Have you ever opened your washing machine to do a new load of wash only to be met with a musty moldy smell? Well you aren’t alone and this problem is something you can take care of yourself.
Unfortunately it seems that even the strongest spin cycle won’t remove every last drop of water from your washing machine. When this water is allowed to sit for a few days or a week it can begin to grow bacteria which isn’t the greatest thing to wash your clothes in.
If you find this smell just before doing the wash you should fill the tub with a mixture of bleach and water to its lowest setting. Allow this mixture to sit for about a half an hour then come back and put the washer through the rinse cycle. This should kill most of the bacteria in your washer and allow you to get your clothes clean without covering them in whatever is in your washer making that smell.
Although water may be left behind in your pump and in the bottom of the washer bin there is also a possibility that you could have a leak. You should inspect your washer by pulling it forward and tilting it back towards the wall. Make sure that you are not putting any pressure on your water feed or waste lines when doing this. There should be no moister under or behind your washer. If there is then you will need to make repairs.
A loose line or leaking pump could cause water leaks from your clothes washer. You should remove the access panel on the back of the washer and look for any moisture. If you hear your pump making noise or squealing when your washer is operating then it is likely to need replacing.
Once you have excluded any mechanical problems you can get back to addressing what normally is water left behind after the wash cycle.
Curing a Smelly Clothes Washer
If your washer has a poor design and most of them do then you can expect this to be an on going problem that you need to address every time you do a load of wash.
Normally what is happening is water is sitting long enough to grow bacteria. Lucky for us this bacterial will out gas a smell that is unpleasant which warns us of its presence.
Bleaching is a good way to kill bacteria and you will find that in all products used for mold or bacteria control bleach is the primary ingredient.
I would also suggest that you use a product like free breeze to reduce the smell but it will not kill bacteria at these levels because it does not contain a strong bleach it may contain alcohol which is fine but not enough for this job.
The thing that you should try if you can is leaving the lid open on your washer for at least a few hours or a day .. after doing your last load of wash. This can be difficult if you have pets or kids but it is important and just like using the fan in your bathroom after a shower it will allow the water to evaporate.
Normally this is enough.
Use bleach and a liquid deodorizer to begin the job and then make sure the water in the washer bin has evaporated within the first day.
I don’t endorse freebreeze its just the only product of its type i could think of at this moment.. there are others and generics that are a good value.. remember you just want the scent removed and using those products won’t get rid of all of the bacteria.. only bleach will do that but bleach is relatively cheap and you probably have some right next to the washer.