A washing machine that smells is the most common appliance complaint we hear, and the cause is almost never the drum. It is the rubber door gasket, the detergent, and a small filter most owners do not know exists.
Front Loaders: The Gasket Is the Problem
Front loading machines seal with a thick rubber gasket around the door. Water collects in the fold of that gasket after every cycle, and because the door gets closed on the way out of the room, it never dries.
Pull the fold back and look with a flashlight. In a machine that has never had this done, there is a black film in there and often standing water, plus the occasional sock.
Wipe the whole fold with a cloth and a mild cleaner, all the way around, getting into the recess. If the buildup is heavy, a diluted bleach solution works, but rinse and dry thoroughly afterward. Then dry the gasket by hand.
From here on, leave the door ajar between loads. That single habit does more than any product, and it is the reason some households never have this problem.
The Detergent Problem Nobody Believes
Most people use two to three times more detergent than a modern machine needs, and the excess does not rinse away. It stays in the gasket, the drum and the drain, and it becomes the food source for exactly what you are trying to remove.
High efficiency machines use far less water than older ones, so the dose that seemed right on a top loader twenty years ago is now a large overdose. Use the amount on the label for your load size and water hardness, and if you have been over dosing for years, expect to run a couple of cleaning cycles before the residue clears.
The same applies to fabric softener, which is a heavier residue than detergent and which builds a waxy layer in the dispenser and the drum. It also reduces towel absorbency, which is a separate annoyance with the same cause.
The Drain Pump Filter
Most front loaders have a small access panel at the bottom front. Behind it is a drain pump filter, and in a machine that has been running for years without anyone opening it, that filter holds lint, hair, coins and standing water. It is frequently the actual source of a smell that survives everything else.
Put a shallow pan and a towel down first, because water will come out. Unscrew the filter, clean it, and put it back firmly. Check the owner’s manual for your model, since the exact arrangement varies.
Do this every few months and a lot of common washer problems simply do not happen.
Run a Real Cleaning Cycle
With the gasket wiped and the filter cleared, run a hot cycle with a dedicated washing machine cleaner or with a couple of cups of white vinegar, empty. Then run a second hot rinse. If your machine has a tub clean or self clean cycle, use it.
Do not mix cleaning products, and specifically never combine bleach with anything containing ammonia.
Top Loaders Are a Different Machine
Top loaders have far less of a gasket problem and more of a dispenser problem. The fabric softener and bleach dispensers build a sludge that eventually blocks them, and they usually lift out for washing.
The other place to check is under the rim of the tub, which collects residue where nobody looks, and the agitator, which on many models comes apart.
The Things That Are Not the Machine
If the smell persists, look at the drain hose and the standpipe it goes into. A hose pushed too far down the standpipe can siphon and hold water. A drain line that is partially clogged holds waste water back toward the machine.
And if the laundry room itself smells rather than the machine, check whether there is a floor drain that has dried out. An unused drain loses the water in its trap and stops blocking sewer gas, and running water down it for ten seconds fixes it.
Habits That Prevent All of It
Leave the door and the detergent drawer open between loads. Move laundry to the dryer promptly rather than letting it sit damp. Use the right dose. Run a cleaning cycle monthly. Clean the filter quarterly. Wipe the gasket weekly, which takes fifteen seconds.
None of that is difficult, and together it means you never search for this again.
If the Laundry Room Is Not the Only Room
A washing machine smell often shows up alongside other things that have been quietly building: the dishwasher filter, the refrigerator drip tray, the range hood filter, and the buildup on cabinet fronts above the range.
Call (214) 430-4447 or request a free quote online and ask about a deep clean that includes appliance interiors. We will tell you what is included, what belongs to an appliance technician instead, and give you a real number before we start.
We serve McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Prosper, Celina and the surrounding communities.
Keep Reading
- Laundry Room Cleaning Flower Mound
- How to Get Rid of Musty Smell in House
- Sls Free Laundry Detergent
Rather hand the work to a team that does this every day? See our deep cleaning service or call (214) 430-4447 for a free quote.
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