Help! Washing machine smells of damp!

[RBH]

Hi cleaning is really not my forte and I am not too sure what I am doing with a lot of things! My washing machine smells kind of damp, like a rug that has got wet several times is the best description I can think of at the moment. What do I do to make it normal again? Am I supposed to be cleaning it regularly or something? If so, how? Help please!

I'm not very up on the cleaning thing either tbh, but when we bought our new w/m it said in the instructions to leave the door slightly open all the time to avoid that damp smell. Are you emptying it as soon as the washing is done? This is a thing I have trouble with. I do the washing then get involved in something else and the washing sits there.

Maybe ask the FLY girls, they are brilliant at this sort of thing

they have a filter near the bottom on the outside
if thast is stuffed up with gunk and threads that will stink

you should leave the door ajar after each wash, don't leave wet washing in it (which is what I usually do). run it on the hottest wash with nothing in it, if that doesn't work buy some HG Service engineer from Lakeland.

Yeah I am terrible for leaving stuff in and the toddler tends to shut the door and I don't notice. How do I get hold of the FLY girls then?

Thank you by the way!

Get some soda crystals. Put a couple of cupfuls into the drum of the machine, then run a boil wash.

You can use white vinegar as well, if you can't get hold of soda crystals.

Message withdrawn

Sorry only Lazylou's post when I replied.

Had no idea there was a filter! Will have a hunt, thanks TrinityRhino (hope you got that shower by the way!)

bewilderbeast, will try a hot wash now and if that doesn't work will be on the Lakeland website soon!

run as hot a wash as possible with white vinegar in the powder dispenser. this worked brilliantly for me last week (someone had left the door closed whilst we were away for a week ).

Ooh like the sound of soda crystals! Are they the same things you can grow stalagtites on string with?

RBH click on the Weekend Fly thread.

Shameless plug for my cleaning friends

OH is an appliance engineer to stop the machine from smelling leave the door open after use and about once a month you should be doing a servis wash, put the machine on the highest temp setting it has empty with normal washing powder that has bleach in it bio preferably..
He would not recommend using white vinegar as it can corrode parts of the machine.

HTHs

Hi traceukw1 thank you and Mr traceukw1 for that info. I don't use bio washing stuff as dd1 and I have really sensitive skin but I will definitely start doing a hot empty wash once a month and will try it with soda crystals first I think. Thank you all!