Washing machine stinks of poo

[Babybirdaugust]

A friend told me that if baby clothes have any poo on them it’s alright to wash in the machine as long as you put it in an extra rinse. They knew this because of cloth nappies instructions apparently. I just took their word for it but now whenever I do a wash there is a smell of poo in the room. None of the clothes ever come out smelling it’s more like just as the machine is getting going. Any advice on what part of the washing machine I need to clean to get rid of it?

It'll be coming up the sink hole

Clean the filter. Drain the draining plug. Do a hot wash with nothing in.
I did cloth nappies for years. Plus plenty of toilet training accidents. Regular cleaning of the machine keeps everything smelling fine.

I also used cloth nappies I’d run a hot wash with soda crystals clean the filter check the seals around the door. Also pop the drawer out and clean all inside there. I would start washing off any poo on clothes before putting them in your washing machine too .

This website is the most informative thing I've found on washing nappies (and washing machine issues in general).

It might be that your friend's routine works for her machine but yours needs a different approach. There is a list - bear in mind the website is American and they refer to front-loaders (European style) washing machines as "High Efficiency" so anything about "standard" means American standard, top loaders.

https://fluffloveuniversity.com/how-to-wash-cloth-diapers/

This is the page where you can choose your model and it will give you a suggested wash cycle routine, if they have it listed. https://fluffloveuniversity.com/how-to-wash-cloth-diapers/washing-machine-index/

When I sometimes used them, years ago, the drill was:

-use them with a nappy liner, which you flush/bin
-soak in napisan or similar, in a bucket
-hot wash, on their own, the next day.

That never presented problems.

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However - actually having read the thread (sorry for that - ADHD strikes again) - I think the other responses are correct. If the finished washing doesn't smell (stick your head in when it's finished and have a sniff) and the smell is present when the machine is on but not at other times, it's more likely that it's build up in your drain/u-bend (probably fluff from the washing machine and soap scum) and when the WM is draining, it disturbs that material which causes the smell. It will be especially obvious if it shares a drain with a sink because the smell comes up out of the waste pipe through the sink drain. If it's a kitchen drain and people are putting fats down it, even more so.

See if you can dismantle the pipe it drains into and clear out any sludge (this will probably be disgusting) and then put it back together and fingers crossed, the smell should go. But the good news with this is it was never in your washing machine, just the waste pipe.

OTOH if you do have a smelly load of damp washing (more noticeable IME if the washing is not emptied immediately) and it's not every load, I find what helps is to sniff each item individually as I'm transferring it to the dryer/a washing basket, and remove anything which is smelly and put it through a 60 degree cycle. If there have been clothes which have had accidents and then they have been accidentally left at the bottom of a washing basket or even worse in a plastic bag for more than a few hours, I think the bacteria on them multiplies to the point that it doesn't easily wash out - you have to sanitise it. Same process with stinky underarms on tight tops.

this happened to me when ds shit his pants and I put them through the wash. I took the filter out and gave it a good clean with bleach. Sprayed flash bleach in the hole / gap I took the filter out and shoved my hand as far in as it would go to clean with a sponge. Thoroughly clean the drum with bleach spray. Run a wash cycle on “hygiene” option or 60+ degrees with lots of bicarbonate soda in the drum and detergent in the draw and then do another hygiene wash with washing machine cleaner in. Seemed to do the job for me.