Washing machine smell hell- can anyone help?

[WhiteLily1]

Can anyone help me? This is driving me mad and is gross.
We have an integrated washing machine that’s fairly old (it was left in place by previous house owners)
It works fine but It stinks. I feel like I have tried everything. Cleaned out all the drawer, taken out the filter at the bottom and drained / cleaned. Even had the whole thing out and checked the pipes at the back. Cleaned seal as far as I can- tried to lift it as high as it will go to clean anything out.
Used white vinegar. Put on 90 degrees wash with only white vinegar. Used washing machine cleaners.
I used lots of white vinegar at the weekend and put on a hot cycle and two days later it smells 10x worse than it did before.
Just to give you an idea- I had the door open for 3 mins and it stunk out the whole downstairs which lingered for a couple of hours, even with a window open.
i can’t leave the door open for long in any case as It has the cabinet door on the front and is next to the kitchen sink. So having the machine open prevents me from accessing the sink and cupboards etc. I know this might be contributing to the smell but I don’t often see other people with integrated washing machines with then door hanging open in the kitchen for hours- so why does mine smell so bad?
I’ve tired so many things, is there anyone who can give me a suggestion of what I can try so get rid of the smell? It seems to be coming from the drum itself!
I have heard people use bleach or a dishwasher tablet but others say not to use those as it can damage the machine.

It's liquid detergent that does it; start using powder and the smell will go. I so use fabric conditioner but switched back to powder and my washing machine stopped honking. A family member, who is a fabric specialist, says you shouldn't actually use fabric conditioner at all, and I don't on towels, but that's another matter altogether.

Are you in a hard water area? If so also use a Calgon tablet in the wash regularly - at least every other wash - so the limescale doesn't build up.

Sometimes the pipe has a kink in it and that causes the bad smell.

You need to go back to powder. When our machine broke down died the engineer told us to never use capsules / gel. They clog up the insides. We don't use fabric conditioner.

Yes I was going to say the same. A clean machine and normal washing powder won't make your clothes smell. I use Fairy non bio, 30c or 40c washes and my machine is five years old. Everything smells clean, just not perfumed

ours was the same using gel or pods/capsules, now solely use powder and fabric conditioner. Fairy outdoorable is the favourite or comfort ultimate care, washing smells amazing and no stinky machine.

Still use fabric conditioner but definitely switch to powder! Mine used to smell like sulphur when it drained when using liquid capsules! Back to powder and fabric conditioner and it’s all lovely again.

I had this and cured with this method - take 3 DISHWASHER capsules (I had Fairy Ultra so used them). Put them in a large jug and pour in about 1litre of boiling water, and stir quickly to dissolve. Pour this mixture directly into the drum of the machine. Run a 95C wash, with no added soap.
After this, I looked inside the drum, and found all sorts of gunk. My knowledgeable cleaner said that was muck that had been on the other side of the drum and therefore invisible, which the dishwasher soap had started to break down.
I repeated the process one more time, then I ran a few cycles at 95C with no soap, then two more with soap.
It all took me the best part of a day, but all the pong vanished.
I now do the hot wash with dishwasher soap every few months as a maintenance programme.

Following! And off to buy some powder...

I use liquid (not gel or capsules) as I found powder didn’t dissolve that well on low temperatures. I knew capsules were terrible for the matching but liquid detergent too?

Edited to add - when I google this or read Reddit, the consensus seems to be that liquid is absolutely fine, the trouble is that it’s easy to use too much and that’s where the problems are.

As others have said it's probably the combination of the gel/conditioner and then having it damp and closed all the time.

Do a good few hot cleaning cycles whether that's with a cleaner, soda or vinegar - and leave it open to dry.
Then switch to powder.

In case nobody has said it yet, have you taken the internal agitator paddle things off and cleaned them? They are hollow and get all kinds of gunk in them. Google how to do it.

I'm just here to say thanks (not) for putting that annoying 'washing machines last longer...' jingle in my head!!

Do you leave the door open when you're not using it? I find that helps.

You can buy scent booster balls that you put in with the washing. They dissolve and leave a pleasant scent. Fairy do them. Don't use fabric conditioner.

Always use washing powder.

I leave my washing machine door open for a while after every use. It's a pain but it keeps it from smelling

Thanks! Off to buy powder. Going to try soda crystals and if that doesn’t work bleach.
I can leave the door open at night possibly (although the cat is shut in the kitchen at night and I don’t like the thought of her getting inside the machine). Can’t leave it open in the day much as it’s right by where I clean and cook. It’s not just the machine door that would be open- the whole cupboard door would have to be at at 90 degree angle sticking out too as it covers the washing machine, so completely impractical to leave open when using kitchen.
Not putting machine in the tip and trying for spend £600 that I don’t have when this one works! I’m sure the smell can be dealt with yet!
You arnt meant to leave washing machine doors open with young kids and pets so not sure wjat everyone does there!

I don't know if

Do you generally wash clothes low at say 30 degrees because if you do it might be bacteria and you will need an anti bacterial liquid to go in with your washing

You arnt meant to leave washing machine doors open with young kids and pets so not sure wjat everyone does there!

You don't need to have the door open constantly.
Each time you use the washing machine make sure to take a dry cloth and wipe the seal dry, then leave the door open for 30 mins to allow the drum to dry. After 30mins close the door and go about your day.

@WhiteLily1 What temperature do you normally wash at?

It's probably the pods
Ensure the seal is clean and hasn't perished. Can happen with an old machine, but they're not expensive to replace
Leave the door open between washes
Remove and thoroughly clean drawer using a toothbrush
Soak in diluted bleach, dry completely and replace
Clean the compartment the drawer fits in.
Sounds obvious but check pipes are draining correctly as it could be back flowing

If you normally do quick washes, use longer washes day to day and only use quick wash if strictly necessary
You don't need to leave door open, just until it dries
Wipe the seals so no water stuck in there

Either 40 for colours (as is on the label of most clothes) or 60 for whites.
90 for a hot wash if cleaning.

Washes are always around 1hr40

Is it possible to leave the washing machine door slightly ajar and still get the cupboard door shut?

I leave mine wide open for about an hour after a wash to dry it out. Then I close it, but only softly so it doesn't click in and seal.

My washer started going smelly when I switched to a liquid detergent (it must've been on offer!). Went back to biological powder and there's no smell at all now. I've always used fabric softener, this isn't what caused the stink in my machine.