Smelly washing machine bootcamp

[MamaG]

My washing machine is a big stinky so I've been googling and MNing and are attempting the following action plan:-

1. Clean mouldy bits on seal with toothpaste (thank you Kim Woodburn, my bessie).

1. Run a HOT wash with vinegar instead of wash powder and no clothes. Only have brown, not white, but I've bunged it in anyway ().

1. Will soak the powder drawer after and clean with a cotton bud (thank you yahoo).

Any more tips?

Bleach
Had mould in mine and scrubbed with a toothbrush and bleach, then put some in the drawer and the drum and set on 90 wash. OK so not environmentally friendly but then neither is getting rid of a perfectly good but stinky washing machine.

I went a little ott with the bleach to the point that had to manually drain the machine because it produced lots of bubbles but since then it has been mould and stink free!

I then did a plain 90 wash with nothing in at all and then 2 rinses.

Hope it helps

Thanks doodle. How much bleach did you put in?

hi MamaG have you checked your spoil pipe. its a grey pipe coming out the bottom of your machine connected to your ubend under sink. this needs to be in an n shape at the top to stop your waste from sink spilling in.

Get normal thin bleach, the cheapest you can get, and add two cups to the powder drawer - this will not produce bubbles. Run the hottest wash on the programme settings.

Put the powder drawer though your dish washer - it will not break and it saves you having to handle it too much ;) Will comes out sparkling clean!

Also descale it - buy a pack of washing machine descaler, comes with instructions.

And clean the filter. This could be a source of smell ;)

These steps should fix it.

To prevent it becoming stinky again, simply make a habit of NOT closing the door on it - this is most likely what causes the smell.

If you wash mainly at low temperatures, you need to run at bleach wash at a high temperature about every 3 months. This prevents smell and mould build up and although it's not great for the environment, it's better than buying a new one.

Do let us know how you get on!