Ewww my washing machine STINKS :(

Harley_chick_2

1. Laundry Room- Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families who have sensitive skin. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener. Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively. (A plus when you have a family member whose skin detects every trace of detergent.)

RedLily_2

Started having a bit or a smell and skin irritation when my husband started to do the wash. Had a repair man in on on other issue and this is what I found out.

The smell and black scum is caused by

1. TOO MUCH DETERGENT
2. NOT leaving door open for washer to dry out.

Using recommended amounts of detergent in new High Efficiency front loaders will cause this problem. Detergents say to use more soap if clothes are dirtier, when pre-washing and choosing a longer cycle is what is needed. The extra detergent, and bubbles, stick to the inside of your machine and then dry out and become stickier, like glue. If allowed to dry out enough it coats drum and other surfaces with a dryish outside trapping in the mold and bacteria.

Solution is easy but not fast.

1. RUN THE WASH CYCLE, hotter is better, OR THE CLEAN CYCLE REPEATEDLY UNTIL ALL THE BLACK GUNK IS GONE. Depending on how thick the black soap scum is and if you use vinegar, baking soda or commercial detergent removers in these washes you may have to run 5, 10 or more washes. Keep at it until no more black residue or soap bubbles in water. You have to soften and remove successive layers of gunk so it takes a while. Remember the problem built up over time, so it takes a bit of time to correct.
2. Leave door open after wash to let machine dry out. Mold grows in damp environments. (think of shut off refrigerator that has had the door closed)
3. Run regular, monthly, cleaning cycles as per manufacturers directions. ( I probably only do 1/2 or 1/3 as many as supposed to.) Still no smell or black stuff.
4. Follow other directions on forum to keep machine clean and limescale free, use vinegar, limescale remover, soda etc.
5. USE WAY LESS DETERGENT IN FUTURE. My repair man said no more than 4 teaspoons (20 ml) a wash in my front load HE washer. I have an LG that uses very little water. The detergent package suggests 140ml to 330ml for extra dirty loads in hot water. I only use more soap for prewashes or if doing whites with a booster. Max 10ml.
6. USE RIGHT TYPE OF DETERGENT FOR WASHER. If HE model use HE detergent.
7. Double Rinse if possible. I'm allergic to detergent so I have no choice.:)

As an aside, my son came home from University and I had to put his clothes through 3-5 wash cycles, no soap, to get out the residue detergent even though he used only 1/3 max of recommendations for top loader. He was using shared washers in the residence dorms. Told him to use no detergent in future and see what happened.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

My machine is five years old now and just recently the clothes have occasionally had a musty smell when they came out.
I also discovered bits of slimy dark grey stuff on the washing just specks which when rubbed would melt into the garment.
Got the man out to give it a service and he asked what washing detergent I'd been using.
As it happens I've been using the gels,Bold and Aerial and also some of the liquids but I do wash my sheets on a 60 wash every week.
He said that the detergent was, probably the cause and I should use powder or powder tablets.
This is not the first time I've been told this by the way.
He gave me some sachets of descaler and washing machine cleaner.
After one use my washer is spotless with no odour.
The drawer is clean and the drum and seal immaculate.
I'm going to get some of the descaler and cleaner as I was realy pleased with the results and even better no more smelly washing with grey slimy bits .
Going to use the powder tabs too instead of the gel as well.

squeaky

A teaspoon's worth of soda crystals in with the powder, and using vinegar instead of fabric conditioner is a much cheaper and equally effective option.

I recently passed on my eight year old washing machine to a local charity and they point blank refused to believe that it was THAT OLD!!


"Showroom standard" was what they said it looked like

wannabeasupersaver

We have been decorating recently, and I washed a towel that had some white spirit on it. Still a week and a half later and my washing machine still smells of white spirit and anything I wash has a faint whiff about it too. Any advice what I should try to get rid of the smell? Have used the washing machine plenty since I did it but it doesn't seem to be doing much in the way of diluting the smell! Thanks
x

Churchmouse

When I had a similar problem on my old machine, I emptied two tubs of sodium bicarb into the drum, shut the door and left it overnight. Next morning I did a wash, just a 40 degree one ( no clothes obviously) Seemed to do the trick for me, I've never put anything like that in a machine since If you have access to a Chinese wholesaler, I understand they do large amounts of bicarb quite cheaply. I don't, and had to use the small tubs from the supermarket.

Waxy_Bean

If I remember correctly white spirit isn't water soluble so continual washing won't get rid of the smell. Best just to leave the wm door and your window open, and let the white spirit (and the smell) evaporate.

zippychick

ive merged this with our stinky washing machine thread which should have loads of useful tips - let us know what works

Zip

Chell

I keep getting slimy grey gunk on our clothes. I'm using an Asda gel at the moment and I am sure it has caused it. I've cleaned all around the door seal where it is visable but looking at the clothes it must be in the drum too. Sometimes the gunk stains, after a secind wash the clothes are still stained.

Flibsey

this reminds me. my washer is due a hot vinegar wash.