Smelly washing

-taff

I don't bother putting the powder in the draw, I put it straight in the machine. And I buy it because it's a lot cheaper When I do buy liquid stuff if it's on offer, I put that straight in the machine too.

Silvertabby

I use the gel pods in the drum and distilled white vinegar in the drawer instead of fabric softener.  Machine stays clean, and clothes smell fresh.

Rosa_Damascena

Silvertabby said:

I use the gel pods in the drum and distilled white vinegar in the drawer instead of fabric softener.  Machine stays clean, and clothes smell fresh.

Does the vinegar not affect the integrity of the fabric, fade colors etc?

Silvertabby

Rosa_Damascena said:

Silvertabby said:

I use the gel pods in the drum and distilled white vinegar in the drawer instead of fabric softener.  Machine stays clean, and clothes smell fresh.

Does the vinegar not affect the integrity of the fabric, fade colors etc?

Not that I've noticed - it's probably too diluted by the time it reaches the clothes.  Mind you, I use the colour gel pods when washing darks, so that may help.

Advantage of using vinegar is that clothes don't have that 'waxy' feel you sometimes get with fabric softener.  And the machine drawer and its housing, in particular, is still spotless even though my washer is over a year old - no detergent/softener build up, and not a speck of black mould.

We live in a hard water area, so still give the (empty) machine a regular blast of descaler/hot wash.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Whites 90C
Y Fronts and Socks 60
Tops and jeans 40

No eco cycle, it does not kill germs!

Apintplease

An 800 spin isn't fast enough for heavy cottons, I spin at 1200 or higher for jeans

White vinegar is better for your clothes, esp woollens and towels as it doesn't coat the fibres which flattens them and makes them feel rough. When it comes to towels and soap powder, less is more and an extra rinse of increase in water is better.

meaneye

I had a repair man in and mentioned smelly washing to him and he gave me a few tips .
Check the filter regularly. This has always been the culprit in my machines .
NEVER use liquid detergents , they coat the innards and cause smells .
Every so often give it an empty boil wash using powder , this cleans the insides and it probably tells you to do this in your machines instructions under “ maintenance wash”.

[Deleted User]

A couple of dishwasher tablets works amazingly well

Baileys_Babe

We have never had a smell machine or load.
We wash most things on 40C, underwear/bedding etc 60C and delicates at 30C
We use powder detergent
We add a tablespoon of soda crystals to each load (in the detergent drawer with the detergent), as this makes the water softer so you can use less detergent
We use vinegar instead of fabric softener
When not in use we keep both the drawer and door open 
About 4 or 5 times a year we run the machine empty on the hottest program to give it a clean