Smelly Washing Machine - please help

[utterlydiy]

My wife wants to buy a new washing machine soley because the one we have, smells and its only 3 yrs old.

She has tried these 'do it all wonder' things you get from the shops to clean and freshen your machine.

Having taken out the soap/softener tray, that area was covered in black mold. Clean the area with a mixture of bleach the best I could.

The smell when she uses these cleaning/freshening items goes for a couple of days then returns.

Please help before she spends money.

 

[kevindgas]

buying anew one probably won't solve the problem.
we have a new one that has smelt since new and nothing will stop it! the old one never did!

 

[cmother1]

Hi. This is an old chestnut on this forum. The problem is the result of a build-up of soap in the machine. The smell is caused by the bacteria that live on it. Take a look at this saga which is a good example of the problem:
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1273243#1273243 From my own experience the things to avoid are liquid detergent, short cycle washes and low temperatures (40c and below). For me the problem developed quite quickly and I've a suspicion that the spores that kicked it off came form my kids' filthy muddy games kit when they went to 2ndry school. Whatever the origin the best you can hope for is to keep it at bay with the remedies recommended.
Always keep the door open when the machine is idle. I take the soap drawer out as well.

 

[foxhole]

You need to ensure the waste is not syphoning back dirty dishwater from the sink , this is a common problem with sloppy installations, also the door should be left ajar when not in use and a boil wash [rarely used] should be performed once a month to sterilize the machine [touch of bleach] this also removes washer power or other types of detergent which collect in the base of the machine and pipework.Warm washes which are common these days to save the planet unfortunately do not dissolve detergents very well leaving large deposits in the w/m and this collects other grime causing smells.

 

[JohnD]

Black mould in the tray is caused by soap and softener residues. I find the way round it is to get the woman to use washing powder tablets, which you put in through the door in a little bag.

I remove the tray and scrub it in hot water, then use kitchen cleaner with bleach spray in the aperture and scrub it with a nylon brush to remove the residues.

(in my own house I throw the powder in through the door, and it is clean, but I have a water softener which is better for dissolving soap, and I don't need to use so much powder)

Low temperature washes are not so good at dissolving the powder and grease so leave more residues.

An occasional maintenance wash with HOT HOT HOT water (the "Cotton Whites" setting) and some white cotton towels, with no powder, will dissolve the resident soap from inside the machine. If it foams up a lot you know that there is too much powder being used. Many women like to put in excessive amounts of soap powder on the grounds that if 100g is good, 200g must be twice as good The tablets make it less likely that she will use too much.

 

[cmother1]

sorry - where I said "build up of soap.." in my earlier reply I meant to say "build up of mould..". Aspergillus niger most likely if you want to be technical.

 

[EddieM]

As JohnD says, just chuck a couple of tabs directly in with the washing, and forget about all that soap tray nonsense. Yes definately worth checking your not syphoning water back into the machine. Again, yes, run it empty on a hot wash.

 

[utterlydiy]

Thanks for all your replies.

I'm saved from buying a new machine.

I got some soda cyrstals and did a hotest wash and it seems to have worked.

I've banned her from using the liquid soaps, but as I'm told she still needs to use liquid softener, also to leave the door open as she always had, but now to leave the draw open alittle too.

She has been told to put the tablet into the drum and do a hotest wash once a month.

Fingers crossed, its all solved.

Thanks all

 

[handymanian]

deleted

 

[utterlydiy]

Its been a few weeks since the smelly machine episode.

The only problem she had which I got the blame for, was the washes following some clothes had black scum marks etc.

Told her to do at least one wash a day at the highest temp and on a long wash, and not a short cycle wash.

As now uses tablets, no more smelly machine including leaving the draw open as well as the door. Now have to find how she can get rid of liquid softener.

That might be a hard nut to crack.

thanks for the tips

 

[JohnD]

get a water softener

 

[EddieM]

Or use calgon. Washing machines live longer with........ No enough.