Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:50:52 -0700
To: (removed)
From: Dan Smith <removed>
Subject: Our LG washing machine

Hi Ann & Mark,

Since you have an LG washing machine similar to ours, I thought I would tell you about our experience so far with our washer.

Over the months and years the smell has been getting worse in the laundry room. Even our clothes were getting a sour smell to them. We would rinse the washer with bleach in a rinse cycle from time to time but it wouldn't get rid of the smell.

Last month, the washer became very, very, very noisy during the spin cycles. It sounded like the whine of a jet engine. I thought it was the bearings wearing out, so I called around to get prices for bearings replacement. The estimate was $600 for the repair as the tub had to be taken out and completely disassembled. Furthermore, it was recommended not to replace just the bearings but to replace the back half of the outer tub that would be a complete unit with bearings installed at the factory, which is preferred over bearing installed at home.

I did some browsing on the internet to see if I could do anything myself to reduce the cost of this repair. I found www.repairclinic.com that had the outer tub unit in stock for $165.00 and would ship it for $7.00. I also found some instructions that would guide me through the disassembly process. So, I tackled the job.

The picture above shows the tub unit with the opening for the clothes facing down on the floor. The white outer shell is called the outer tub. It comes in two halves. The front half has been removed exposing the stainless steel inner tub. The white plastic shell that we see is the back half of the outer tub. The crab like apparatus on top is a gear puller I rented for $10 to push the axle out of the bearings. Once the axle was pushed out, the inner tub was free to come away from the outer tub.

The picture above shows the back half of the outer tub with the inner tub removed. What a surprise to see so much sludge!

This picture shows the rear side of the stainless steel inner tub. It too has sludge all over it.

I think the foul laundry room smell is coming from this sludge. So, how to get rid of it? I have some ideas but first I need to vent a little. I am so upset at paying good money for a product that has such a serious flaw as this. Bear with me. "May the fleas of all the camels in Arabia infest the arm pits of the engineers who designed this tub!!! May they itch and scratch for a thousand years!!!" There, now I feel better.

My hypothesis is that dirty water sloshes around during the wash cycle and settles in the honey comb cells seen in image #2 above. It could be that liquid fabric softener does not get rinsed out well enough and collects in these cells too. These cells are a great design for strengthening the tub but very poor design where sludge can collect. They should be filled in with epoxy or some other similar substance to keep sludge from collecting in them. Also, the washing machine is not able to rinse this rear portion of the tub. In my opinion, the machine should have some way of spraying or rinsing this area. Perhaps there could be a special cleaning cycle that a user could run once a week that would keep this area clean.

I'm wondering if bacteria grows on the sludge. Could it be that this bacteria gets on the clothes and makes them sour after a week or two?

Recommendation #1 - After completion of the weekly laundry, run a NORMAL wash cycle (with hot wash water) with a half cup of liquid bleach. Pour the bleach into the wash water as it runs through the detergent compartment. This process may not clean all the sludge but perhaps it can disinfect the sludge.

Recommendation #2 - Once a month use a garden hose and spray water all around the inside of the washer. Aim the spray through the holes in the rear of the tub to wash the rear wall as best as one is able. This may dislodge some sludge, so I advise finishing up with "Recommendation #1" to purge the tub of any loose material.

I would like to make a water wand with a special shape that will attach to a garden hose and clean the rear area of the tub.

Now that we have a clean washer, we have stopped using liquid fabric softener. (I prefer the smell and softness of clothes processed with Bounce in the dryer.) I think the clothes smell much better now. Is it because of no sludge or no bacteria or is it because of the Bounce? Who knows, but I'm happier.

Dan