How To Get Rid Of Washer Smell

It can be very annoying whenever you want to do the laundry and can’t because of the awful smells coming from your washer. 

There are different kinds of smells your washer might have. Smells like rotten eggs, mold, sewers, and others.

It’s up to you to know how to get rid of these washer smells. You can eliminate these smells by yourself if you don’t want them rubbing off on your laundry. 

Why Does My Washer Smell? 

Many individuals do not have a clue as to what makes their washer smell. So let’s examine some of them.

  • Dirty detergent receptacles

Detergent receptacles are compartments within the washer for adding laundry detergents to do laundry. They may be situated in different locations on your washer depending on the type of washer you use.

Due to overuse over long periods, some detergent residue may be left in them. This, of course, invites mold and bacteria to accumulate in the washer. 

Many people who own HE washers do not use HE detergents. This causes excessive foaming in the washer which leaves residues that also leads to bacteria and the smell subsequently. 

  • Clogged water pipes

Washers perform laundry cycles for different levels of laundry stains. As a result, the water used in the laundry cycle becomes dirty and needs to be drained out.

When there’s a clog in the washer’s drainage system, dirty water backs up in the pipes and sits in the washer. The build-up of dirty water in the washer might just be the cause of the nasty odor you perceive in your laundry room. 

  • Clothes left too long in the washer

When you leave your clothing in the washer for too long, your clothes develop mold and other bacteria that makes them smell and by extension, your washer smells too. 

Mold increases exponentially in dark areas under cold temperatures, especially inside your dark washer drum. It can be pretty bad for your health, your laundry, and your washer. 

  • Dirty washer drum

After carrying out several laundry cycles, many individuals do not bother to clean their washers. 

Many unpleasants could be lurking inside that could cause your washer to smell bad. 

The dirt from your laundry depending on the soil level may sit in the washer drum due to the bad drainage system and cause unpleasant smells in your washer. 

The heat and water build-up in the washer drum may also be a contributing factor. 

How Do I Get Rid Of Washer Smells? 

Getting rid of the nasty smells in your washer is very important for you if you want cleaner, nice-smelling clothing, and an odor-free laundry room. 

Here’s how you can do this.

  • Open and empty the washer

If you enter your laundry room and notice funny smells coming from your washer, the first thing to do is to open your washer and rid it of any clothing that might be inside.

This takes care of the moldy smells that might be due to smelly clothing left in the washer. 

  • Unclog washer pipes

Next, examine your washer’s drainage system to discover if that’s the culprit. If it is and there’s a clog in the system, you should run water at high pressure through the system, particularly the pipes to remove any dirt or detergent residue.

That might solve the issue. Or you can use a plumbing snake to get rid of the clogs. 

The filters in your washer filter the dirt from the water that’s being drained away. When you neglect cleaning this part of the washer over time, it develops smells. 

You should remove the filters from the washer’s drain, soak in hot water and clean it with a little cloth. 

That ought to solve the smell and drainage issue. Then you can replace it. 

  • Clean your washer detergent and fabric softener compartment

After you’ve cleaned the filters, examine the detergent receptacle on your washer. Detergent receptacles are oftentimes the reasons why your washer smells badly. 

Take both the detergent and fabric softener receptacles out. You can check how this is done in the washer manual because it’s not the same for all washers. 

After taking both of them out, soak them in hot water mixed with a little soap. Then use a clean cloth or brush to scrub gently to remove the dirt.

Once you’ve done that, rinse them and properly air-dry them. They tend to not dry completely resulting in bad smells.

  • Clean the washer drum 

Next, clean your washer drum with a clean microfiber cloth. You can use warm water and a little soap or you can try vinegar.

You can also add baking soda to the washer drum to help with the washer smell. 

Then, you can leave your washer door open to allow the washer air-dry. 

Some Samsung washers possess a “Self-Clean” feature to clean themselves after a long period. You can activate it if you’ve got that sort of washer. 

Why Does My Washer Still Smell Even After Cleaning It? 

If your washer still smells even after cleaning it using the steps outlined above, a major reason for this can be the fact that you have removed the dirt and impurities, but it has not been completely rinsed out of the machine’s interior.

Because of this, the washer smell may become even more offensive, and the wastewater may take on a color that smells awful or contain black particles of filth.

How Do I Fix This Problem?

If you discover that the smell persists after cleaning, the best thing you can do is;

  • Run your washer through one more clean cycle

Running a second clean cycle quickly and easily fixes this problem.

Some washers may require a simple empty hot wash, while for some other types of washers, an additional wash may be all that’s necessary to get the best results in cleaning the washer properly. 

  • Seek help from a washing machine expert

This is if you’ve tried cleaning it again but the smell remains. You should get professional help from experts on washers to prevent your washer from developing permanent issues.

Specific Tips For Cleaning Front-Loading Washers

For front-loading washers, you can fix the washer smell issue by following these tips.

  • Use the correct amount of HE detergent in your HE machine to prevent foaming and subsequent smells in the washer. 
  • As soon as the wash cycle is complete, remove your wet laundry to prevent the buildup of extra moisture in the washer.
  • The door should always be left open when the washing machine is not in use, so that moisture can easily be removed from the washer by drying. 
  • Once a month, you should put your front-loading washer through a Clean Washer cycle.
  • Every time you wash your clothes, make sure to wipe down the washer’s gasket to remove the stains.

Specific Tips For Top-Loading Washers

Top-loading washing machines can benefit from these tips for removing washer odors.

  • The drum and seals should be allowed to dry out after each load to prevent mold from forming, especially if you live in a humid area.
  • Inspect your washing machine’s basket for any chips that could result in rust stains. You can always get repair kits at a grocery store for repainting the porcelain. 
  • Washing machines are not meant to have their laundry placed on top of them at any time. Even if spills don’t damage the washer’s electronics, they can still leak into the machine’s interior and cause smells.

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