[Closed] Washing machine making clothes smell

what i did with mine when i stupidly washed some turps stained clothes in after trying everything was to wash it at the hottest wash then just drain it open the door and let the fumes evaporate - this eventually worked - 2-3 goes

no idea if it will hep with yours - you also can try soda crystals or expensive machine cleaner - neither of which worked for mine.

How are you drying the clothes? You sure it's the machine? Change in detergent? Washing them at 30 degrees?

Sling some old towels in and wash on the hottest setting.

I replaced the seal on an old machine once. Wasn't too hard, instructions on YouTube.

I've tried some posh cleaning stuff and bleach, hot washes, cold washes. I've got the soda crystals ready so that's the next attempt.

In contrasting advice shocker, you might try a load using biological detergent and fairly cool. Musty smell might be something growing inside.

Run a very hot wash with white vinegar in the dispenser. You will need to do a second empty wash.

I had similar but a 90c wash with a half a cup of bleach and a bath towel sorted it. Is it mains fed? Any problems with water quality?

I thought the bleach would have killed everything off. It frothed nicely all over the floor.

No problems with water quality, Dry outside where possible but on airer inside when weather poor. Sometimes things seem okay, other times not. It's very inconsistent, however when it gets into certain clothes it just doesn't shift despite repeated washing.

Is there mold on the door seals?
Have you cleaned the filter?

If it's not inconvenient, leaving the door of the washer ajar helps when the washer is not in use.

Don't use liquid detergent ..that creates a gunk/ musty smell...use powder..
Remove & clean thoroughly the draw where you put the detergent & fabric conditioner ..
Use Calgon to clean the machine.

No mould.
Filter's clean. Only thing i can think of is there is a hidden lot of gunk I can't find lurking somewhere out of sight. I even tipped it upside down and removed the hose coming out the sump, which was clean. 🙁

Thanks for the suggestions so far, i think I've tried most of them already. 🙁

13 years out a washin machine, it deserves to be stuck in a field of grass
My samsung now coming up for 5 and out of warranty i might sell it off for £100 and buy a new one might not get 100

Just being pragmatic, could it be a more general plumbing problem, toilets flushing ok etc.
Kitchen sink drainage ok etc.

Have you pulled the washer out to check there's not a dead cat inside it?

My samsung now coming up for 5 and out of warranty i might sell it

WTF? Are washing machines the new mobiles?

Can't imagine much has drastically changed in washing machine technology in the last five years, unless the new ones have face unlocking and amusing emojis.

It's very inconsistent, however when it gets into certain clothes it just doesn't shift despite repeated washing.

I find clothes only end up smelling nice and fresh if they spend time outside on the washing line.

I am led to believe that they are designed around 1000 cycles, so unless you wash less than twice a week that's a pretty good shift. Ours was on at least once a day when the kids were small. it didn't make 3 years.

We had the same problem with ours and nothing would sort it.
New machine.

Might not be the machine at all. If you put too big a load in or leave the clothes damp for any length of time (including trying to dry in poorly ventilated areas) it can cause that smell.

Lad I used to live with was always a bit wiffy for this reason.

Washing machines really aren't 'consumer durables' in the way they once were. I bought a perfectly good Hoover for about £250 new when I moved in to my current house in January. I'd expect a good, working s/h washer to be around £50-£100.

Assuming you've checked there's nothing icky jamming up any filters or drains (I had one that was stinking that turned out to be a part blocked drain descender out of the kitchen...) then really you're left with trying to flush it. Don't get the thing about gunky liquid hodgynd is on about unless you're sticking it in the drawer instead of the intended was ball thingy...

Yeah leaving a load in for more than a few hours after a cycle .. You'll just have to re wash it as it will whiff.

Same here, if I dry the clothes indoors on a drier, they will normally smell. Same again if I've left a load in the machine overnight, or left them damp in the basket for a few hours before hanging up.

Drying outside, or tumble drying and they do not smell.

The only other time I've suffered it is when I had one of those silly eco-detergent balls filled with beads. Load of rubbish 🙂

The annoying thing is sometimes the clothes smell OK, but once you've put them on and got to work, they warm up and start to whiff!

Anti bacterial condioner, Wilko / dettol works well. No more slightly pissy/musty smell

I use laundry/washing soda, especially good on stinky sports kit.

Also, as above, may be a drying fail. Either outside on the line, or dry heavier stuff next to radiator. I guess a drier would work too, but I'm too tight...

Move house, scrap the washing machine and burn all your clothes.

Stick 2 dishwasher tabs in on max temp once a month

If the machine has been cleaned then the other variable is the washing detergent you’re using and the temperature you’re washing stuff at.

It might not be the machine but the clothes that are smelly. If the detergent / temp isn’t getting rid of stinky microbes then they’ll have a field day in wet cloth.

