For a change, I'm giving help instead of asking for it.

Been having an issue with bad odor in the washing machine once it's filled, both on wash and rinse cycles. I thought it might be because of the heavy rains we've had recently that may have added something unpleasant to the well water.

Figured it would be wise to look at alternatives and came across the following advice from Bob Vila:

1. Scrub: To begin cleaning, remove the soap, bleach, and softener dispensers so you can scrub them individually. When water gets splashed into any of these parts, it is often left behind as standing water between cycles—a breeding ground for mildew. Use an old toothbrush to get inside the cracks and crevices, and a pipe cleaner to dig out buildup lodged inside the pipes of the dispensers—that’s a sneaky source of moldy smells. If you have a front-load model, also wipe around the rubber seal with a wet cloth, and use a Q-tip to remove accumulated gunk around the gasket. On top-load models, pay special attention to the cracks and crevices around the doors where dirt tends to hide. When you’re done scrubbing the parts, it’s time to move on to the tub.

2. Sanitize: To sanitize the machine, keep chlorine bleach on hand. Chlorine bleach should be your “go-to,” as it’s the absolutely best solution for killing mold and mildew. Just be sure to take precautions when using this product and, for safety reasons, don’t mix it with other cleaners. Now, set the washer to the highest possible temperature setting. The amount of bleach you should use depends on your appliance: Add four cups bleach to a top-loading machine or two cups to a front-loader, then start a cycle. Let the tub fill, and stop the wash cycle once the agitator has mixed in the bleach. Allow the bleach water to sit for 30 minutes, and then resume the cycle. One more run of the rinse cycle should remove all traces of bleach.

3. Deodorize: Once the bleach has done its job sanitizing, move on to vinegar to remove any last lingering smells. Vinegar is not only an excellent deodorizer, but the acidic quality of the liquid removes hard water buildup as well as any leftover bacteria that may have survived the bleach. To begin, set your washer on its hottest setting. Add four cups of plain white vinegar (not balsamic or apple cider) to a top-load machine or two cups to a front-load model. Don’t use laundry detergent or anything else in this cycle—vinegar acts alone! The process from this point should feel familiar: Allow the tub to fill, then stop the wash cycle once the agitator has mixed the vinegar and water. After 30 minutes, turn the washer back on and allow the cycle to resume until complete. The next time you open your washing machine door, don’t be afraid to breathe in deeply! Instead of that foul-smelling odor, you’ll enjoy the sweet smell of success.

As I don't use the bleach or fabric softener dispensers, those weren't in need of cleaning. It was items 2 & 3 that got rid of the odor.

I know that bleach is hard on a septic system and this process probably wouldn't be a good idea on a regular/preventative basis, but it's good to have this fix ready to implement should the odor come back.

Anyway, hope this information is as useful to somebody else here as it is for me.

Thanks. I’ve just recently noticed a bit of a smell in mine and I meant to do some research. You’ve saved me the work. I appreciate it!

I leave the door open on my top loader. I think this helps to cut down on odors. YMMV.

^^^^ Me too, after each load I open the dispenser tray and let it air out. I open the door (I have a front loader) and leave it open until it dries out.

About once a year I run a Affresh dose through it. Link to Affresh
.

My friend was just complaining about his and forwarded the info.

I had a problem back when I had a front loader and read that using powder detergent doesn't leave behind crap like the liquid detergents do.

Thanks for the useful tips.

Front loader...I leave the door open and in the Summer and I have a box fan in the utility room to blow a into it. I also run a bleach sanitize cycle ~1x per mo.

Vinegar is a great idea.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo Jones:
Front loader...I leave the door open

I do this

Equally important, years ago thanks to a Sigg forum thread I ditch the fabric softener and replaced it with vinegar. Fabric softener is a bunch of fats and nasty stuff that causes odors. Not only is my washing machine mineral deposit free, it doesn’t have nasty odors in it from the fat residues. Also, my towels actually absorb water now and in athletic clothing because it clogs up the wicking pores. As an added bonus, a 1 gallon jug of distilled vinegar is much cheaper than fabric softener.

My last front loader always stank, until I started leaving the door open between uses.

