Do you have something in your life that makes you cuss out loud every single day? Something that makes you ask yourself “WHAT WAS I THINKING?” Well here’s your opportunity to shout out to fellow moms who probably think the exact same thing! It doesn’t matter how big or how small the purchase was, just tell us about it in the comments below so we can all get a good chuckle. Here’s mine.
Nearly six years ago, we were in the process of selling our house and moving into a new one. This was pre-twins, pre-recession, pre-analyzing every penny spent. So we saw that our previous homeowners had just purchased a brand new swaggy Siemens front load washer and dryer set. Front loads were the latest and greatest to hit the washer/dryer circuit, and at a hefty price tag, and we felt pretty hip and green making this jump. We were eager to ditch our Kenmore beaters and hop on the front load wagon, for a whopping almost $3,000 (OMG, it hurts just to type this and revisit the expense! Oh what I would do with that $3k today!). And boy did they look nice – just like the staged house when we bought it. Well, let me tell you, I have been REGRETTING this decision for six years. Here’s why.
Complaint #1, the biggie: When the set first arrived, we were in awe of the speed of the washer on the spin cycle, something insane like 1,200/rpms per second. Our cats were a picture right out of a commercial – two kitties sitting in front of the washer window watching the clothes spin. It was silent all the while spinning at warp speed. Well that lasted for 5 days. On day 6, we noticed that the washer was spinning so out of control that it was denting our bathroom wall behind it. After a series of technician visits, we were told a) you need to rip out your sisal rug in the laundry room since it was making it off balance (really?) and b) it’s a good thing that you didn’t buy the stands because those just make it worse. I thought to myself “well that doesn’t make sense. Why would you sell a product to go with another product that really doesn’t work?” Then the technician also said “don’t even think about putting these front loads upstairs because then they would never work.” Umm, ok, I guess. After months of several more repair calls, our washing machine was deemed a lemon and was replaced, we ripped out the sisal rug AND the linoleum floor that was underneath the washer/dryer and our new machine did the exact same thing after two weeks. We officially threw in the towel.
Complaint #2: We smelled weird. Kind of funky. Kind of sweaty. Not that clean fresh Tide and Bounce scent I grew up with. Just plain ‘ole sweat any time you came inside. Maybe it’s because now I was using 1/100th of the amount of detergent, or maybe it’s because I’m using 1/millionth of the amount of water. My family smelled YUCK. I quickly researched and found that you need to do a monthly cleansing with front load washers or you’ll get mold in the hull of the door. Here is the magic recipe: pour 1 cup bleach and 1/2 cup of Cascade powder in the main part of the washing machine (not where the detergent goes). And do an extra rinse. That helped some. But we still don’t smell great. Not like we used to. And I guess I’ve just surrendered and we use more perfume and smelly lotion.
Complaint #3: The dryer also spins out of control and is continually off balance. Bummer is that in our house layout, the laundry room is near the tv room. It literally sounds like an airplane is taking off – thankfully the builder invested in a solid door and you don’t really hear it too much when the laundry room door is closed.
Complaint #4: There is no ledge behind the washer and dryer. It’s smooth and anything and everything falls behind them. I have found shoes, spray bottles, keys, you name it. It doesn’t help that both the washer and dryer have been off balance for 6 years.
So here I am, cussing every single day at these over-priced pieces of you-know-what. While I don’t want them to break, because this is the last thing I want to spend a lot of $ on, I secretly do want them to spontaneously combust. In case you are wondering, this is a Siemens set, and guess what? They stopped making them a few years ago. Lucky for you. Unlucky for me b/c I’m stuck with these for a while.
Tag, you’re it! Bring on the venting!
26 comments
Ha! I knew what yours would be the minute I saw that headline! Mine would be my kitchen table. Got it at the PB Outlet in Gaffney for a good price, but there's a reason. The wood is softer than cardboard. If you set a plate on it, it makes a dent. After a few years (and 2 kids), it's a complete eyesore. And it's right in the middle of my kitchen, where everyone sees it. Since I didn't spend too much on it, it shouldn't be that big of a deal, but I bought 6 stupid PB chairs to go with it (not at outlet prices, mind you). So I'm stuck with either replacing the table with one that works with the chairs, or buying a new table AND chairs. Ugh. – Meredith
I HATE my front load washer too! Who knew you would have to leave the door open for days to dry it out so that it didn't smell like mildew and mold. I miss my top loader more than ever! I feel your pain!!
