I used to use non-bio liquitabs and the machine did not smell BUT my colours were getting slowly bleached.

So advice from here, I moved on to Ecover non-bio liquid that goes in the drawer as this was the only stuff I could find without bleaching agents / optical brighteners. I use this for colours and bio podwer tablets (go in the drawer) for whites.

I have also done an empty wash at 90 degrees with these powder tablets to get rid of any bacteria etc.

BUT MY MACHINE NOW SMELLS!!!!

Help!!

liquid really makes your machine smell

you could try running a wash cycle through with white vinegar

or <whisper> bleach is very effective

But the liquid in the drum didn't make it smell .

It doesn't smell after the 'maintenance' 90 degree wash with powder but does the minute I use the liquid in the drawer again.

Is there any non-bio tablet / powder that doesn't have bleaching stuff in???

Once in a while I do the hottest wash I can with some soda crystals in the drum. Partly as I use washable nappies and partly to keep the washer clear.

It's a combo of liquid, low temp washes and ecover that makes that dratted pong.
Took me 6 months to work it out...
Vinegar and soda crystals on 90 degrees shifted it - and now I use Ariel [gulp]

put the ecover liquid in the drum in one of those balls

I thought all the 'Colour' variants were designed to protect darker colours from bleaching (eg Ariel Colour etc). Wasn't aware that the Bio element made any difference to the colour, I thought that non-bio's were more for people whose skin was sensitive to the enzymes contained in the bio's?

I would guess that 'bio' cleaners with their enzymes would be more effective at breaking down smells from organic material like mould etc in the machine (am quite prepared to be corrected though, I'm no domestic goddess!)

It really is liquid that makes it smell. (Washing machine man online says so, honest). Put white vinegar in drawer and soda crystals in drum and run on empty at 90C. Then use powder, they have something in them which keeps the machine cleaner.

Also, pull out the drawer, and look above it, and down the pipe the water runs down from the drawer. I find I have to get a bottle brush and scrub these areas every so often. I use bleach to do this I'm afraid.

How much white vinegar and soda crystals? Sorry have no experience in this area.

can you use bicarb of soda? powder always clogs up my pipes outside. are you ok to just use the liquid in the balls?

My washing machine went smelly (and therefore all the clothes that came out of the wash) when I used ecover liquid. I think I cleaned it by running a cycle with just a whoole bottle of that bottled lemon juice stuff. And then never used ecover liquid again.........
I have used fairy non bio liquid since then, no problems.

I don't measure the soda crystals. I just throw about a handful in.

Cup of each.

No, no, no SEA - the washing man says only powder. It makes your machine last longer and stops the smelling issue.

Maybe just use less powder SEA?

But my WM smells with Fairy powder!!!!

Wot do I do???

This is a disaster - fairy non-bio has those optical brighteners in too and all my clothes look old after just a few washes.

If I put the ecover in a ball in the drum will that definitely stop it smelling again??

I must reiterate that if I do a 90 degree wash then the smell goes away BUT returns after the next normal temp wash. Therefore I am reluctant to fanny around with soda crystals and white vinegar as I really can't see how that will be any different?

The Simply stuff washes well and smells clean.

Haven't tried the new pure one but the sensitive is good - you need to put them in the drum, pref in one of those net things, they don't dissolve properly in the drawer.

Pure says it doesn't have optical brighteners; Sensitive doesn't say that so presumably it does.

ok found aerial colour tablets don't have bleach or optical brighteners!

Now then - calgon........any ways around using that??

yes, tyagn, bicarb does the same thing. Last time I had engineer out he said you could spend as much on calgon as a new w/m if you did it as reg as they recommend iyswim. Once a month, wash with bicarb instead of powder at 90 degrees. No clothes obv unless you want them to rise beautifully.

Oh this answers so many questions!!!!!

My smelly washing machine was due to years worth of gunk in the plumbing pipes thst the water flows out of into the drain

does bicarb dissolve limescale then?

i use a kit from Glo called Service It every quarter to clean out the machine.

i'm a bit anal about washing, though, and alternate loads between liquid and powder washing detergents.

i plan my loads as such.

also, make sure ALL pockets are emptied and loose threads snipped before starting the machine.

and that you are not using the correct amount of detergent.

expat - you are scary!!! (to a disorganised household slut like me!)

my machine stinks so bad i hate opening it to do a load tried lots of stuff to get rid of it and so far nothing has worked.were getting a new one next year and i cant wait!!!! how sad is that

Cup of bicarb on 90 wash
Followed by cup of white vinegar on same cycle

Rids dead skin, grease, lime scale and pong

doesn't it have a filter you could clean out..

Is it just the usual bicarb you buy for baking - in those small pots? How many pots worth do you bung in?

Can't believe there is a thread on here about smelly washing machine! Was just about to post query about it when spotted this thread - will be off to the shops in the morning to get some bicarb and white vinegar!

Please can someone tell me if it's the normal small pot of bicarb that you get for baking with?? Do you put it in the drawer or drum and how much

This is a brilliant thread.

Fabric Conditioner can clog up the drawer, making it go all mouldy and slimy and smelly. The solution is to pull out drawer, clean it thoroughly, look into the space where it goes and clean that thoroughly with bottle brush or toothbrush or similar. Then run the mega hot wash.

Another culprit is things getting stuck in the seal - you can usually wipe that out with a cloth.