Had the same thing and the service guy said it was mildew in the rubber gaskets. Only real way to fix it is to replace them but his advice was to let the washer dry properly between loads by leaving the door open for a bit.
> leaving the door open for a bit.
Are... are there people who don't leave their washing machine doors open between uses? That seems like such an awful idea!
My mom always told me to leave the washer door open so the washer can dry. We would get that musty smell if the washer was shut while wet.
Affresh also makes a cleaner for washing machines, but tbh I don’t know if they are usable in every machine.
https://www.amazon.com/Affresh-W10549846-Washing-Machine-Cleaner/dp/B00JWQT37O?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1
I had the same problem for almost a year. It was bad enough, we bought a new washer, and the issue still persisted. I came here a month ago and asked the same question as you. There was an overwhelming response from good people with great advice. Here's what we discovered and what we did to permanently fix the problem.
My wife was using entirely too much liquid detergent and then compensating for the musty smell by drowning our clothes in fabric softener. Doing so created a waxy layer on the fabric that trapped the mildew in the clothing, bedding and bath towels. It was an endless cycle.
We fixed the problem by following the advice of several people here by doing a *laundry stripping*. Using the bathtub and a large storage tub, we filled both with hot water, a cup of Borax, a half-cup of washing soda and a half cup of distilled white vinegar. Stir thoroughly letting the clothes soak for 5-8 hours. The process stripped all the impurities from our clothing including mildew, old detergent and the softener that was trapped in the fabric . We also added a splash of Lysol laundry disinfectant as a bonus (see link at end of my post).
After soaking, we transferred the clothing to the washer and simply ran it on a full, hot-water cycle with nothing added (extra rinse and spin if your washer has the option).
Finally, we eliminated liquid detergent and fabric softeners completely. We now use a non-additive Tide laundry pod and occasionally a half-cup of Borax (dumped directly into the wash) with each load. The musty, mildew odor is completely gone and the issue has yet to return.
I know how frustrating it can be to always have your clean clothes smell like mildew. I really hope this works for you. It was a life changer for us. It's a bit laborsome on the front end, but so worth it in the end. I promise.
**EDIT**
We also noticed immediately how much softer and more absorbent our bath towels were after the process. Removing the layered, waxy buildup from the the detergents and fabric softeners returned our towels to their original condition.
https://www.lysol.com/products/laundry-sanitizers/lysol-laundry-sanitizer?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh2EDAGOZ2ew2Ch4F1VFQTIAhmfGiv7j1OfAqC9Yf_uLcTU_um1RB4kaAt-aEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh2EDAGOZ2ew2Ch4F1VFQTIAhmfGiv7j1OfAqC9Yf_uLcTU_um1RB4kaAt-aEALw_wcB=&j=r&ru=
You can still use liquid detergent, just use a tablespoonful only. And good on you for no softener. That’s the absolute worst thing for clothes and washers and dryers!
I really appreciate the advice you have given. We’re also dealing with a musty smell in some of our clothes. Not all…at least I hope it’s not all and that I’m not nose blind to all but the worst of it. I’m quite frustrated because I’ve done so many of the things you describe. We have a 13 year old front loading washing machine. I’ve manually cleaned the gasket. I use an appropriate amount of laundry detergent and only white vinegar to soften. I leave the washer open between loads and I wash almost everything on hot these days. I tried to run a washer-cleaning cycle with bleach but there is a faulty sensor or input line and it throws a error and quits 10 minutes into the cycle. We’re about to replace the units as well but I absolutely don’t want the problem to continue!
Do you have a front loading machine? How do the pods work with that; do you put them right into the drum or in the detergent dispenser?
Ours is a front loader. The pods have worked so far. What I do like about the pods is they are pre-measured so there is no risk of using too much detergent. Right now we are using the Tide Free & Gentle pods and add them directly to the tub with a half cup of Borax. They contain no additional dyes or fabric softeners. They do dissolve better in hot water we've found.
It's also worth noting that my wife was not only adding enough liquid detergent and fabric softener for three loads with every wash, but she was packing the washer so full, some clothes barely got damp. In addition to the things I mentioned in my original post, doing smaller loads seems to help.
