Nice options for the price, but a few flaws

I have been using this washer for just over a year and although I like it overall, it has its ups and downs. When it was time to purchase a washer, I knew that I wanted a front loading model and one that met Energy Star requirements. This model was very tempting due to the number of options it offered (many wash cycle selections, the ability to add extra spins or rinses, and the ability to choose spin speed) compared to the price.

The washer does perform well, using surprisingly little detergent which is huge saver. The manufacturer actually recommends using even less than the bottle states and true enough, if you use the whole cap you end up with too many suds. I do enjoy the many settings it offers which is perfect for a variety of types of fabrics. It is also an attractive washer although I’m not sure how important looks are to a washing machine.

The biggest downside is the suds. I mentioned that you have to use far less detergent than a normal washer. Well, sometimes even if you use less you’re still left with suds on top of the clothes. Even adding an extra rinse cycle does not always manage to remove all the suds. Occasionally I have to add an additional rinse and spin after the full cycle to get the job done. The other downside I find to this machine is the engineering of the rubber seal where the door sits. The whole seal is a couple inches wide and has a quarter inch wide (approx) split in the center where it dips down. Not a big deal except that anything in the wash that doesn’t rinse away gets trapped in the seam and turns into a big gooey mush that is very hard to get out of there. I’m talking cat hair, lint, a half-dissolved gum wrapper... anything. It’s really gross.