Different topic.............clothes washer

[dutchboy]

Seems our clothes washer has a strange oder in it. If the door is left shut for a couple of days it is strong enough to smell when loading a load. Is there anything you guys recommend I use to eliminate that smell? I'm thinking some solution to add instead of detergent and just run it through a cycle with no clothes in it.

Thanks for the idea's.

[hawg]

There's quite a few products at the stores that fix it, they all do about the same thing. First though, take out the agitator and clean it good.

[bobk]

Tide makes a product that you put in the washer to rid the smell. You could probably just run the washer on the longest cycle with hot water and get the same result. We always leave the door and detergent tray open on our front load washer and never have the problem. Just leave the door open and you won't have the problem any more.

[Hollis]

The TIDE product works very well but you may have to do it twice,..(there are 3 paks when you buy it) I believe it is a powerful concentration of oxygen generating bleach,..i found it strange that it worked but a very strong concentration of chlorine bleach run before i tried it didn't work. It definitely does bleach,.. I threw a colored t shirt in once to see and the color fast dye was pretty pale when the cycle was over.

[Apple Guy]

This problem was an issue on washer forums by many before I bought our LG front loaders. I also saw this issue while growing up and while first leaving home as a new homeowner. To solve 99% of the problem all you need to do is leave the lid or door open as default. While this could be an issue if you have your laundry out in the kitchen or room directly next to the kitchen as I see in many of the "home shows". Otherwise your problem is almost completely solved by leaving the lid or door open all the time.

This may bug you big time by leaving the lid or door open all the time if you are anal, but it will solve your problem.

There could still be an issue if you have older units that have the clothes lint imbedded in the washer inner tub. Run a couple of loads of bleach and never shut the lid or door except when running the wash cycle with clothes in the washer. You may need to pull the spinning tub to get at the inner tub to clean it out if some of the commercially available products made to help clean this out does not work.

I can get "that mold smell" if I forget the clothes in the washer for an extended period of time. I then pull the wet clothes out and run a 30 min load of just water and bleach and then rewash the wet clothes again. The key is to never let mold start, and closing up a wet area with now way to evaporate the moisture is a breeding ground for mold. Otherwise, I have not had that problem in 30 years if I follow the above actions.



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[AllenW]

Originally Posted by dutchboy

Seems our clothes washer has a strange oder in it. If the door is left shut for a couple of days it is strong enough to smell when loading a load. Is there anything you guys recommend I use to eliminate that smell? I'm thinking some solution to add instead of detergent and just run it through a cycle with no clothes in it.

Thanks for the idea's.

Top or front load?

al

[dutchboy]

Front load.

We have left the door open, but it bugs my wife that the light stays on wasting power. Taking the bulb out won't work either. She wants to see what she is doing I guess.

[hogridnfool]

Originally Posted by bobk

Just leave the door open and you won't have the problem any more.

Agreed, works for me.

[2catch1]

I can't believe that they make a front loader that the light wouldn't automatically shut off. You are suppose to leave the door open when not in use but between the electicity being wasted and having a super hot spot near the bulb I'd take the bulb out. We bought one of those fancy top loaders that is Hi efficiency and cost near a grand and what a waste of money. Should have bought an old school one and a better fish finder!!!

[Chad]

too funny...we just had the same smell...kinda rotten egg. Wife thought it was gas leak.

Ran some white vinegar (she can't stand smell of bleach). Left lid open and no problems now.

What happens is there are tiny pieces of material get thru the little holes in the tub and build up over the years. They stay wet and don't dry in the bottom. Get moldy.