads, and never using liquid laundry products in my washer, I haven't needed to buy these special (expensive) cleaning tablets.
  
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Sherrilee on Dec 29, 2014
Thanks Shari, that was very helpful, I also need one that I can wash my king size bed linens and blankets in, for some reason I thought the steam would be gentler on the clothes and a front loader because they only spin the clothes. Does the powder laundry soap dissolve in cold water? if it does I'll probably try it.

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- Shari on Dec 29, 2014
  @Sherrilee Frankly, I rarely ever wash in cold water anymore since I got my front load washer. About the only time I use cold water is when I wash the slipcovers for my furniture (to avoid shrinkage), but I don't seem to have a problem with the homemade powder dissolving in those loads. The manufacturer has set the default water temp on my machine as warm so that is probably the temp they feel performs best for most loads. Probably 99% of my laundry is done with warm or hot water. I also have a "sanitize" water setting, which is even hotter than hot. I use that occasionally, like when I am washing bed pillows or mattress pad covers (to help kill dust mites). Also, when you select the steam setting on my model, it has to be a hot water wash. One other thing to think about with a front load washer and cold water: if you get a front load machine and decide to use liquid detergent, you increase your probability of developing mold/mildew problems in the machine if you do most of your washes in cold water. Frequent warm, but preferably hot, water washes are a good idea even if you use powdered detergent but warm or hot water will absolutely be necessary to help cut the residue left behind from any liquid products. And just a tip if you decide to make the homemade powdered laundry soap. All the ingredients with the exception of the Zote or Fels Naptha soap (which comes in a bar) start out very fine. I first grate the bar soap with a cheese grater and then to get it even finer, I run it through my food processor with part of the baking soda from the homemade recipe. The food processor breaks down the grated soap into fine bits and adding the baking soda to the food processor with the grated soap keeps the soap from sticking to the food processor blades and becoming a gummy mess.
  
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Sherrilee on Dec 30, 2014
You have been so very helpful. Thank you! ⭐️

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