I have had a front load washer for several years and have never had to clean it. Perhaps one of the reasons is, I never shut the door unless I am washing clothes, therefore the gasket dries out each time. Also, my husband has a sensitivity to soap left in clothes. The rashes aren't comfortable, so I rinse every load twiced.
I will say that you cannot soak clothes in a front load. Mine is very bad with bleach. You will get spots when the bleach is added to clothes. I gave up even buying bleach. Even the powdered bleach makes a mess. My next washer will be a top load, even though it will be hard for me to get everything out of the bottom of the tubs. Guess that's where hubby comes in and does his part.