| I have a front loading washer (which I LOVE!) but I have developed a problem. Over a month ago, I left a couple of towels in the machine after washing for a whole long weekend - just forgot they were there. They "soured" and even with rewashing with vinegar they still had an odor. That was OK since they are now "shop rags". My problem is the washer still has the odor in it. I have used vinegar, OxyClean, baking soda (for a week!) even Windex-type cleaner both in laundry loads and just to wipe down the interior. I leave the door cracked to dry the drum after a day of washing but the odor remains even after all this time. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks for your help. Melody (PS: because of allergies, I prefer methods that are less "bad" chemically but everything is a chemical of some sort!) |
| Answers: |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| Post by Kayla |
| Try vinegar and baking soda together. Put the soda in as you would your powdered detergent then add your vinegar (I would imagine you have a spout in the top) where your softener would go after the water has started pouring in. |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| Post by kidsNclutter |
| The odor could be from MOLD. Should try liquid chlorine bleach, fairly strong, on the longest cycle (not prewash). Run it through w/ just the water, or maybe will need to put in a load of towels that can be bleached (or those shop rags!) so the water fills to a good level b/c it is a front loader. If the odor is from MOLD it will be killed by the bleach. |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| Post by beanygurl |
| That "soured" smell is from bacteria. I agree with using chlorine bleach to kill it. Use a cup or two with hot water in a full cycle. |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| Post by Katie |
| In addition to using bleach, I suggest leaving the door open more than a crack (i.e. even if the towels hadn't molded, leaving it only slightly open might be letting new mold grow). Unless your washer is in a really obvious place, I'd leave the door all the way open on a regular basis. I do that with mine and have never had a moldy smell problem. |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| Kelly (Guest Post) |
| My machine had the same thing, only it is not a front load. I took apart the bleach and fabric softener dispensers and washed them and the interior of the machine (mine has a ledge at the top of the drum where a lot of lint and scum had collected) really well with vinegar and hot water. Then ran a full wash cycle with 2 cups of vinegar and 1/2 a box of baking soda and haven't had an odor since. I had done the vinegar/baking soda load before, but never cleaned out all of the other things and I think the odor was lingering in those areas. Make sure you get all of the crevices, anywhere that scum and lint could build up. |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| Suzie (Guest Post) |
| Try Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. It's an odor absorbing cleaner as well as a laundry booster. |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| NonaCZ (Guest Post) |
| thanks for all of you all's help. |
| Washing Machine Smell |
| Susan (Guest Post) |
| I developed this problem with my Bosch Next washer. I am also having problems with the soap dispenser. After 2 repair visits, I was told by the Bosch rep that They would replace the soap dispenser with a "redesigned" part. For the mildew smell, he recommended wiping out the gasket after each use, washing gasket with vinegar, using a product called Washer Magic, and leaving the door cracked after each use. It is the Maytag Neptune all over agian. Lowes has discontinued this lemon of a machine. Good luck; hope you have better luck than we have had. |
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