Our family of 6 really needed a washer upgrade. I could only do small loads of laundry with our old machine.
We really wanted to get a stackable washer dyer set. That way, we could turn the right side of our closet into a pantry!
For years we have seen how nasty front loaders can get with the smell and mold. Leaving our washer door open to air out wasn’t an option for us with having a laundry closet in the middle of our busy hallway.
Then we discovered the GE Fresh Vent Washer!
We ended up purchasing it a year ago through American Freight. They were previously the Sears Outlet. But we just got the dryer from Costco in May.
GE Fresh Vent Washer Review:
Pros:
-handles large loads
-many wash cycle options
-SmartDispense truly is convenient
-venting system
-cleans clothes well
-spins clothes super dry
Cons:
-a bit loud during spin cycle
-sometimes becomes unbalanced and won’t spin fully dry
Some Things I’d Like to Touch on Further
Does the venting system actually work?
YES!
We have owned the washer for a year now. I use the fresh vent setting every time I am done laundry for the day. It runs for around 8 hours turning the drum periodically, bringing in air and drying out the drum.
In 1 year, I have never wiped out the gasket, or left the door open and we have ZERO mold and ZERO smell.
Unbalanced Loads
So far, I have had a couple issues with the washing machine becoming unbalanced with very heavy loads. It doesn’t actually shake like old top loaders, but it just won’t reach maximum speed on the spin cycle leaving the items sopping wet. I have discovered if you’re going to wash a pillow or a duvet, do them by themselves, do not do two pillows together.
Smart Dispense
This feature works really well for me. I feel like the auto amount is perfect for my regular loads. I have run into the problem where too much soap is dispensed on smaller loads because I forgot to switch it to the “less” option. Usually this means I end up having to do another rinse cycle for the items.
Also, my daughter touched the control panel and I didn’t realize she had turned off the soap. I washed and dried two loads before realizing no soap had been used.
Control Panel
The buttons and options work well with the exception of the smart dispense button. We have to lay our finger completely flat on it for it to read that you’ve touched it. Not a huge deal because I rarely use that button. There is a lock so children can’t press the buttons, but unfortunately they can still hit the power off button which completely messes up the cycle and you can’t resume.
You can pause a load at any time and add clothes to the drum. Even if water is already in the machine! When you open the door the door may drip, but no water actually pours out of the drum.
Overall We’re Happy
The washing machine does a great job at cleaning the clothes. I find that the 4.8 cu ft is plenty for our family. And I would highly recommend this machine!