One Year old washing machine stinks badly and leaves clothes dirty.

[Nottodayy]

I have a one year old washing machine( Hisense)
It makes my washing dirty by leaving white/grey lines on it.
I use Calgon every single wash, and usually detergent capsules in the drum like Persil etc and Comfort conditioner in the drawer.
I also every few months use Dr Beckmann washing machine cleaning powder sachets to clean it however it does nothing really.
I leave the door and drawer open after I used it.
However it stinks moldy/ damp - disgusting anytime I’m near it.
Last week I decided to run 90 degrees wash to see if that worked, it worked for a day when it smelled ok and now it starts smelled badly again.
Also I cleaned the drawer thoroughly.
What to use to clean it?
I read about to use dishwasher tablets, but I have no dishwasher so I don’t want to buy a whole pack of them and it will be useless..

Gray lines sound like it's coming from the door seal. Wipe it over with a damp micro fibre cloth with washing up liquid and water. Don't over fill it. I buy white vinegar cheap from Tesco and squirt it ( about a tablespoon) into the bottom of the machine after every use.

Soda crystals don't foam, they degrease. They're dislodging excess detergent and that's why you have foam

Yes, this!

I use HG mould remover spray inside the empty drawer compartment to get any mould out of the crevices, I also use it on the drawer, you have to rinse it well so I do it if I'm not going to use it for a day or two and before we go on holiday.

Using liquid made mine smell. All the clothes had a horrible damp smell.
Switched to powder and have had no problems since.
I run a 90 degree cycle once a month, with no detergent, just to let the machine clean itself.

For sensitive skin and washing machine smells you need unperfumed powder/sensitive powder. Boots make one also Ecover but check that you get the one with no fragrance. Run machine on the hottest cycle with powder and ditch the slime producing pods. I alternate with fragrance free liquid and powder and use vinegar to clean it on a 90 wash.

Update, I put it on 60 degrees wash with the Soda crystals inside 40mins ago.
it still foams.
It’s on for 2 hrs programme- it did not drain, didn’t not spin- it just going on and on.
Is it or normal ?
The engine makes really strange stalling sound now, I’m scared it will blow up..

Once I clean this machine, I will use powder only.
I noticed lately - when the cycle ended and I open the door, there is alway lots of foam left at the doorway.

@dementedpixie oh really? Didn’t know that. Hopefully it will dislodge all excess bits..will it go into the pipes too?

Have you drained it with the little pipe at the bottom?

Washing Machine Cleaner, 250 ml - 2 Pack amzn.eu/d/j0PhAsn This Dettol cleaner is very good and ditch the washing liquid and conditioner. Liquid conditioner is the worst for leaving residue. We use Daz powder with built in conditioner.

Empty half a bottle of white (clear) vinegar directly into the drum and then run the machine empty on its hottest temperature setting - I do mine on 90`.
Once it's finished get a cloth or kitchen towel and wipe the door seals thoroughly until any gunk is gone - go all the way round and into the rubber folds etc.
Then run the machine empty on a cold wash on the shortest setting and wipe the seals and inside the drum again once the cycle is finished.
Your machine should now have no smell at all and be completely clean.
Going forward always leave the door open ajar to let it air and never leave damp items in it like dirty tea towels etc because they can start to smell.
Hopefully this should work.

Get rid of the tabs/pods. They are what leave the marks.
Use power - it's usually cheaper - and do a couple of hotter washes.

If you are using calgon, you probably don't need fabric softener. Using both could be leaving too much soap residue gunk behind.

From your update, It sounds like you might have a problem with the machine not draining or emoting though.

Emptying. Can't be doing with an emoting machine.

Its only 40 minutes through a 2hr wash though so it may not have reached a stage where it needs to drain

Update, it’s drained and finished fine the whole cycle. I did again clean inside the door seal, that’s was truly full of grey gunk, I literally used the whole packet of baby wipes on it. Now it’s supposed to be all clean, will see when I do washing tomorrow..

Someone mentioned Daz powder. That didn't work at our house it really smelt and slimy grey stuff in the seal. My daughter is a chef with clothing from this so unsure if this didn't help. Changed back to Percil and all OK again. You might need to try a few powders.

Daz powder no longer contains bleaches so maybe that's why it wasnt as effective

If you have eczema, laundry balls might help - detergent free, they use ions to clean, fine for lightly soiled stuff and you spot clean stains. https://ecozone.com/products/ecozone-ecoballs/

We used them for years, they did the job and work out cheaper than powder.

Always leave door and drawer open after a wash.

The grey gunk builds up from short low temperature washes. And that foam is definitely from liquid buildup.

You can still do your short washes if you use powder, because you can control the amount you use more easily than a pod. I'd put the powder straight on the clothes though rather than in the drawer. And do a service wash regularly - what most people do is a longer hotter sheets and towels wash once a week which has the effect of a service wash.

I have eczema and was told by my dermatologist to avoid any optical whiteners or fabric conditioners, and to use an extra rinse and a scoop of soda crystals in each wash to help soften the water as we're in a hard water area. I used an eco ball for years but after much experimenting I have now settled on Persil bio powder with a scoop of soda and an extra rinse cycle for the sheets (clothes don't seem to need it as much).

Thank you, I was using Fairy pods at the moment, got a huge package in Costco last month, I have about 40 left - normally I just use what is on the offer, mostly Persil or Surf.
I must say I like Surf and used it for lots in past in liquid form.
Anyway I stopped using last week conditioner now, so I keep the drawer clean empty, only put Calgon tablet there.
Is the Calgon correctly supposed to go into the drawer?

Do not use ecoballs. I did to try and combat DD's eczema, and it only made it worse because there was nothing in the machine to kill the mould and bacteria that caused the smell and the eczema.

You need a bleach containing washing powder to kill off mould and bacteria. After reading advice on here for the same problem I bought some Ariel to deal with the smell, and the side effect was DD's eczema disappearing.

Doing frequent, small low temperature washes with anything other than washing powder isn't good for the washing machine, and I'm not sure that it is better for the environment. Make up a full load and do a full wash with washing powder.

Im now doing washing on 40 for 95 mins, I will be getting powder ones tomorrow when I go shopping., won’t be using these pods anymore.

I was going to put some Persil Colour powder on my Tesco order but it wasn't there, looked at other supermarkets and didn't seem very readily available apart from Amazon which is expensive, probably because of lack of general availability. Ocado and Morrisons have it but I don't want to do a large order and then find out that is the one thing that's substituted as would be my luck. What a pain, I don't like swapping brands too much in case we have skin reactions