I have a Bosch front loader and it is much gentler on my clothes than a traditional agitating top loader. I don't close the door all the way to keep the bad smell and mold at bay. Every so often, I also run a load with regular bleach to kill any spores.
We have very hot water coming into the washer so I opted for the one that does not have a thermostat built in. Those seem to take FOREVER to be done.