Ya need these. They're Whirlpool Duet Steam models, and they're the dogs 'nads.

Get them on sale at Lowes or Home Depot and they're about $1,500 for the pair, and they do a great job. Things come out of the dryer with a lot less wrinkles than the Maytag front-loaders that Mrs P was willing to die for years. The washer takes much more than the Maytag does too, so probably cuts our number of cycles by about a 30% each week. We've been using them for about two months and not found anything to not like about them.

Why do you have to buy a washer and dryer in a set? Why not get the best washer and best dryer?

we bought ours at Home Depot two years ago, Samsung, top of the line, 10 year warranty, yada yada yada. What I've found is that when I tried to wash my towels like I washed them in the UK (hottest setting, towel setting) they couldn't handle that and the fibers must have died or something. Anyway, I've done a whole bunch of research, revised my settings, etc and quite frankly I still no likey! It's really the big items that I wash that are the problems (sheets, quilts, towels) and I've found it's best to just wash small items of those things. Not that I put more than one quilt in of course.

Given that it is possible to boil wash cotton/towels perfectly safely, I think you are unfairly blaming the machines. It is far more likely to be the detergent and/or conditioner you're using. .... Are you using a conditioner on towels? (Not a trick question, but I just wonder.)

maybe its the phosphate free detergent?

Or it could be the towels.... I did read that the towels here can't handle the high heat. Anyway, I will make do, but will more than likely go back to a top loader....

On another note, I want to replace my cheap as chips refrigerator as well some day, but after the experience with the washer and dryer, I might just stick with what I've got.

Mrs TB like the towels soft. I like mine hard and scratchy, well lets just say "not soft". I find they dry better that way, or maybe that is just my imagination. I prefer my bedsheets to be almost starched like too, I find it makes them feel cooler.

Laundry detergents stopped using phosphates as a cleaning agent, and I had been using a tsp of trisodium phosphate (bought in a 5lb bag on Amazon) with loads that needed an extra boost. A friend turned me on to adding a dishwasher cleaning tablet instead, and it works very well. Much to Mrs TB's dismay, I like all white bed sheets, comforter, etc. With 5 cats that sleep on the bed at various times, she complains they show the dirt, but I counter that I'd rather see the dirt and know to clean them. Adding a dishwasher tablet always brings them a brilliant white.

We have one of those LG high efficiency washers with direct motor drive. Coincidentally my FiL and a friend at work have the same model. We all find they struggle with spin drying bulky loads, and go through an "uneven load" cycle where they add fresh water and agitate for 10 mins or so before trying to spin dry again, occasionally doing this for hours. My next washer will be front loading for sure.

Nah, cotton is cotton, and anyway the best towels are imported into the UK and the US from the same countries. Or you may have just bought crappy towels!

I have never heard that one before. Is that as well as your normal powder?

I believe you are correct, and I always heard that you should not use fabric conditioners when washing towels as they get a "build-up" which reduces their drying ability. Since we got the new washer and dryer, our weekly schedule is such that I now do most of the laundry and have discontinued putting conditioner in with the towels.

Back in the UK I didn't use fabric conditioner at all, and used Costco's own brand detergent which is pretty much unscented. I am now continuing that system over here and the younger q boy has already commented that his laundry smells better now (I think he means it doesn't smell of any artificial scents). If there are no towels in the load I do sometimes use an unscented dryer sheet to help stop smalls sticking onto or inside polar fleeces.

We have a Samsung front loading washer and a basic GE dryer, both appear, so far, to function as required.

Is that only for whites or can it be used with coloureds?
M&S didn't recommend the use of fabric conditioner with their towels.

I bought some liquid Persil from WM. OMG, it had so much perfume in it, I had to buy some nonperfumed detergent to water it down. I can't stand perfumed detergent.

I love the perfumed smell from fabric softener. I use it really for the smell only on towels, love the smell on fresh sheets as well. The more perfumed (always a fresh scent) the better.

I use Gain powder detergent and Miele fabric softener ( ). For towels, as Pulaski says, never use fabric softener.