My washing machine stinks. Help.

[Ledkr]

I have tried running a 90 degree cycle.
Whit vinegar and baking powder
A washing machine cleaner.
It's awful and making my washing smell too.
Anyone managed to cure this?

Baking powder won't work - bicarbonate of soda was probably what you were thinking?

Anyway, the first hot wash to clean a machine out can loosen the gunk, but it still needs to be got rid of. Try another very hot wash on the longest programme - usually a cottons programme - with either vinegar on its own or soda crystals (nothing to do with baking or cooking). You might need to do this a couple of times. Clean the rubber door gasket too.

Have you checked if you have a filter? They can get clogged up and smelly. Have some old towels to hand when you open it as water comes out all over the floor!

Thanks.
I did use bicarb? Do I need soda crystals?
Ive checked the filter thanks. Its so annoying

What is the smell?

My washing machine had a worn-out elastic-type band, which needed replacing and was making every wash smell of rubber....

I run bleach through an empty cycle. In the detergent and fabric softener draw, a good glug. Always seems to work.

Okay - vinegar is acid and bicarb is akali. They cancel each other out. There's an initial fizzing reaction but they're not going to do much used together. Soda crystals are better for washing machine cleaning and a kilogramme bag costs around a pound. You won't need the whole bag.

Do you leave the door open for a bit after washes so it dries out? It might also be worth running a cloth under the rubber seal & giving the dispenser draw & where it fits a clean.

Bleach foams and is best avoided. Soda crystals and vinegar are powerful degreasers whereas bleach kills bacteria. You want to remove the greasy gunk the bacteria are growing on, which is why the machine is smelling.

Thanks again for replies.
I cleaned the rubber and the drawer.
Going to buy soda crystals today and try.

check if the drains are attached as per the manual.
sounds like it doesn't have the loop (similar to the u-bend of the toilet) that prevents smells and drain water to flow back.

Not much help now, but when you get this sorted add a cup of vinegar to every towel wash. It keeps them soft and helps keep your machine clean.

I’d second what a pp said about checking the filter

A handful of Dishwasher tablets on a hot wash. Repair man recommendation & it works.

I had a similar problem when I used liquid detergent and was doing a lot of quick washes at lower temperatures. The seal around the door looked clean but underneath it had a lot of gunky stuff stuck that I had the clean out with a towel . I have found that a really hot wash with a soda crystals worked a treat to deep clean it and get the last bits of yucky stuff from the door seal and switching back to biological powder has prevented a reoccurrence.

So check the door seal and use powder (directly in the drum not in the dispenser) and see if that does it for you too.

@Barbarara this is a good tip! In the draw as like fabric conditioner or in the drum?

I also found when i used liquid detergents my washing machine started to smell. A hot wash with washing soda (soda crystals) and switching back to powder detergents, never had the problem again.

@Cordial11 I put it in the drawer

I had this, it smelt awful almost like rotten fish 🤢 in the end I bought a new washing machine, I tried everything and nothing worked - sorry.

Put a couple of dishwasher tablets in on a hot wash

I think it's probably something to do with the way the machine is connected to the drain, as you've tried all the cleaning tips. You might need to pull it out, clean the pipes and make sure you've re-connected it correctly?

Have you taken the drawer out completely and given it and its compartment a good clean? There was manky black stuff in mine

I think it's something that to do with the biological washing liquids. I switched back to Fairy powder and, after I gave machine a hot soda wash, hasn't happened again.

I put disinfectant where the liquid goes and wash on the hottest setting when mine gets stinky.

We had this...I think it may have been because we were constantly doing 30 degree washes with non bio powder so none of the bacteria(?) were getting killed. The vinegar/ soda thing didn't work nor did the 90 degree cycle. I got a dettol washing machine cleaner from home bargains and did a few washes with bio powder. I also kept the door open between washes. Not sure which thing did the trick but the smell is gone!

It probably did babysnowman it's just that it can take a few washes to loosen then remove the gunk.

Liquid detergent and low temperature quick washes are the worst combination - powders contains bleaching agents which, coupled with higher temperatures, help to keep the innards of the machine clean.