How to clean stinky washing machine?

[fragglerocker]

I've heard you can use white vinegar but how do you do it? There's a stinky smell coming from the machine, I always leave the door open to air it out and let it dry so don't know how it's become so smelly. Also on the rubber it's a bit manky, any tips on how to clean this too? TIA

I use Milton in the drawer, in a ball in the drum and wipe around the rubber seal with Milton soaked kitchen roll

I put a few cap fulls of vinegar into the dispenser drawer and bung machine on hottest setting once a month, chuck in a towel or two to keep it balanced though.

as soon as you can afterwards wipe down the rubber with a damp cloth.

This should help with the smell and and limescale build up.

Hotest wash with a dishwasher tablet in, gets mine clean

Thanks for the ideas. When you run the wash is it best to leave it empty or throw a towel or 2 in?

If you are using vinegar/hot wash I always Fuck a few towels in just to keep the machine balanced.

wouldn't do it with the others as towels may get damaged.

CHUCK not Fuck!

Damn smart phone.

Hahahahahahahaha peanut

Stinky washing machines are usually the result of too many low temperature washes and not using washing powders with bleach in.

Mine went really stinky after I got some eco balls and only washed at 40 degrees. After some useful suggestions from MN I got some Ariel biological washing powder and did some 60 degree washes. My washer doesn't smell any more and DD's eczema has all but disappeared.

Also, I always remove the powder dispenser drawer and clean it and wipe around the slot it fits into, plus I wipe around the seal.

Another point to remember is don't use laundry liquid.

This is interesting reading.

Pmsl at peanut

it's usually old soap sludge. The hottest wash cycle with no powder and no fabsoft will wash it out, you can add a cup of washing soda. If the water goes grey and foams up, that's the old sludge dissolving. Do it again until it stays clean. Vinegar and/or bleach don't wash old soap away. It may need doing once a month or so. You can put in old white cotton towels, anything else may fade, shrink or pucker from the heat.

Scrub out the rubber door seal grooves and slot, and the powder drawer, and its aperture. I now prefer to put powder through the door, not in the drawer.