We've had our front load set for about 8 years and I HAD TO HAVE them, too, and what a let down. Team Bowman has the same issues as Team Plym. We do have the stands and ours are upstairs. Tide now makes the front load cleaning solution to de-mold the washer. Here is my #1 hated kid toy/item: Polly Pocket. My daughter got it from a friend for Christmas. Have you seen how teeny tiny the pieces are? Who needs that much furniture and accessories in that small of a space? I am about to pitch it in the recycle bin.
I hate my front load washer too! The smell is awful and nothing will get rid of it.
I'll stay away from the front loaders now that I've read this! Mine is a recent purchase – stainless appliances. Mind you, it is to make my kitchen look pretty for potential homeowners since we're trying to sell our house, but it pained me to take out over $4000 in newer appliances to replace them with ones that aren't nearly as good in quality as what I took out simply because someone has told first-time homebuyers that if they don't get stainless, they're being shafted. They show fingerprints all the time (I have 2 small children) and magnets don't stick to them. I want my black appliances back!
ugh! That smell from the front loaders is awful! I also learned (after getting very frustrated my all our stinky clothes) that most front loaders MUST use HE detergent! If not, it causes them to overflow and then mold grows on the outside of the drum. So after all my loads of baby clothes in non-HE Dreft…everything stunk! Running an empty hot cycle with bleach helps but also washing a load of towels with vinegar helps cleans it out too. (but not bleach and vinegar together…dangerous combo!)So glad I am not the only one who thought her family was 'stinky'!
I HATE Pixos!!!!!! Whoever invented them was insane with all the little tiny balls that get on the floor. I am still finding them months later in corners and under chairs. Plus, my kids played one time and have never wanted to play again.
I've had my Bosch front loading set for about 5 years now . a $1200.00 purchase ( on sale). Initially I was very happy UNTIL the funky smell. Didn't realize that water gets trapped, hense the smell. If I had to make another purchase today, I would go back to the old version.PS: Tide and clorox make a washer machiene cleaner that works great too!
Oh, sistah! I feel your pain. My only condolence? I'm glad I have fellow "stinkies" walking around Charlotte. I feared our fam was the only one!!
I have a front load too and have dealt with the smell. Using the Tide cleaner once per month and actually switching to Tide HE powder has helped a ton…..I, too, had to have the front load, just wish they told you about the smell that comes along with them!
I have a few tips for Jen. I have these exact same issues with my front loader. To minimize on cothing odor, I put about a cup of white vinegar in the rinse cyle.When the wash is over, I wipe the front lip with a towel to avoid mildew buildup and leave the door open a crack to let the machine air out. What happens is water gets trapped in the front lip resulting in mildew. I hope this helps ease the pain of this worst purchase. I have also duct taped some old towels between the machines to avoid the noise of them being off balance.Michelle
We HAD to have one of those foam/ memory mattresses. Everyone raved about them, we tested several and dropped a TON of cash on one. Less than a month later, we HATED it- even the firm was way too soft. We suffered for almost five years, back pain and all, because we could not justify replacing it, until this past month. We were able to "lump in" a mattress with the purchase of some new den furniture, and we are back to a Simmons Beautyrest Firm Coil and I have never slept better. And we paid 1/3 what we did for that %^$#& foam mattress….
I totally agree on the stainless appliances, the finger prints drive me crazy! We gutted our kitchen and installed a stainless double oven and beverage frig, luckily most of the beverage frig is a glass front and same with the oven doors so that decreases the amount of prints, our warming drawer and dishwasher we paneled because I knew they would get so used, so you dont see the prints on them, and with our main frig still being in good shape we kept the black refrig and dont think we will ever put in stainless there as when we sell we will take it with us.Related to this, I have a love hate relationship with my painted cabinets. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the look of them, great color and so pretty, but I have notices small places where the paint has chipped or cracked and it drives me crazy. Probably nobody else would notice, but knowing they are there drives me crazy. I have gotten pretty good with the touch up paint, but if I had to do it again, I would go with stained that would not chip as easy.
