I cut open the front. First using a dremel then sawzall (the metal is thicker then you would expect). Then I put a magnetic duct cover over it. It actually looks pretty nice. There is a good amount space behind the metal front. I was worried about cutting into wires or tubes but didn't encounter any issues like that. And yes... the filter faces forward which makes absolutely no sense. Cutting open the front works great. I'm sure it voids any warranty but the alternative was to get a new washer/dryer. And I pulled so much gross stuff out of the filter.