Switching from non bio to bio and upping the temp and duration of the wash can make a big difference

Also make the most of the machines spin function, help stuff to dry quicker once it’s out by spinning off more water in the machine.

The problem could well be with the clothes and not the washing machine. I would round of some of the clothes in question and put them through a cycle with some halo sports wash. Although usually for sports clothing which gets fusty and stinky over time with repeated use, some other items of clothing can be like this also. If your machine is not doing it all the time and with every item, this may well be the explaination.

This. Washing at below 60c doesn't kill bacteria and your clothes aren't getting properly clean, so while they're drying the bacteria are having lots of naughty fun and reproducing in the warm damp environment. Wash at over 60c or use a disinfectant.

As above. It is the bacteria in the clothes not getting killed off in a 30 Deg C wash that causes the clothes to smell after a bit. Use some anti bacterial detergent and that should cure the problem.

we wash dog towels and his blankets at highest temp we use a bio powder, that keeps machine smell free.

There must also be a water quality/hardness factor at play. All of our sports clothing gets washed at 30c or 40c in non-bio powder and has done for years. We don't have any issues with smells.

I've found that certain combinations of detergent and fabric conditioner have made my clothes whiff a bit odd. Have you changed brands recently or just using the same?

Vanish do an "extra hygiene" additive which might help if it's a bacteria issue as mentioned above - just add a small amount every now and again.

I use napisan in with the wash occasionally, for those 'agricultural' rides. No problem with smells.

fabric conditioner

GrahamS - Member

Can't imagine much has drastically changed in washing machine technology in the last five years, unless the new ones have face unlocking and amusing emojis.

Close, they play a tune when it finishes.

As many people above said - had a similar problem, resolved by a few 90°C washes and leaving the door open.

As above, Napisan is your friend. We use it in every wash.

Don't put "that sock" in with your wash. Yeah you know.

We solved it by simply washing my tees on a hotter wash. Think we do 50? Not sure, I'll have to ask the Mrs.
(GENDER STEREOTYPES WARNING!!!)

As previously mentioned, cup of white vinegar and a couple of hot cycles.

Close, they play a tune when it finishes.

Excellent, can you download ringtones for them yet? 😆

Don't use conditioner or similar products.

I have a 4 year old machine - wash between 40 - 80, liquid detergent and cleaned about once every two months with some of that Dr Beckmans antibacterial stuff. Never have I used softener or conditioner.

Smells as fresh as the day I got it. The last one was used with conditioner/softener and it stank to high heaven before I binned it.

any tips for getting all the gunge off the door seal inners (washer dryer and solid fluff....) ?

Elbow grease. Unfortunately.

any tips for getting all the gunge off the door seal inners

They're generally removable. If yours is, remove and soak in detergent, scrub and refit.

Should've mentioned - the stinky machine I had never got any better despite washes with just about everything you can think of. Binned.

Also, I was incorrect above - my machine is almost 7 years old now; like new!

Mrs is allergic to most bio products and we use non-bio for 90% of the time. I find the odd load on a bio wash keeps the machine smelling fresh and avoids the musty smell on clothes. If I don't do a bio wash now and then, the odd thick cotton item dried slowly inside (rather than out on the line can be a bit musty.

Excellent, can you download ringtones for them yet?

Washing machine ringtones were last year.

We have an iphone app for our washer.

Next level stuff.

I’m going to suggest you may have a bit of back flush from blocked plumbing, sounds a bit wide of mark but could be an issue.. worth checking out.

We have an iphone app for our washer.

Next level stuff.

I have an iPhone app that smells bad.

In relation to the OP - cleaning out the machine is a worthwhile undertaking - but from you your own observation it’s the clothes not the machine that smell bad. The machine isn’t making the clothes smell, they way you’re washing them isn’t getting the clothes clean.

Run a very hot wash with white vinegar in the dispenser. You will need to do a second empty wash.

What @cinamon says. FWIW you can use white vinegar as a softener. FWIW 2 its readily available in French super markets as its commonly used there for cleaning inc descaling - mich cheaper than fancy branded “snake oil” products

OP also worth thoroughly checking drain/filter (usually at front) and also laying machine down to look at pipework underneath. You could take the water inlet hoses off too and flush through.

any tips for getting all the gunge off the door seal inners

I googled this and came back with "sprinkle with bicarb of soda, leave for 30 mins, spray with vinegar and scrub off". It's like new, I tell you.

If we use non bio we get the smell. Only use Daz now and no problems

If the vinegar doesn't work, try [url=

Thanks everybody so far.

Will try some biological washing powder next to see if that helps. (Ran half a packet of soda crystals through on a hot cycle last night).

Of course - your laundry may smell absolutely fine. It might be your top lip that smells mouldy.