Myth: Dryers shorten lifespans of garments by removing lint

Fact: The washing machine's cleaning action causes the fibers to wear, and the dryer simply releases the already broken-off fibers. The garment is not going to wear longer by avoiding the dryer.

If this washing machine is not working properly, some basic troubleshooting should be done. Is the detergent being added first, as the manufacturer recommends? This is one of the most common reasons for dissatisfaction with high-efficiency top-loaders.

Also, the clothing will move around inside the washer, and everything will be saturated with water as the cycle progresses. Clothes need not be swimming to be effectively cleaned. Unfortunately, the old bucket-o-suds machines we grew up with have conditioned us to think this is necessary, but more water is just more water, not more cleaning. If water = cleaning, then why don't we treat stains with water instead of detergent? :)

As clothes get wet, they get more compact, and they will take up less room in the washer. So, while the water may only get halfway up, the wet clothes will end up only taking up about half the available space in the washer once everything's saturated. 

If you're using fabric softener in the washer (it wasn't stated whether you were or not), are you following the loading and filling instructions on the inside of the lid?

As for basket size, words like "collossal," "king-size," "super king-size" and the like are meaningless designations, and should not be paid any heed. Cubic foot capacity is the only reasonable means of measuring how much you can put in. The titles are used to invoke emotional responses regarding capacity, but they don't actually mean anything.

One other thing you may want to check is the hardness of your water. This can have a huge effect on how well a washing machine cleans your clothes.

And, the Sears stores do free water testing, including "hardness".

Hi, and thanks for replying. Believe me, I have followed every single rule, and have tried everything. Yes I add the detergent before the clothes. I've even tried filling the basket with water before adding the clothes as well as different water temps, and still residue.

As far as the water level, if you add the detergent to the bottom of the basket, and your clothes are at the top of the basket, which are NOT submerged, how does the detergent reach the clothes on top? I understand the moisture does, because of the shower system, but you're right, water does not equal cleaning, it is merely the delivery agent which is essential to the cleansing process. If detergent treated water does not reach it's intended goal, then how possibly can the items be cleaned? They are not. The clothes on top come out smelly, so I have to wash them again. In fact, I am washing bath towels again right now for the third time.

I do not use fabric softener, and I have recently had my water tested, and the hardness is fine, but the PH is low, on the cautionary side. Could this mean anything?

I have read every troubleshooting guide, and have followed its recommendations. This washer design is just simply flawed.

Silly question, but I have to ask, are you using "h.e" detergent?

Does the bottle, or box have that cute little logo on it?

Hi nx7501. I do apologize for the trouble you've been having. Have you had a licensed repairman out? Since the purchase was made in 2009 you are covered by the manufacturer's warranty you know. I didn't see that mentioned in your post.

Yes, everything I use says HE.

I called GE, and they actually said...exchange it!! He said washers with a short agitator like mine do cause excessive wrinkling because of the way they spin. He recommended gong with a model with a taller agitator. As far as the residue, he had no explanation for me, and recommended I go to a different model. He said a service call really wouldn't help since it sounds like nothing is really wrong. I'm calling Sears right now to try and get rid of this heartache.

It's not soap, it's lint! That's what I thought at first too. I have tried everything. With soap, without, powered soap, liquid soap, filling the washer with water and soap first - then adding my clothes. HE soap makes no difference. All my dark clothes come out covered in lint. I just posed a review above, and attached photos, but I don't see it showing up yet. No matter, I just want to warn everyone to stay away from this piece of junk!! "High efficience" - yeah right - two or three times I have to wash all of my dark clothes, and I can only put a few things at time. The more clothes I put in the washer the worse it it. I just washed 4 pairs of black slacks and even that was too much. Am running them through again which will remove some of the lint, but it will probably take one more wash after that to get it all off. I dread doing laundry now, it takes forever. Whites and light colored clothes aren't that bad, but darker colors - forget it!

The lint will stay on in the washer. That is why dryers have lint traps, it is the dryers job to collect the line as the clothes dry.