Help my washing machine stinks!!

[Boggler]

I really love my washing machine it's only 3 years old and does everything I need and a bit I don't and it's in great working order. Whilst bored the other day I decided to read the instruction book fully and discovered that I should have been running a cleaning wash every 6 months - basically a 95c wash with no washing or detergent/powder. Trying to be good I did this straight away and since running the 'cleaning' wash my machine stinks! I've since done several normal loads of washing and they're fine but afterwards the smell is back. I sniffed and tracked it down to the drum which now smells really fousty and is making the utility room smell as well. Any ideas on how to get rid of the smell??

I had this. I stop using the liquid and went back to the old fashioned powder and it's gone.

Stick a cup of white vinegar in on the cleaning cycle. Thats what I do, helps to clean it and gets rid of any foul smells. Check the seal too to make sure there isnt any gunk/tissue stuck in it.

the problem is that your machine has built up a sludge of congealed soap sludge mixed with dirt, grease and bacteria.

You first service wash started to dissolve and break it up, but not to fully remove it. Hence the smell. Do it again. If you add a cup of washing soda, it will dissolve the sludge quicker.

If you see the hot water go grey and foam up, that is the soap sludge dissolving. Do it again until the water stays clean.

Vinegar will attack limescale, but your problem is soap sludge.

Ugh piglet that sounds gross, 2nd hot cleaning wash now on!

it has been quite frequent in recent years, as people do lots of cool washes that do not dissolve the soap powder or liquids very well. Some people say liquid is worse and it happens less with powder, but I think that might be because it is usually hotter.

piglet thanks for the tip, I didn't have any washing soda but I ran it without the soda and it's smelling almost back to normal. Thanks [hgrin]