Washing Machine whiff!

[Mamie Baldwin]

As above, my very old washing machine doesn't smell good. It's probably twenty years old but I have a repair plan for it so am loathed to get a new one. I have tried a boil wash and the specialist cleaners you get but no joy. Any ideas would be welcomed.

[storm]

Stop using liquid go back to old fashioned powder,common problem these days according to washing machine engineer we know.
And leave the machine door open when empty.
PS it could be just that "K" has smelly trampoline sox

[Cupcake]

Have you tried taking the powder dispnser drawer out and looking in there? Ours often got black mouldy stuff in the drawer area due to washing at lower temps these days, apparently it's very common.

We take a toothbrush to this area and scrub it down with anti bacterial spray, then put on a hot wash. Warning though, it will smell worse initially after doing this.

We have now changed to powder from liquid as this made the matter worse and also take the drawer out over night to let the air circulate through.

[MINI MOUSE]

Check that drains aren't blocked outside , my niece had this and tried all you did to shift it but when we finally got th the cause of the smell it was the drains were blocked and the smell was coming back up the pipe into the washing machine.

[Tetrarch]

Originally Posted by MINI MOUSE

Check that drains aren't blocked outside , my niece had this and tried all you did to shift it but when we finally got th the cause of the smell it was the drains were blocked and the smell was coming back up the pipe into the washing machine.

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The outflow from the washing machine should normally be made to go through some kind of U-bend (either its own or via the sink outflow, depending on your plumbing arrangements)

On the washing machine smell - often there is a fair amount of residue left in and around the rubber seal. A good scrub with bleach should help to remove most of this.

Regards

Gary

[Gev]

My friend swears by bicarb for just about all the world's ails; it's cheap and might be worth running it through?

[Mrs_Dazzle]

Have you given the seal inside a bit of a clean - they can harbour all sorts of "debris". Also agree with the leaving door open, if mine is accidentally shut it gets the musty damp smell very quickly.

My friend swears by lemons for everything in her kitchen. Chops a lemon in half and puts one half in the washing machine, one in the sink. Or puts one in a bowl of water in her microwave and cooks for 2 mins - the steam releases a lovely lemony smell which apparently makes it easier to clean!

[ROBBOTOO]

We had a similar problem with ours. We switched from liquid back to powder and ours has stopped.

[Mamie Baldwin]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'll give them a go. Storm, how well you know Darling Niece!

[Guest]

A very hot wash with bicarb and then leave the door open and dry the seals and door. Used to work on out old one but have a new one now. Could also be the pipes /drains?