A "Laundry List" of Questions -

I can only help with a couple -

For the vinegar, put it in the softener compartment. You don't need fabric softener if you use vinegar, anyway. Or you could put it in with the bleach. Do be aware, however, that full strength vinegar with every load will eventually compromise rubber parts in you washer.

Instead of leaving the door open, keep a well-used towel handy to wipe out the inside and outside of the gasket after each load. This should help keep the smell down.

I think the funk smell comes from the rubber seal around the door opening. I use an old towel to smoosh around in the crevices to dry it as much as possible. If you could just leave the door open at night, I think that would suffice.

The machine cleaners are on the aisle with the detergents and fabric softeners.

I think you should put the vinegar in the bleach or softener spot.

What is SilverCare?

I have a Samsung front loader which I had over three years now. I love my machine and have not had problems with it (function, odor, etc).
1. I never use the steam setting so I can't answer that part.
2. I have added vinegar to both the detergent and the prewash section depending on what cycle I am running.
3. I use the SilverCare only on special loads - delicates and such. I hardly think using any setting constantly will break the machine, though.
4. I only found one brand of machine cleaner. I have also been known to just run Borax through a hot/hot cycle to clean my machine. I have never had problems with odor so I am not fanatical about cleaning it.
5. When I am not actively running my washer, I leave the door open. I may have clothes or something in the washer but I just leave the door cracked. If you are running the machine very frequently, you'll have less odor problems anyway. The odor arises from the tight door seal which when the door is closed, creates a good environment for mildew when the machine is just sitting idle.

The only other thing I do is periodically wipe down the washer door and seal with a cleaning rag with cleaner (bleach or vinegar or ammonia or whatever is on the rag). Basically when I get done cleaning the house and I am going to wash all the cleaning towels, I take one of the not so nasty cleaning towels and wipe down the washer door and seal. I toss in the towel - no pun intended - and run the load of cleaning towels.

We stacked our set by the way and that has been wonderful. I have so much more room in my laundry room. My husband is in the process of adding a set of cabinets where the dryer used to sit. On the cabinets I'll get a folding surface and a utility sink. Plus it will double as my craft counter. Very nice and space saving.

I have the Samsung Front loader as well.

Will steam shrink your clothes? - no - it hasn't shrunk mine.
Vinegar? - I would put in the pre wash section.
SilverCare? - not heard of that - will have to look that one up.
Cleaning Machine? - Tide makes a cleaner - you should be able to find wherever you buy detergent.
Leave door open? - yes, I would recommend it - at least until the drum is dry

sorry - I have a top loader. My GF has a front loader - she puts the vinegar in the bleach slot for her whites and sheets - I don't know if she does this every time...

To the best of my knowledge steam does not shrink clothes.

don't know what the silver care is.

My GF leaves the door open a crack to prevent mold from growing just as I do with my top loader.

HAVE FUN!!!

I have the steam option in my dryer and I use it to get wrinkles out or sanitize pillows, stuffed animals etc. nothing has shrunk yet. (I have Kenmore Elite top loader).

When I had the front loader I would wipe out the rubber piece around the front of the drum and run an extra drain/spin cycle. Over time the water sits in the bottom (it doesn't drain well in these models) and starts to smell. Keep the door open whenever you can after finishing laundry for the day, it helps a lot to air it out. I think Tide makes a washer cleaner, but baking soda and vinegar work just fine and are cheaper.

I use vinegar in the rinse cycle, but you can use in the bleach section for whites or cleaning the washer. That’s if your model has a clean washer cycle, some have it.

You can use bleach as well to clean your machine. Put it in where is asks for the cleaner and run it on a cleaning cycle. As for maybe concerns on using the bleach and it leaking onto the next load of clothes you do. It never happened to me and I cleaned my front loader once if not twice a month.

For the odor as others have stated just wipe the rubber seal dry.