Our front load washing machine has a "filter" that needs to be cleaned (rinsed off) once a month. I found out about it AFTER I called the service dept about the smell. Now that it is clean, the laundry smells fine.:-)
Biggest mistake I made was buying my Volvo XC70. Had I known what a total rip off EVERYTHING related to it was I would have gotten my second choice. No doubt that it is one of the safest cars on the road, but enough with all the bull hockey charges, sensors, etc. As an added bonus, I can not go just anywhere for an oil change or even wiper blades.
I hate that I paid a person to paint my beautiful solid wood doors throughout the house. For some reason, I thought they all had to be white and that the stain on them was ugly. Now that they are chipped, fingerprinted and stained, I would give good money to have the wood finish back. Oh and I hate my brand-new Ipod Nano that I can't return because it's engraved. Should have saved the money and used it toward an iPhone. Dang!
A cup of white vinegar on speed wash does the trick. Also, my $140 visit from a tech revealed I haven't performed any maintenance on my front load washer in five years… hence the $140. Now I know to drain the little hose at the bottom once a month and clean the guck out of the filter inside the door. No more stink and hopefully no more $140 trips out.
An 8×10 wool rug for my dining room that I paid $3,000 for on sale. Not my style but because it was recommended by an interior designer we were using at the time (who was the 2nd biggest waste of money). Never used it and obviously could not recoup my money. Ended up donating to Habitat for Humanity just so I would no longer have to feel nausea-invoking regret every time I looked at it.
Jen…Jessica here…I have had ALL the same issues as you re: our washer and dryer. So sad that we all thought it was the IT purchase and all were duped! I will def. use the suggestions shared! Thank you! And, to the PB Table purchaser…this suggestion is too late for you, but for others, maybe get a glass top cut for your table to protect it from all the pencils, art projects, knives, etc. that our tables encounter!
Riding the energy efficent wave, we bought a bosch dishwasher that was suppose to use less water and less energy. You know how it uses less energy? It doesn't dry dishes- it uses the drip dry method I guess. How this small but annoying detail escaped me when I purchased it- I don't know. Now I have to hand dry every dish after unloading it.
I have the same problem with my Maytag Neptunes, bought 5.5 years ago. UGGGHHHH. I have solved the smell issue (same tactics as everyone explained), but the vibration is out of control. I wonder, however, if the problem is better now that the front loaders have a few years under their belt. I have 2 friends with LGs who say the vibration isn't nearly as bad as mine. Thoughts on that?
For me it's my granite countertops. Our house had the real cheapy builder cabinets and no pantry. We redid the kitchen several years ago and I love everything except the black granite countertops. What was I thinking? I knew that they streaked and would show every single fingerprint as my Mom had the same black granite. In a moment of delusion, I thought that it wouldn't be a big deal to keep them clean. I use a microfiber cloth w hot soapy water and then have to dry them w another microfiber cloth. They then look great for about three seconds until the kids enter the kitchen. Boy I miss just grabbing a paper towel and spraying some windex on the counter and being done with it. And all those microfiber clothes then have to be washed in a somewhat stinky fl washer.
I am glad to know I am not alone. I had a service call for the smell on my front loader, and the man looked at me like I was nuts when he discovered I had not cleaned the filter or pulled out that little drain hose in the 2 years I had my machine. Did anyone else destroy the sensor in the matching dryer by using a dryer sheet? I now have to use the timed dry setting, because the sensor always reads as dry and will leave me with a dryer full of damp, smelly clothes. So much for eco-friendly.
The Dooney and Bourke giraffe hobo bag that I still love, but didn't think the loads of knock offs would steal my thunder!
My MIL has a Whirlpool Duet Front Load Washer/Dryer combo and hers has been a breeze. Loves it, I’ve used it every summer and it’s the bomb.com. Wish I knew about Whirlpool PRIOR to the Siemens lemons. There is a reason it’s discontinued!
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