bakechef
Executive Chef
I am part of the cold water crowd.
We have front loading high efficiency machines in the apartment complex where I live and they work great at washing the clothes and removing the excess moisture prior to placing them in the dryer. The issue we have with some of the machines is that over time they develop a very unpleasant odor. I have been told that this is due to the fact that some water remains in the machine after a wash is completed and if the door to the machine is left closed a mold develops. This plus the fact that the door seal on these machines is waterproof means that no air circulates in the machine when it is sitting idle. I have been told that it is best to leave the door open when the machine is not in use. This issue may be more pronounced in an apartment complex like the one I live in because so many different people are using the machines and using different laundry soaps and fabric softeners.
That seems to be an issue with front loaders in general. It has happened to my friend, she now makes sure to leave the front door propped open.
I wash in cold. The only time I use hot, is if I need to brighten whites in a bleach cycle.
I also only use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent (liquid) and I see no difference in how clean the clothes get.