Ewww my washing machine STINKS :(

kaya

GreyQueen wrote: »

Lots of good tips here already and I have noted some for my future use (thanks rainy-days!).

When my washer had been installed for 4 years (only used twice a week on average) it failed to pump out but the filter was as clean as a whistle. Some investigations revealed the cause.

You know how most washers have their waste pipe attached to a side spur in the pipe under the kitchen sink? Well, when I took mine off, I dicovered that the spur was completely blocked with what looked like greyish-white putty and there was a partially blockage of the same in the first few inches of the waste pipe.

It absolutely reeked. Can only think it was a mixture of compacted washing powder and possibly some limescale. I cleared it out with an old knitting needle and scrubbed it clean with an old toothbrush and some nasty niffs which I'd attributed to bubbles of air coming up thru the U-bend disappeared.

Smelly washers can also be caused by mould in the inlet pipes and it is possible to replace the pipes and sort this out.

Our family washing machine mechanic reckons that you should run them empty on max heat every now and again and he disses C*lgon as unneccessary even although we are in a notoriously hard water area; soda crystals do the job just fine. He also said that laundry liquids really clag up washers and he would always recommend powders. HTH.

i spent many many years working with appliances, mould in the inlet pipes? never heard of such nonsense in my life, your inlet pipes are continually pressurised so mould can't grow in there, he's right about calgon-waste of money, powders placed in the drawer clog up the drawer and the pipe that runs from the drawer to the tub, liquids placed into the drum directly clog up nothing at all , if you put too much powder into the draw, or your mains water pressure is low that will cause the drawer to clog up, you can remove the drawer or remove the top of the machine to get at the top of the drawer and clean it yourself, liquids in a machine are always the best option as they completely avoid the powder clogging up, a smell is either mould in the door seal which you can clean with a little bleach or better still some milton sterilising fluid, it could be a blocked filter or broken drain pump which is causing some of the smelly dirty water to remain in the sump of your machine , some older machines have a filter locaated under the machine which you can't access without tipping it onto its back, usually its the non return valve clogged where your waste pipe meets the house plumbing as mentioned in the previous post, this either stops the water from exiting the machine or allows dirty water from your kitchen sink to syphon back down into your machine whenever you use your sink which stagnates and causes the smell, also if you dont have a direct waste connection to your house plumbing and your drainpipe sits in a vertical standpipe you want the standpipe as short as possible to avoid any left over water from syphoning back down into the machine, all this putting soda crystals and vinegar into your machine is completely unnessacery if you put liquid into the drum and your drainage is working properly-EVERY time you do a wash cycle you are effectivly flushing your entire machine through with detergent and hot water-so you are effectivly cleaning it out every use, so get your drainage in order, check your filter, use a small amount of powder and clean the drawer or use a liquid and you should be problem free, i lost count of the number of people who i charged when their machine was under gaurantee simply because they failed to read the handbook, install it correctly or use it correctly

Automan_2

Indeed, Watchdog a while back mentioned that with all these low temperature washes nasty things can start growing inside your machine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2011/04/indesit_moon.html

My LG has a 95c wash cycle so I used it to clean some whites the old fashioned way - hot and hopefully kill off any nasties growing inside the machine.

I expect the vinegar would work but being an acid I guess it could damage something?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar

Automan.

fletch3163

Hi all

I too suffered terribly a couple of months back with a really manky smelling washing machine. We could not leave clothes in there for any time after the cycle or it would need washed again. Really horribly fusty, damp smell.

Anyway, I read on here about the perils of wash liquid over powder. I always use powder but there was a couple of good deals on liquid so, good moneysaver I am, I bought them. That's when the trouble started:mad:

So, 80p on some soda crystals and away I went. It took about 3 washes to be honest. I just put the soda crystals into the drawer and the vinegar into the fabric softner. I even went through the fruitless tasks of washing the seals.

Good news is it smells fresh as a daisy now.

Good luck

VfM4meplse

Automan wrote: »

I expect the vinegar would work but being an acid I guess it could damage [URL="http://"][/URL]

When used in a wash it gets diluted fast so I guess the potential to damage is somewhat limited.

GreyQueen

Rainy-Days wrote: »

You are absolutely right GreyQueen, Calgon is expensive and it really doesn't do the job for the cost outlay. My Aunt who lives in London buys Tesco's own brand of limescale tablets and it does the job at afraction of the cost, but she cleans through her machine once a month using just vinegar because of the hardwater.

