Posted on 12/06/2009 1:25:35 PM PST by donna
I had left the door open after a load and when I returned a couple days later Mr. furry was stuck nice and comfy to the side inside. After doing a little freaking out I put on some gloves and lifted the critter out into a can and the Health Dept picked him up to rad his his rights test him for rabies.
He was clean.
Then my husband reluctantly spent many hours finding and sealing the hole. A really a tiny one.
Now the bat ‘trailer’ houses them. I just hope they are not cooking up meth back there...
Oh, man. The lawyers are going to get richer.
We have one of the models shown in the video. I had heard of the problem about a year ago and when I checked, I found I did have some mold. I cleaned it thoroughly and now we leave the door open a bit after a wash (for at least a couple of hours) and also wipe the inside of the gasket down with a paper towel every so often. So far the mold has not returned.
Re: lawsuits. Did not mean to imply that Whirlpool only lawsuit about front loaders & mold.
LG front loading washing machines, ... class action lawsuit against LG Electronics USA, Inc. (”LG”) alleging that LG’s front loading washing machines contain serious design defects. These design defects cause, among other things, to (a) accumulate mold and mildew and/or residue or growth within these washing machines, (b) produce a moldy odor that permeates consumers’ homes, (c) produce a mold or mildew odor on washed clothes, (d) fail to clean these machines and remove moisture, residue and growth that lead to the formation of mold, mildew or/or associated odors; and (e) be unusable in the manner, to the extent to, and for the purpose for which, these LG washing machines were advertised, marketed, and sold.
http://www.murrayfrank.com/CM/Custom/LG-Electronics.asp
and Maytag:
“...resolved a class action law suit against the Maytag Corporation, alleging odor, mold and mildew problems with Maytag Neptune Wasters. More than two million consumers are included in the class, and may receive repair reimbursements, replacement costs up to $500, and/or washing machine purchase certificates up to $1000. Jonathan Shub of the Sheller firm served as one of three co-lead counsel in the Maytag case.
According to documents filed in the Circuit Court for the State of Illinois, many Maytag consumers have complained of their machine functioning improperly and clothing covered in mold, as a result of problems with the door latch, wax motor, motor control, and related circuit boards.
“The number of complaints coming in from across the nation to our firm was quite high, among the most we’ve ever received. It was clear that a number of problems needed to be addressed by Maytag. Thanks to all co-counsel and the relative speed with which Maytag responded, consumers were able to use the class action the way it was intended, for the benefit of all, more quickly, and at a significant reduced cost than if each consumer sued individually” according to Craig Thor Kimmel, Esq. for Kimmel & Silverman.
Under the settlement, those who purchased a Maytag Neptune Front-Load Washing Machine (any model, including stackables) any time between April 1, 1997 to August 9, 2004 are entitled to one or more of the following remedies:
Repair Reimbursements, defined as any reasonable out-of-pocket costs related to repairs prior to August 9, 2004 for problems mentioned in the suit.
Replacement Costs of up to $500, subject to depreciation, for each Maytag customer who replaced their Maytag Neptune Washer prior to August 9, 2004 as a result of the problems mentioned in the suit.
Washing Machine Purchase Certificates of up to $1000, if class member suffer the problems mentioned in the suit, and Maytag can’t repair the condition. The value of the certificate is based on the age of the machine. The certificates may be used for the purchase of a new Neptune Washer. Maytag will also cover delivery of the new machine and disposal of the old unit.
http://www.lemonlaw.com/maytag-class-action-suit-resolved.html
Let me echo all the comments about leaving the door open. I’ve had my front loader over two years now and leave the door open after every load, so far no mold.
My daughter has a front loading washer. Paid out the wazoo for it. She really liked it until.......she used my top-loading Speed Queen that I got a little over a year ago. She can’t believe how huge it is and how clean the clothes come out.
Nobody hardly carries Speed Queens around here, but if you can find a set....get them....they are awesome! Half the price too! I got them because the guy uses them in his laundromat and says they are die-hards and easy to fix.
Oh, and my nephew is plant manager for the Electrolux factory in NC and I still wouldn’t pay the price for one of his! LOL!
Just great.
I knew my Whirlpool front loader had mold and have been keeping the door open and wiped off the gasket in the past but not recently.
Does this mean I am going to have to hire a service guy to come and clean out the inside of the machine too???
(and I don’t believe in making lawyers richer....if I can help it)
Exactly! It’s no big deal to avoid the problem.
I have a front loader washer and dryer and I love it. I have never had the moldy smell..why? Because I read the directions and follow them..After I finish my loads of laundry, I wipe the drum and the window dry, remove the tray where the soap etc are put, let that area dry and I put a thin towel on the drum just enough to keep the door from closing..no smell. Also there is a product called Afresh and my machine alerts me every 30 loads to run a hot cycle using this tab which cleans out all the lines. Works just fine.
My gosh. Isn’t anything safe from mold?
Reading the comments I am reminded of a movie a Western. Character (hero?) pulls a fast one by selling a bunch of wild horses to unsuspecting farmers who can’t even catch them & they run away. When the love interest takes him to task for his misrepresentation he answers: Oh, they’ll catch those horses and they’ll break them and they’ll get their money’s worth.
Reading all these comments about these products I see the same theme. Those who are careful prudent people don’t have a problem or see potential for a problem and solve it (leave the door open, add vinegar, hot water, bleach). Those who are not careful & prudent resort to lawsuits, government and resultant rules, regulations, intrusion and inteference in the free market, not to mention the enrichment of an army of attorneys and government officials.
And I think here is another argument for why it is self-preservation to limit immigration to those who of our own kind — Kulaks.
I have a Duet which has a cleaning cycle on it that you are to run once a month with an empty washer and bleach. If you don’t shut the door when it is empty you will never have problems with mold.
The reason why I’m getting a top loader instead of a front loader is that I can’t lean over that far and the stands are expensive. I like the ones at the laundromat, though.
I’ve had my Whirlpool for over 3 years now and have never had the first bit of mold. Are you running the cleaning cycle evey month like the manual says to do?
Oops - no.....mine is about 6 years old.....um....what cleaning cycle?
I wipe the gasket with the wash coming out and leave the door open.
Front loaders are worse than Hitler.
GE appliances are crap, regardless of who owns them today.
They are the lowest common denominator in the appliance world. There’s a reason that contractors install them in new homes. It’s not the quality.
It would not be at all difficult to build one of wood or OSB, paint it and you’re good to go! Hubby can do it for me...or there are LOADS of carpenters looking for work now.
I know someone else with one as old as yours and the cleaning cycle is something that was added about 4 years ago. You hit certain buttons in a sequence that launches it. What you can do is put in one cup of bleach and run a handwash cycle set on hot water (handwash has the highest level water in the drum).
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