Quick question about soda crystals in washing machine

[IdaBlankenship]

To get rid of smells do you put them in the barrel or the dispensing drawer?

the soda crystals website says this:

To clean the drum, remove smells and kill bacteria add two cups of Soda Crystals to the detergent dispenser on an empty cycle and run on the longest hottest wash.

Once the cycle is complete, add 500ml of White Vinegar to the drum, and run another empty cycle on the longest hottest wash. This will eliminate any limescale and detergent from the pipes, leaving your washing machine sparkling and working more efficiently. This should be repeated every 4 - 8 weeks to ensure unpleasant odours and bacteria do not accumulate.

Thanks! Quick and super helpful!

Not boasting because I have never done anything special but I have never had a smelly washing machine. I do always leave the door ajar. Is it to do with the hardness of the water? I have soft water here.

I don't know what I have done but mine is honking - like stale water. I do at least one wash a week at 90 degrees, so I don't think its scummy build up (nice).
Anyway, it is smelling slightly sweeter following the soda crystal/vinegar combo that Ilovepowerhoop recommended, although not totally clear yet.

have you cleaned out the dispenser drawer and the bit the drawer fits into? Also clean around the rubber door seal as it can get a bit manky too

My door seal is black but it has been that way for a while and I can;t shift the marks. The dispenser is looking OK - no build up or anything. I use Ecover products perhaps I need to bring out the big guns and get some serious chemicals on it!

Soft water is wonderful - given half a chance I'd move back somewhere with soft water or get a softener (having mainly lived in hard water areas)

Clean kettles, clean washing machines, clean showerscreens, taps, shampoo lasts 4 times as long, scalp less flaky, skin less scaly - like some kind of lovely dream.

If you run a two 90 degree, empty washes a month, my machine had better be more efficient!

I was my towels at 90 with a good chug of vinegar, and that happens every couple of weeks after doing the soda treatment just once (when I first moved in), and making sure the water filter was cleaned out and my washer doesn't smell any more. Nothing will shift the black marks on the rubber seals though.

This is in a rented property's ancient washer/dryer and that really stinky and scummy when I moved in.