Front Load Washers have had a bad reputation over the last several years. If you google front load washers you will read several bad reviews on them. When they first reappeared in the market about 13 to 14 years ago, manufactures were in such a rush to have a front loader available that there were some minor yet major details that they did not pay attention to. You will read about mold. This was a huge issue. Water would sit in the rubber boot/door seal and there was no way for it to drain. There was also no air vent so that water would sit there and get sinky and cause mold. Mold would spread thru the entire machine and was impossible to get rid of. This would make clothes and other fabrics stink. If you had this happen to you you are probably so soured by it you will never buy a front load washer again.

Today these machines are built better than ever. Manufactures like Maytag and Whirlpool have now had several years to work out all of the bugs and they finally got it right! There is now a drain in the rubber boot/door seal as well as an air vent. With the machines built today we no longer see this issue. I still recommend you leave the door cracked open after doing laundry and the use of hot water and bleach is very important to assist with keeping the machine clean and odor free. Whirlpool makes a washing machine cleaner called Affresh that also helps eliminate odor causing residue which works great. Tide also makes a wonderful cleaner that removes hard water and soap scum build up.

So if you have had problems in the past give these machines another chance. I strongly feel that front load washers do a better job at cleaning and the water and energy savings can't be beat. From a service stand point we strongly support Maytag and Whirlpool as they are built here in the USA. My top pick is the Whirlpool model WFW94HEXW. It is a 5.0 cubic foot washer with a spin speed of 1,400 RPM's. It has an excellent suspension system and it great for upstairs laundry rooms. This machine is extremely quiet and built like a tank. If I were to purchase a new washer this would be the one I would buy.