Couple things we have learned about the smell and mildew in HE machines.
- Leave the door open when not in use.
- Use very minimal detergent. We use 2 tablespoons of regular strength in a load. The HE detergents are enzyme based. Adding more is not better.
Agree about your HE points. The old Maytag Neptune apparently had a chronic problem with a seal and bad design. It didn’t clean laundry and left everything smelling like mildew. Other than that, it was a great washing machine.
Although we've had top-loaders in the past, we are currently in a rental and have a Samsung HE front-loader set. We have been using home-made soaps for years (Fels Naptha, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, and Borax). The mix works great! The Naptha on its own is a great pre-treater, too. I had a work shirt that I managed to dribble some grease onto that went through three wash/dry cycles (I kept forgetting to pre-treat it). I figured the stain was permanent. I got a sliver of the Naptha, wet the shirt, and rubbed away at it fore a minute or two. Threw it into the wash and the stain was gone.