A Steam Washer Doesn't Satisfy Me

For the 55 years of my life I've always known washing machines to be top load, you add detergent, the basin fills up with water, it washes, rinses and spins.

I've really been very satisfied with all of my washing machines that have worked like that.

Over the past few years I've heard about all of the hype regarding the new steam washers. I've also seen them in ads. They are huge, front load... basically that's all I knew about them.

I house and pet sit which sometimes gives me the opportunity to try new things.

One of the families I house and pet sit for has a new steam washer. It's an LG Tromm Steam Washer Model number: WM2487HWM. 4.0 Ultra Capacity, Direct Drive System, Quiet Operation.

Since I had no choice but to use it, I gave it a try.

All of it's start-up features looked 'normal' to me, except for having more choices than I'm used to.

Here's how it works:

1. Pull out the drawer in the upper left corner to add the detergent, bleach and softener. Note: Steam machines only use special HE - high efficiency laundry detergent. When you are purchasing laundry detergent you will notice the HE symbol on the packaging.

2. Push the little silver button on the left to get started.

3. Then the steam cycle choices light up. There's 9 to choose from, which are: Steam Fresh, Sanitary, Bulky/Large, Permanent Press, Cotton/Normal, Baby Wear, Delicates, Hand Wash/Wool, and Speed Wash. Turn the large silver knob to your choice.

4. Press a little white button to choose what kind of temperature you need the water during the wash/rinse cycles to be. There's 5 to choose from, which are: cold/cold, warm/cold, warm/warm, hot/cold, and extra hot/cold.

5. Press the next little white button to choose the spin speed you would like. There's these 5 to choose from: no spin, low, medium, high, and extra high.

6. Press the next little white button to choose one of these 5 soil levels: heavy, heavy/normal, normal, normal/light, and light.

7. Press the last little white button to choose how you want to hear the beeper (if at all). There are these 5 choices: high, high/low, low, very low, and off.

8. Down the right side of the front panel there are these 5 additional functions to choose from: Prewash Child Lock, Rinse + Spin Drum Light, Extra Rinse Tub Clean, Stain Cycle Spinsense, and Water Plus. Just press the crystal clear button of your choice and hold for 3 seconds.

I'm convinced the maker of this steam washer likes the number 5.

It sounds exhausting already and the machine didn't even start to wash yet.

9. Press the silver button to the right of the big silver knob to start the steam machine.

Ta da! The door locks. The machine will go through these 4 cycles listed: load sensoring, wash, rinse and spin.

The bulky/large cycle I chose will take 56 minutes. That's a lot more time than I'm used to and if you're like me and waiting for it to finish so you can go to bed, it seems much longer.

10. There's also one little gray button for steam and another for delay wash.

I watch and listen as the steam washer functions.

The tub keeps turning and every once in awhile I hear a little water spurt in. It's not what I'm used to, which is the whole tub filling up with water, but okay fine.

I walk away and relax, or go about my other household chores. I can hear the machine working from the other end of the house, but it's fine, UNTIL the spin cycle begins. All of a sudden I hear this loud banging. I go look at the machine and it's actually moving and shaking, enough to shift what's on top of it and open its storage drawer at the front bottom of it.

I find that very strange since on the front panel is listed, "Quiet Operation."

After 59 very long minutes my laundry is finally done washing and I go to put it in the dryer.

I notice that the clothes are hardly wet which I guess can be a good thing, so they will dry quicker.

I smell the clothes and notice that they don't have that clean, laundry detergent smell. To me they smell like clothes that have tried to dry in a damp, musty climate.

The owners of the home left a note saying to always keep the washing machine door open after usage, otherwise it will stink in there. I noticed that it does stink inside the washing machine. Leaving the door open also can't be safe for pets and children.

I wore the clothes I washed in this steam washer. One of the lingerie items gave me a welted rash in 2 areas. It was very painful for me.

When I went home I re-washed my clothes in my typical old-fashioned top load washer and everything is fine again.

Give me an old-fashioned top load washing machine, with just 3 main water levels, 3 water temperatures, and a few clothes types to choose from ANYDAY!