Stinky washing machine...

[Fab Foodie]

AEG.
Done all the usual stuff, Wimpers has finally stopped using conditioner (yay), we’ve boiled, Calgon’d bleached, soda crystall’d cleaned the dispenser and filter, and scrubbed the rubber sealy thing. Next is to remove the machine and attack the outlet pipes...

Anything we’ve missed? Basically a musty/mouldy smell that’s built-up over time.

 

[Rocky]

AEG.
Done all the usual stuff, Wimpers has finally stopped using conditioner (yay), we’ve boiled, Calgon’d bleached, soda crystall’d cleaned the dispenser and filter, and scrubbed the rubber sealy thing. Next is to remove the machine and attack the outlet pipes...

Anything we’ve missed? Basically a musty/mouldy smell that’s built-up over time.

Wimpers told me she thought the musty/mouldy smell was coming from you

 

[mistyoptic]

Mrs Optic used a Dettol washing machine cleaner from sainsbury’s. This LINK is same stuff

 

[Fab Foodie]

Wimpers told me she thought the musty smell was coming from you

Are you suggesting I’m inoculating the machine?
Anyhow, Wimpers says I always smell of garlic...

 

[Cycleops]

The smell could be coming up the waste pipe from the drains. Have you got a trap on it?

 

[PaulSB]

+1 for the drain suggestion.

To keep our machine clean and odourless I give it a service wash monthly. A full bottle of cheap vinegar in to the drum followed by running a full cycle, without powder etc., on the hottest setting available. 90⁰C on our machine.

 

[newts]

Check that your sink waste is not back flushing into the washing machine. If it's a p trap on the sink with a side spigot for the WM, the WM waste hose must loop upwards to the underside of the sink to prevent backflow/smells.

 

[Milkfloat]

Too late for this, but prevention is better than cure. We always leave the door ajar and the detergent drawer open to ensure everything can dry. We were told to do this after suffering black gunk and mould around the door seal.
You should be able to check if it is the machine smelling by shoving your head inside the drum, you also have the option of opening the filter cover to see what junk and waste is stuck there (assuming you have a little door/panel at the bottom of your machine).

 

[Cycleops]

If it's feeding into the sink waste pipe you could be getting 'back flushing' as newts suggests. Nothing you can do to stop this but remove the sink U bend and clean it all out, they get get bunged up with all sorts of smelly crud from the sink and this might be giving the stink.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Too late for this, but prevention is better than cure. We always leave the door ajar and the detergent drawer open to ensure everything can dry. We were told to do this after suffering black gunk and mould around the door seal.
You should be able to check if it is the machine smelling by shoving your head inside the drum, you also have the option of opening the filter cover to see what junk and waste is stuck there (assuming you have a little door/panel at the bottom of your machine).

We do/done that stuff :-(

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

by shoving your head inside the drum

But do not, under any circumstances, turn on the gas




Check the outlet U bendy bits as said above Fabbers

 

[fossyant]

We do/done that stuff :-(

You've not been washing @Drago 's grundies ?

 

[Fab Foodie]

You've not been washing @Drago 's grundies ?

Not that I know of!

 

[Slick]

+1 for the drain suggestion.

To keep our machine clean and odourless I give it a service wash monthly. A full bottle of cheap vinegar in to the drum followed by running a full cycle, without powder etc., on the hottest setting available. 90⁰C on our machine.

Mrs Slick did just that today, seems to work a treat.

 

[stephec]

You've not been washing @Drago 's grundies ?

If that was the case it would probably be more like this.