Urgent help please - stinky washing machine!

[VirginiaWoolf]

Just got back from camping holiday so mountains of washing to do, hence urgent nature of request!
Basically, the washer has been a bit stinky for a while - it's not the soap drawer, seems to be the door seal (which is a bit yucky, although I have tried wiping it out with various things) and also the drum itself. Put the first couple of holiday washes through, and the clothes smelt when they came out of the machine which is a new (hugely unwelcome) development. It's a Bosch machine, almost 2 years old. Used regularly (2 kids!), sometimes with Calgon - we live in very hard water area. Have tried running empty machine on hot wash, didn't help at all. Don't want to mask the smell, but blitz whatever is causing it - haven't a clue what I can put in the machine without melting the door seal (DH wondered about bleach???)
Sorry, that went on a bit.
Anyway, please help help help as I need to sort the washer and run it about 2000 times!

[thequietone]

I'm bumping this one for you as I need to know what to do too!

[AvenaLife]

Have you tried some bicarbonate of soda? It's supposto absorb smells. Wipe it round with some, then stick it on the hottest wash you can do to give it a good clean. Soap powder and fabric softener can make it smell.

[BigBadMousey]

this site will have all the answers - it's a very good resource for anyone who uses a washing machine. This links to the 2nd page but you can access the first from the homepage.

Did you leave the washing machine's door shut while you were away?

You can buy a washing machine cleaner in most supermarkets but make sure you clean the filter and drawers before using it or it won't work very well.

[VirginiaWoolf]

Avenalife - hmm, bicarb - hadn't thought of that - I know it's fab for shifting smells in fridges. Still wonder if there's anything else that could blitz whatever's caused the smell???
thequietone - glad it's not just me! - Or my washer, even!

[makkapakkamoo]

i always run mine on a cold cycle with some miltons tabs. gets rid of smell completely

[watershed]

I used bleach which seems to have fixed mine.

[VirginiaWoolf]

BigBadMousey - that site is brilliant, thank you so much for the link.
Thanks to everyone else too for tips, and again I'm so pleased not to be alone with this problem, as it was making me feel rather grubby, somehow! (Not that I'm implying that anyone else is grubby )