I keep on hearing and reading that liquids and gels are a big problem for washing machines. I primarily use powder, but for some of my delicates I use a liquid and I also use liquid on my towels because I think it brings them up softer - I don't know maybe it doesn't but in my head I think it does

Anyway, colleagues have had to have engineers out to get rid of balls of gel like gunk removed from their pipes and were told all the same - use powder! The problem is powder, which you have better control over, is being sidelined all the time in favour of tablets and gels and it really grates because for the really big boxes, which is the most economical, I got them from Netto but now they have gone I have to keep my eyes peeled! Costco is too far away from us so the cost of travelling really wouldn't give us any cost saving at all.

Hi, Rainy-days, you can get 100-wash Formil brand washing powder at £8.99 from L!dl from time to time, although it sells out quickly and isn't consistantly there. Formil comes highly recommended by the Good Housekeeping Institute and by Which? magazine and reckoned to be only very slightly less brilliant than Ariel but at a lesser price. They always have the 60-wash box in stock in my branch which is £6.49 but occasionally on offer at £5.89. I buy a couple of the biggies when I see them, one for me and one for Mum and we find it very good.

Incidentally, part of my clan live on the continent and have reckoned for decades that our washing powders are sold in titchy boxes compared to theirs (same brands mostly), so perhaps if you were ever in Europe with a car it might be worth wandering into the laundry aisle as well as the wine aisle, if this is something you do?

On the subject of mold, I find, along with a lot of other people, that black mold manages to grow sucessfully in a lightless powder drawer which is regularly back-washed with hot water as the washer runs. Perhaps I am plagued with extra-nasty spores. Powder never seems to loiter there at all, but I do remove the drawer from time to time to give it a wash and brush up in hot soapy water with an old toothbrush to get into the crannies. Some private landlords can get a little bit awkward about mold in powder drawers and use it as an excuse to withold part of deposits so it's worth a 5 minute cleaning session, should you be renting furnished accomodation.

As to powder in the drum vs powder in the drawer, I find this is very much a matter of personal opinion. I drawer, my Mum drums (;) and mold grows in her powder drawer, too).

I tend to prefer powder versions of everything as I already pay for water to come out of my taps and begrudge paying for a solution when I can have a dry version. Plus they are heavier and I don't have a car. Goodness, even saw pre-diluted soda crystals t'other day, whatever will they try on with us next?

zippychick

we have a stinky washing machine thread which should help?

Ill merge this later on for you

Zip

Emstick14

Right, I have used Dr Beckham, I have sprayed with bleach and scrubbed with a toothbrush, the girme behind the seals is unbelievable! I then put it on a very hot wash with soda crystals and for good measure I stuck it through another cycle with vinegar!

I am hoping this wash load will come put ok! Am hoping for some dry weather!!!

ska_lover

hi all

My washing machine is driving me nuts too.

If you leave a wash in there for ten minutes after it has ended, the clothes end up with a kind of 'fusty' smell.

I hate this indesit machine, ive never got on with it to be honest. Just had a look for a filter type thing to clean - never done it before..and found an unscrewable thingy on the front behind a panel on the bottom. In unscrewed it slightly and lots of awful smelling water has come out! I let it run out as i assume this may be contributing to the horrible smell, but why would water be stored there - is it not excaping properly or something? I am clueless. I didnt completly take the cap off to look inside as it is a very awkward position with a hole to put your hand through and the actual screw cap behind the metal so is in a strange postion.
Well ive whacked a dose of Dr Beckmann in now so fingers crossed!

ska_lover

with the powder in the drawer v drum thingy, i never use my drawer (as my machine is placed in a corner with the workshop protuding above the drawer so couldnt pour anything in if i wanted to) and still have mould in the drawer , well not anymore dr beckmann has rescued it

squeaky

Emstick14 wrote: »

Right, I have used Dr Beckham, I have sprayed with bleach and scrubbed with a toothbrush, the girme behind the seals is unbelievable! I then put it on a very hot wash with soda crystals and for good measure I stuck it through another cycle with vinegar!

I am hoping this wash load will come put ok! Am hoping for some dry weather!!!

It can take a few goes before you get everything. It depends on how long it's been since the machine had a purging cycle. Using vinegar instead of fabric conditioner in the very last rinse cycle helps.

An alternative is to put a capful of vinegar into the drum after removing your washing. Oh, and not closing the door! Allow the air to circulate instead of being closed and damp inside.