Really stinking washing machine

[MarshMarigold22]

Hello 👋

Our washing machine is around 11 years old - it stinks like a wet dog. I have used every cleaner product there is on the market and cleaned the filter etc - it's no good.

Is there any hope for it? Is it worth paying the money for someone to service/deep clean it (if that's even a thing?). Or is it time for a new one?

I'm sick of my family smelling like mouldy mop heads 🤣

I use soda crystals in a 90 wash and leave the door open not shut. Otherwise I don't know.

Have you checked the hose at the back? They can get a build up of products and can get pretty grim.

Do a boil wash with nothing in machine except 2 dishwasher tablets also works.

Using bio powder makes a difference, also leave door open as seals can rot.

I moved into a place with a washing machine that had not been taken care of.

I ended up replacing the rubber seal - I scrubbed the old one but it was just too far gone. Cost fifty quid for someone to pop over and do it or could be brave and watch a youtube video and cop it.

I also did several empty hot washes with soda crystals/washing machine cleaner sachet - it took a few to work. I also removed the powder drawer and scrubbed it.

You don’t mention in your OP whether you have really cleaned the rubber seal including behind the seal? This is where that mouldy smelling grot builds up IME especially if the door is kept shut for a while. I had my machine in storage for a year, it was disgusting when we got it back out, but I spent blooming hours cleaning the seal and wiping out crud from under the seal (plus several 60 or 90 degree washes) and it’s grand now.

I was going to suggets the rubber seal too- get some anti-bac like zoflora on a microfibre cloth and run your fingers in the cloth between the seal/rim. It might take a couple of goes to find anything yuck in it.

Try squirting bleach in the powder drawer and also in the drum, then put a wash on and before it empties turn it off and leave overnight. Next morning put the wash back on and this will cure it

I chucked a few dishwasher tablets into mine (Fairy Platinum seemed to work best) on a hot wash, put a couple of old towels in at the same time.
(Bought a new machine now with a self clean function so don’t need to do this nowt)
I recommended this tip to a friend who moved into a rented house, the house had a stinky washing machine, she said it worked a treat.

PS I always leave the door on the washer open between washes and overnight.

Thank you so much. I'm not sure I've ever cleaned the rubber seal 😳 I will do that and check the hose. Will also try dishwasher tablets and a 90 deg wash.

Does anyone here get their machine regularly serviced?

@Thinkingblonde Just out of interest, why did you put old towels in with the dishwasher tablets?

Have you unscrewed the filter on the front?

@DeePlume Yes I do that quite regularly, as well as cleaning the detergent drawer. But had no idea that cleaning the door seal was something we are supposed to do too!

Always keep the door ajar when not in use. Unfortunately closing the door breeds bacteria (the smell).

Mine started smelling when I was using pods. Nothing would solve it until I switched back to washing powder and it's been fine since

I clean out round the seal as best as I can and then chuck in some bleach into the drawer and drum and wash on high heat. Then rinse.
this strategy massively improved our machine
we also try and leave the door open between washes, although aren’t that good at remembering!

Pull out the drawer and scrub it plus the cavity too.

Wipe down the seal.

Empty filter.

Dishwasher tablet in empty hot wash and this is the important bit..KEEP DOING IT until the smell goes. The first couple of washes will just shift some gunk and probably make it worse,just keep going ,you might need to do it 5+ times as it's so bad.

I was coming on to say the same.

Bottle of Distilled white vinegar in a hot wash once a month followed by a squirt of dwv in the same drawer as the detergent every time you do a load.

A washing machine repair man said the enzymes in the dishwashing tabs work better if there’s something to work on. It sounded logical.

What cured ours was white vinegar in the drum and bicarbonate of soda in the drawer on a 90 wash.

Plus the filter, seal, drawer etc cleaning.

Ours was just the heavy stuff that took longer to dry that smelled, and it really stank if it got wet while wearing it.

It took from October to May doing a wash like that every week to cure it. Fingers crossed it’s ok now, and we still do a bicarbonate and vinegar wash once a month.

I do always keep the door open when not in use.

So much useful advice! I will try all the things I've not already tried. Thank you!