Bad smell in washing machine?
Question:is there a way to get rid of bad smell of washing machine? i share a house and since a new person moved in the machine smells horrible. first she used dettol in it, later she stopped but the smell is still very bad. smells a bit like dettol, washing powder and something rotten mixture. i did some empty washing cycles with vinegar and different washing powder but the smell doesn't go anywhere. any tips? don't want to buy anything expensive though.
Answers:
Take out the wet clothes and put the roomate in, problem solved
LOL!
Yes, if you wash out machine with bleach every few months it will stay smelling fresh. The smell is bacteria or meld-ow that builds as time goes by, just like anything else, it needs to be sterilized.
If vineger didn't work try straight bleach in a washing cycle. If there is still a bad smell maybe something died like a mouse & it is trapped inside the casing . Good Luck.
I'm surprised vinegar didn't work. Try baking soda or baking soda and vinegar together. What is dettol?
we used baking soda to get the moldy smell out of a refrigerator. baking soda doesn't cost much. you may apply it with a cloth and let it stand for a time before rinsing it off. if you feel the need, this process may be repeated.
You might find there's a water trap in the machine, usually near a drain tap or faucet to allow you to drain the machine over winter to stop any standing water from freezing.
Unfortunately the manufactures aren't always that smart and sometimes these traps are actually below the drain level so not all the water can drain out..so you will end up with standing water that will eventually become stagnant and smell.
It happened to us a few years ago, the only difference being it was in winter and the water froze even though I had drained the machine because the water in the trap got left behind.
wtn,
If you are sure the filter is clean and there is no dead mouse uner the washer then do this...
Turn the washer water on and bring the water level a few inches above the washer tub bottom and then add a few cups of liquid bleach and let it sit overnight. Be sure to close the cover.
The next morning turn the washer on and let it finish its cycle.
That will do it but I would suggest using liquid soaps in the future and get away from powdered soaps. With liquid detergents you can use just cold water and that will save a lot of the cost for hot water needs.
Good luck.
Hi, a word of caution about using too much bleach , it can damage the seal`s in the machine and also your lungs. I heard from some friends that the link below has a product that seem too work. You might also buy a different detergant has well, in the UK we have a brand called Persil which is has low-sudsing for efficiency.
Run a cycle set at small load, on hot water setting. Put in one cup of clorox and one cup of baking soda. Run this cycle on the longest time setting. After the wash cycle stops wipe the machine out with a clean dry hand towel, and leave the lid open to air out. Also leave the lid open beetween washing days, to air dry. That should prevent any future oders. :)
I'd run the washer with out clothes in it. I would put a cup of bleach and half a cup of baking soda in the water. Hot water and let it run. That should get rid of the smell.
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