Washing machine smell? - General House & Home

carrolswan · #16 (**permalink**) 08-29-2005, 04:50 PM

I came to this site because I've been smelling something horrid from the laundry room for the past few months. Yikes, you guys are right - there is a whole other life form living under that fabric softener cup. I removed mine - GAG - and cleaned the holder. Then I saw the hex nut that holds the adgitator on and removed that. HORRORS. The gunk lined the inside of the adgitator and the post it sits on. Hosed the adgitator down in the yard to remove the gunk and put all the parts in a bucket full of boiling hot water and half a cup of dishwasher soap (my cureall for all hard to remove stuff) Let that set until the water cooled and then gave it a scrubbing. I used a flat screwdriver to scrape the hardened stuff off the post (be careful not to poke the little screens at the bottom of the washer tub) and vacuumed the scraps out with a shop vacuum. Put a half gallon of white vinegar in the washer with hot water and let it sit over night and then drained the washer. It's not squeaky clean but it sure smells better! Thanks to all posters for the good advice and ideas!

Csara · #17 (**permalink**) 01-05-2006, 01:55 PM

We now have a new washer and again that nasty sour smell has shown up. The difference with this one is that you don't just place the detergent in the machine, there is a special cup for it to go in. So, my question is, where would I put the vinegar and baking soda? Would I put it in the detergent cup?

Csara · #18 (**permalink**) 01-19-2006, 09:13 PM

anyone??

jana · #19 (**permalink**) 01-19-2006, 10:32 PM

I don't know, but it's worth a try! With our front-loader, though (didn't you guys get a FL?), anything you pour into the detergent cup runs immediately into the main washer compartment - especially if it's thin like vinegar (as opposed to thick liquid detergent). When you start a load, the water flows through the detergent cup to wash it all down. So basically it will all end up in the washer pretty quickly. I'd still pour it into the detergent cup, though, because maybe it's something in there that smells.

ParagonEos · #20 (**permalink**) 01-20-2006, 11:02 PM

I wished I could help but I've never had that problem.

I refuse to get one of the new washers because I LOVE my large capacity 13 year old washer! It's the greatest and I will be really sad & mad when it breaks down

Csara · #21 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 08:24 PM

OMG, how embarrassing - I didn't realize we've had this funky smelling laundry problem for an entire year and I STILL haven't done anything about it. It is almost 10 p.m. but I swear I am going downstairs right now to do it. Will report back tomorrow morning to let you guys know if it worked.

suzieq728 · #22 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 05:23 AM

To each and everyone of you!
C, how is motherhood treating you? How many others have had babies since I have been gone? I guess I have a lot of catching up to do around herer huh, oh BTW, did u get rid of your smell????

Csara · #23 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 12:59 PM

Hey Suze - I am doing great and love being a mom more than anything. It was definitely my calling.

Anyway, I tried the vinegar rinse and it did not work. HELP!!! Any other suggestions? The clothes all come out smelling fine, but it just stinks in there.

suzieq728 · #24 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 01:40 PM

I know I read somewhere on this thread that you should just leave the door open, and thats what I have to do with my front loader too. My top loader never had a stinky smell, but the front loader seems to stink.
Now my cousin has a front loader and hers is fine, go figure..
I'll ask around on some appliance web sites...

Jester · #25 (**permalink**) 09-17-2007, 10:37 AM

Maybe leaving the door open is the key...let some air in and dry it out?

nicolef888 · #26 (**permalink**) 09-17-2007, 04:53 PM

Try leaving the door open every night so that it dries out. I leave mine open after running a load and leave it open until I run the next load.

Turtleheadfred · #27 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 09:59 PM

Who was our "Appliance Maven"? I can't remember... was it Mel?

Anyway, you can take all the parts of the agitator apart and clean that, especially where the liquid softener goes in if you have one of those (and you should) because stuff gets stuck down in there. Use one of those long grabby things like you reach down inside pipes with if you drop your ring... you know? It's HORRID what you'll get out!!!

After you do that, then flush everything with vinegar and hot water and run through a complete cycle. Then another cycle to rinse everything.

Otherwise, all you should have to do is periodically run your machine with a hot water and bleach cycle by itself to keep it clean!