Clothes not getting wet in New Topload HE Washer

[DisneyBill]

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. Monday afternoon we purchased a LG washer & dryer from a national chain. The machines were to be delivered on Friday. The present broken (again) state of our 6 year old Maytag dryer prompted our tentative purchase of a new washer and dryer set. After seeing this thread I did additional research on the LG models we bought, and was totally taken-back by the vast number of negative reviews. Today, I went and cancelled the order and will bite-the-bullet and have the current dryer repaired. Again, thanks to the OP.

 

[jodifla]

Yet another washing machine thread that makes me want to keep my old style top loader.

Me too! These front loaders are junk. Who wants to spend that much time sorting clothes so the oh-so-fussy machine can handle it.

Our machine died last year, and I bought a Speed Queen, one of the last top loaders. It's fabulous.

 

[Disneychick75]

In the last 10 years, we've had 2 He front loaders and 1 He top loader. We had to call the repairman a month or so ago to repair the top loader. It would have cost several hundred dollars. While talking to him, I said too bad there are no companies making old fashioned washers. He told me that Speed Queen makes one. My husband went to a local dealer and bought one. It is fabulous! The machine does a great job cleaning our clothes and no worries about a dirty tennis shoe smell because the water completely drains from the washer. When our dryer goes out ( and it's on it's way because it isn't drying our clothes in a 70 minute cycle), we're buying a Speed Queen dryer.

 

[tcufrog]

I don't wash reds separately. I wash them in my dark load. When I have red or other dark clothes that might bleed I throw 1-2 Shout Color Catcher(s) in the load. I just did such a load in my brand new LG front loader I had delivered today. The color catcher was bright red in the dryer but the none of the other clothes in the load had red stains including a new yellow t-shirt. To help prevent fading I turn jeans and other dark clothes inside out.

 

[Zandy595]

Me too! These front loaders are junk. Who wants to spend that much time sorting clothes so the oh-so-fussy machine can handle it.

Our machine died last year, and I bought a Speed Queen, one of the last top loaders. It's fabulous.

OP here, I've been talking about my new top load washer, not a front loader. My previous washer was a front loader and I never had any problem with it washing clothes. I didn't like it because I had to keep the door open all the time so it wouldn't grow mold/mildew, which also meant I couldn't close the laundry closet door in my kitchen.

I think once I finally learn all of it's little quirks, I won't mind the new washer. It's just taking some time to get used to doing laundry in a whole new way.

 

[Skatermom23]

I guess I am one of the oldies that wants to wash clothes in water. I was so distressed when my 10 year old Maytag gave out and I started to research washers. I couldn't get anyone to highly recommend their HE washer. At best they tolerated their units. I finally found Speed Queen!! OMG, I have had my top loader Speed Queen for a year now and I LOVE it. If I ever move, I would leave everything in my house except for that washing machine! Nothing sounds sweeter than the sound of an agitator swishing around water.

 

[Uncle Remus]

I guess I am one of the oldies that wants to wash clothes in water. I was so distressed when my 10 year old Maytag gave out and I started to research washers. I couldn't get anyone to highly recommend their HE washer. At best they tolerated their units. I finally found Speed Queen!! OMG, I have had my top loader Speed Queen for a year now and I LOVE it. If I ever move, I would leave everything in my house except for that washing machine! Nothing sounds sweeter than the sound of an agitator swishing around water.

Love my Speed Queen, it uses water to wash clothes the old fashion way.

 

[Muushka]

I have a new HE top loader (Samsung) and noticed the same thing.

In my house it takes at least a gallon of water to get to hot water.
So I collect it and add it to the machine once the cycle has begun. It seems to have solved the problem.

 

[Zandy595]

I have a new HE top loader (Samsung) and noticed the same thing.

In my house it takes at least a gallon of water to get to hot water.
So I collect it and add it to the machine once the cycle has begun. It seems to have solved the problem.

Good idea.

 

[dispor]

I don't wash reds separately. I wash them in my dark load. When I have red or other dark clothes that might bleed I throw 1-2 Shout Color Catcher(s) in the load. I just did such a load in my brand new LG front loader I had delivered today. The color catcher was bright red in the dryer but the none of the other clothes in the load had red stains including a new yellow t-shirt. To help prevent fading I turn jeans and other dark clothes inside out.

Which LG front loader did you buy? I am thinking about getting one, and can't decide if it is worth getting one with the Turbo Wash feature, and if I should go with the Mega size vs. the 4.0 size. Any thoughts?

