When it comes to doing laundry at home, most Americans use a two-appliance setup. A washing machine to get your clothes clean and a dryer to, well, get them dry. But wouldn’t one machine that does both be an improvement?
It may sound like a leap forward in convenience, but one viral TikTok shows that you may want to wait before consolidating your machines into one.
Mom Life content creator Stacy B (@stayseebee) has gone viral after posting a video featuring her newly purchased LG WashCombo All-in-One washer-dryer. She says her quest for a do-it-all appliance resulted in a wet mess on her utility room floor.
In a video posted on March 19, captioned, “We bought two units… two different brands. One of them won’t dry the clothes, and this one is leaking water everywhere! Time to return them!” Stacy shows an LG WashCombo appliance leaking water onto the floor.
The video currently has over 7.2 million views and counting.
The video shows what seems to be the device’s detergent drawer leaking a significant amount of water. Stacy does not comment in the video audibly, but the screen text reads, “Get an all-in-one washer and dryer they said” followed by two “expressionless face” emojis.
The camera then pans to the floor, where a towel is placed to sop up the mess.
Stacy does not offer any reason why the unit is leaking; however, a YouTube video suggests a possible culprit.
The LivingOnVideo13 YouTube channel has posted a video of an LG washing machine with a similar problem. Although the appliance in the video is not a combo washer-dryer, the leak occurs in the detergent drawer.
In the YouTube video, the poster says they were able to “fix the problem” by removing a bleach bottle top that had blocked the drain of the detergent drawer. According to the poster, water circulates in the drawer and is added to the washer to complete the cleaning cycle. The bottle top had blocked the drain, causing the drawer to overflow.
There is no evidence to support that this kind of problem caused the leak in Stacy’s unit. The Daily Dot has reached out to LG for a statement.
@stayseebee We bought two units… two different brands. One of them won’t dry the clothes, and this one is leaking water everywhere! Time to return them!
♬ original sound – StacyB 🖤
A consumer report by CBS Essentials reviewing the LG WashCombo does not specifically mention any problem with leakage. It does, however, state that a filter “located in the lower-left corner of the appliance is a water inlet filter that catches loose items like buttons or coins. If not cleaned regularly, the entire WashCombo could easily clog.”
The report also states, “Only a few times was I able to load it up with laundry, have it complete the wash and dry cycle, and end up with my clothes being fully dry.”
This is a common complaint about combo washer-dryers in the U.K., where they are more standard than in the States. An article in Quartz discusses the prevalence of combo appliances and alludes to their ineffectiveness.
In the article, European journalist Jessica Furseth states that the “typical British combo washer-dryer … appears to be a stroke of genius until you realize that the dryer part doesn’t really work—and everyone who lives here knows this.”
However, many of the viewers of Stacy’s video advised her to consider other brands.
One user, fairybot127 (@fairybot127), advised her to avoid LG altogether, writing, “LG and Samsung should stick to TVs. I’ll keep my whirlpool washer.”
However, when it came to comments supporting another appliance, one brand stood out in particular.
“Speed Queen or nothing,” wrote Matt “Garruk” Thomas (@penitent_chaos).
“So glad I just bought a Speed Queen washer with an agitator and their dryer. Cleanest clothes I’ve ever had,” another added.
Another viewer wrote, “Buy a Speed Queen. U won’t be sorry. There is a reason why u see this brand in laundromats.”
The comments seemed to have influenced Stacy. In a follow-up video, she informed her viewers that she had exchanged the LG WashCombo for a new Speed Queen combo at Home Depot. “Hopefully everything is OK now,” she tells her viewers.
She also notes in the video that her husband seemed less than thrilled with the item’s price tag.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Stacy via email for further comment.
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