So far, I haven't had that issue with my top loading Speed Queen.

Do you use liquid detergent?

Our front loader used to smell, even when the door is left open. Guy was out to fix the dryer element and smelled the odor - he told us to stop using liquid detergent and use powder detergent. Viola! No more smell! This was about 2 years ago - smell has never returned.

I have no idea as to the why, but we had tried bleach, the washing machine "cleaner's" that you can buy, leaving the door open - none worked...

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Equally important, years ago thanks to a Sigg forum thread I ditch the fabric softener and replaced it with vinegar. Fabric softener is a bunch of fats and nasty stuff that causes odors. Not only is my washing machine mineral deposit free, it doesn’t have nasty odors in it from the fat residues. Also, my towels actually absorb water now and in athletic clothing because it clogs up the wicking pores. As an added bonus, a 1 gallon jug of distilled vinegar is much cheaper than fabric softener.

A little hesitant to try this after reading this:
https://www.consumerreports.or...illed-white-vinegar/

quote:

Originally posted by Keystoner:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Equally important, years ago thanks to a Sigg forum thread I ditch the fabric softener and replaced it with vinegar. Fabric softener is a bunch of fats and nasty stuff that causes odors. Not only is my washing machine mineral deposit free, it doesn’t have nasty odors in it from the fat residues. Also, my towels actually absorb water now and in athletic clothing because it clogs up the wicking pores. As an added bonus, a 1 gallon jug of distilled vinegar is much cheaper than fabric softener.

A little hesitant to try this after reading this:
https://www.consumerreports.or...illed-white-vinegar/

They performed zero tests and it’s just a bunch of wild-assed guesses for why seals and hoses failed. It sits in the plastic (ie same material as the vinegar bottle) softener dispenser for 20 minutes then gets mixed in with several gallons of water. If it was causing seal issues, they would occur first in the seal on the softener dispenser where it’s undiluted.

Consumer Reports performed zero tests?
Ok. Because it would hurt their interest in selling fabric softener?

quote:

Originally posted by Keystoner:
Consumer Reports performed zero tests?
Ok.

Read the article. They performed zero tests and everything is unsubstantiated conjecture. In the washing machine section there was no putting vinegar in hose and checking detorioration, no putting vinegar against a seal and testing detorioration, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Keystoner:
Because it would hurt their interest in selling fabric softener?

I don't know why but sometimes they just write articles without performing testing.

Hell, sometimes even when they perform tests I sit there and scratch my head asking what dumbass came up with this testing program. For example, back when I was really into stereos I read a CS review with no measure of actual power delivered (i.e. no verification of manufacturer claims and anyone whose followed stereos know manufacturers fib), no measure of sound quality produced (e.g. THD), etc. but hey they at least rated the remote control.

Dzozer - I do use liquid detergent in my Speed Queen but this is the first time in the 5 years I've had it that there have been odors. And usually I leave the top up but lately have had it down more often than not so that may have been a contributing factor as the manual recommends leaving top up when done washing.

Good to know about powder detergent as a preventative measure for the the future.

I, too, am skeptical about the Consumer Reports article - especially after reading this mini auto-bio about the author:

Perry Santanachote A multidimensional background in lifestyle journalism, recipe development, and anthropology impels me to bring a human element to the coverage of home kitchen appliances. When I'm not researching dishwashers and blenders or poring over market reports, I'm likely immersed in a juicy crossword puzzle or trying (and failing) to love exercise. Find me on Facebook.

I had to disassemble the agitator before to clean out the nasty goop the fabric softener created. It turned into something nasty after years of use. There was no dissolving it. Took manual removal.

I have a Maytag top loader and I have always left the lid open per the manufacturer's recommendation. Never had an issue with odors or mold. And I have always used liquid detergent.

quote:

Perry Santanachote A multidimensional background in lifestyle journalism, recipe development, and anthropology impels me to bring a human element to the coverage of home kitchen appliances. When I'm not researching dishwashers and blenders or poring over market reports, I'm likely immersed in a juicy crossword puzzle or trying (and failing) to love exercise. Find me on Facebook.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
AKA full of shit. Better advice at the bus stop. Find me on Facebook WTF?