 

[CandleontheWater]

Our last house had a Kenmore HE top loader and I HATED that stupid thing. I would have to wash the boys clothes (with things like food and grass stains and playground dirt) two and three times before they were clean. The washing machine could literally not remove CRUMBS from clothes, let alone any stains or dirt.

The way that I got it to work best (which still wasn't very good), was to always use the longest setting, and be sure to load your clothes in "clumps" leaving the middle hollow so that the water sensor can work properly. You know how in an regular washer with an agitator you kind of spread your clothes around it, like make clothes circles? Don't do that with your washer, take you clothes, kind of ball them up into "clumps" and put them in the washer, leaving the middle free.

Its really dumb, and you do loose a lot of space, but its the only way to get semi-clean clothes. When we moved into our latest house, I never was so happy to see a traditional agitator in my life!

One other thing, you have to be really careful about clothes bleeding and colors running in an HE top loader. Since the clothes are just barely wet, they can really bleed onto one another. Definitely keep doing your reds separately, I never separated my reds from my darks until I encountered that washing machine. All it took was one red shirt to ruin a whole bunch of darks, and I learned quick.

 

[jodifla]

OP here, I've been talking about my new top load washer, not a front loader. My previous washer was a front loader and I never had any problem with it washing clothes. I didn't like it because I had to keep the door open all the time so it wouldn't grow mold/mildew, which also meant I couldn't close the laundry closet door in my kitchen.

I think once I finally learn all of it's little quirks, I won't mind the new washer. It's just taking some time to get used to doing laundry in a whole new way.

I'm sorry, I meant an old-fashioned top loader is what I bought. Speed Queen is the maker of commercial washers. They use normal amounts of water and are total workhorses. They really spin dry, so clothes spend much less time in the water. I fully plan on it lasting 20 years. The HE washers we found all had issues that I didn't want to deal with.

 

[eliza61]

Does anyone else have this problem? Just bought this washer about a month ago. I watched a load once and some of the clothes were above the water level and never seemed to move.

Just now I did a load and one of the shirts I took out was clearly dry in certain spots. If it's not even getting wet, it surely isn't getting clean. I am not happy.

I took mine back and exchanged it for a front loader for exactly that reason. We purchased one and after a few loads of this, I left the top open to watch (very handy hubby, just made a piece out of a coat hanger to override the sensor) how the load agitates. Clothes on top never made it to the water.


Hate the new top loaders.

 

[eliza61]

Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for loading the machine and where to put laundry products when. Fabric weight makes a difference. Clothes and towels do not belong together, which I keep .

The HE machines use less detergent and less water and loads are spun almost dry. However, if you were able to watch a load in a toploader, you must have had the top open so that some of the action was probably eliminated as a safety feature.

Our first HE machine was a toploader but now we have a frontloader. It's even better.

LOL
See right there is another reason why I want an old fashion washer. If I need to know the weight of fabric and a college degree in engineering simply to wash clothes I don't need the washer.

 

[ReneeA]

All of these threads on the new "energy efficient" washers made me run out and buy a used, refurbished old top loader Kenmore for $200, delivered & installed. It's been over 3 years & that thing keeps chugging along. My next purchase will be a speed queen top loader.

 

[Rebecca g]

Does anyone else have this problem? Just bought this washer about a month ago. I watched a load once and some of the clothes were above the water level and never seemed to move.

Just now I did a load and one of the shirts I took out was clearly dry in certain spots. If it's not even getting wet, it surely isn't getting clean. I am not happy.

Same problem doesn't fill enough to agitate the close properly serviceman even said that it was not the way I was loading or adding soap it was just the machine.

 

[katie111]

I have a Maytag Bravos HE top loader and I always just use the deep water wash setting. It's the only way I get enough water in there to get everything wet. I'm sure i'm wasting a ton of water but probably no more so than if I had a regular top loader. It seems to clean my clothes pretty well on this setting. The regular setting leaves half my clothes still dry.

 

[Squirlz]

Same problem doesn't fill enough to agitate the close properly serviceman even said that it was not the way I was loading or adding soap it was just the machine.

Welcome to the Dis! Just curious how you came to revive this thread?

 

[Malibustyle23]

Welcome to the Dis! Just curious how you came to revive this thread?

Probably a Google search for this issue.

 

[yeahdisney]

Same problem. I wash my work scrubs separately. Three tops three bottoms. They came out with dry spots. Fabulous as a nurse to know what is still on them from work!

Yes loaded correctly but do not weigh enough for the washer to sensor them. So I now add a pitcher of water to each load. Pain in the bottom. But I can see though the glass and the water is now above the clothes. Been adding water to each load for a couple of years.

Stupid fabulous washer.