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08/27/2008

Mold can be a problem for some front-loading washers
Front-loading washing machines are more efficient than traditional top-loading washers. Sure, you’ll pay a $400 to $500 premium for the average top-loader, but your electricity and water savings should offset the added expense over the lifetime of the appliance. Plus, front-loaders are among the highest-rated washers in our tests. But front-loaders don’t have a spotless reputation. We’ve received myriad comments from readers about water left behind at the end of the wash cycle, bleach spotting, excessive vibrations, unhelpful service reps, and other complaints common to all washers. But one issue seems unique to front-loaders: mold buildup in the rubber gasket of the door and the resulting odor on clothes. The mold problem is so widespread that class-action suits are targeting the LG, Whirlpool, and Sears, whose Kenmore front-loaders are made by Whirlpool. Maytag Neptune and Whirlpool Calypso front-loading washers have been part of similar lawsuits; settlements were reached for both. One Consumer Reports reader had a Whirlpool Duet for four months when it and her family’s clothes began to smell of mold. She contacted the manufacturer, which she says told her to clean the machine twice a week with bleach, wipe the door down after each wash, and leave the door open to dry it out. “I work full time and have five children—four who do their own laundry,” says Merryl Nall of Collierville, Tennessee, says. “Needless to say, that would not work.” Whirlpool took back the washer, and Nall has switched to a top-loader. Mold, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can cause symptoms that include nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation, fever, and shortness of breath. For people with chronic lung illnesses, mold infections can develop in their lungs. And exposure to mold can also bring on asthma attacks. Suggested remedies to the mold problem abound. Whirlpool sells Affresh tablets as a way to clean washer residue and mold. Sears warns against using non-HE detergents, cleaners that could create conditions for mold growth. And LG recommends that once or twice a month you run a special hot cycle to which you add bleach to clean the washer. Our advice: • When washing, use warm or hot water unless a load requires cold. • Wipe the door gasket and glass dry once you’re done washing. • Clean the detergent dispenser and any attachments once or twice a month. • Run a dehumidifier if your laundry room is damp. If you see mold buildup in a front-loading washer, call the manufacturer for service and save all paperwork related to the purchase and service of your machine. In the Maytag Neptune and Whirlpool Calypso settlements, plaintiffs eligible for restitution needed to document multiple authorized repair visits made during the warranty period and soon after the warranty expired. In response to the many reader letters we've received, we're asking owners of front-loaders whether repairs they’ve had done to their washers relate to mold alone. We’ll report on the findings from the Annual Questionnaire, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, in future stories.—Ed Perratore

08/27/2008

Of wasps and gutter guards
As evidenced by the comments to this September 2007 Q&A on fall cleanup, we receive lots of requests from readers to review gutter-guard systems. You'll be happy to know that we've added gutter guards to our list of products to test. I've lusted after gutter guards, too, no time more strongly than when I recently hauled out my ladder to clean some debris from my gutters and the area under my elevated deck. I had a willing helper in my 4-year-old daughter, Thea, who loves to work with me on household chores. But as soon as I propped the ladder onto my deck and rested it against the gutter, Thea let out a sharp cry; she'd been stung by a wasp. I carefully removed the stinger ASAP (some good advice I remembered from our summer-safety quiz) and dashed into the kitchen to mix a paste of baking soda and distilled vinegar to apply to the sting. As I was searching for the wasp's lair, three of his cohorts dive-bombed me from above. I swatted away one, but two stung me on the chest. Fortunately, some of the baking soda-vinegar mixture was left over. Having had enough of these stinging pests, I ushered Thea inside and donned my sailing anorak, drew the hood and the face mask tight, slipped on some work gloves, and got back to cleaning the gutters—very carefully. You see, several years ago while cleaning a friend's gutters, I put my hand directly into a wasp nest and got stung on four fingers; it felt as if a lit cigarette was being applied to each one. So like you, I'm awaiting our tests of gutter guards. I know I'm not the only weekend warrior to suffer injuries—read more in this blog entry—but as they say, once bitten, er, stung, twice shy.—Gian Trotta Essential information: It's not too late to check out our Guide to Summer Health & Safety, including a review of the best insect repellents.

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