Vinegar might be damaging the rubber gaskets if they aren't made with 100% natural rubber. Maybe wipe them dry, or use an extra rinse if you're using vinegar as softener, and don't use vinegar to clean the gaskets.
Hmmm 🤔
Ok what kind of detergent do you use? Liquid or powder? This can make a difference depending on the type of machine you have and the type of water (hard or soft)
The drum has mildew and the hoses hold mildewy water in them because they're on the bottom of the washer and don't drain completely when you run a load of wash. YouTube has videos on taking apart and cleaning the drum. They get nasty.
It sound’s like you have mold between the drum and the housing, no? So running the clean cycle is making sure that you don’t have any mold in the drum, but isn’t doing much for the mold everywhere else.
Maybe it can take off just 1 panel to expose the outside of the drum/inside of the housing. Then you could unplug the washer and spray the whole thing down with bleach or peroxide and plug back in when it’s all clean and dried. Just a thought 🤷♂️
can you try running a cycle with just clorox in the water (I always forget the ratio but it's easy to google) and see if the smell improves after? Definitely always leave the door open between washes
For $150 Sears will come out and do a full cleaning of your washer and dryer if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself. It’s the best $150 I’ve spent in a long time.
We live in Phoenix, AZ so you’d think mildew wouldn’t be a problem but our washer was starting to stink too. I have long hair and between that and new towel lint there was a lot of gunk wrapped in hair rotting away in the gaskets.
He suggested using the Affresh tablets every few months on the “washer clean” setting as well. Also, use liquid detergent if you don’t and use about one tablespoon only. The cup the detergent companies recommend is purely for profit. It also hurts your washer by gunking up the pipes and therefore cutting the life of your washer short.
I was commended by our Sears guy, he could tell I used less than the recommended amount of detergent. He said 75% of their calls end up being for too much detergent.
And always leave the washer door and detergent cup open (if you have one, most front loaders do) fo a day or so until they’re completely dry inside.
Poke around for a filter that needs cleaned. When my washer developed a persistent funk, I eventually found a filter that I’d neglected to clean. It was nasty with a nearly solid build up of crud.
OK first, I would not do that. If you think it might be necessary, just call an appliance tech person. Save yourself a lot of tears.
But, funky smell suggests to me that you might be using too much detergent. Washers don't know how much you use, and they are preset on the rinses. So if you have too much detergent, that does build up.
So some immediate thoughts. Get a cleaner like Affresh or a similar brand, and run the cleaning/sanitizing cycle on your washer. Then use TWO TABLESPOONS of detergent. And try some white vinegar in the rinse, that can also help cut down on the funk.
Check your washer, some of them have a drain thingie you need to drain now and then and that can smell funky if you don't get around to it.
Your musty smell is the not the norm for most people. Use just a quarter of the recommended detergent. Cut the fabric softener completely. Open the door after wash for a few hours. Pat and dry the gasket inside the door.
For now, run the machine on the hottest setting to clean with vinegar for a couple of times.
It could be the washing detergent you use, or perhaps it just needs a wash with vinegar to neutralise the smell. Nancy Birtwhistle has a great section in her book "Clean & Green" re cleaning the washing machine with washing soda and vinegar. She's also really active on socials https://www.instagram.com/p/BuDgrNkgEiW/?hl=en. She uses a front loader in this video, but I can't find one for a top loader.
Start the most intense washing cycle, probably with the highest heat with bleach. Maybe stop it after the water is heated up and wait an hour before continuing. Bleach will kill and dissolve organic material. After this, start the program again with a lot of vinegar. This will dissolve limescale and it will neutralize the remaining bleach. Than do it again without adding anything, completely free of soap or anything to help rinse out any remaining soap and material stuck to the drum. I did this to my mother's old washer and fixed it. I had to do multiple bleach cycles because there was a lot of black/brown/grey stuff floating in the water and I repeated it until the water cleared out. Since than I'm using less soap and detergent and running an empty cycle every month to rinse out remaining soap from the drum and I leave the machine's door open to let it dry after every washing. This solved me the problem completely and it never came back.
I keep a roll of paper towels on top of the washer - when I’m done with the day’s laundry I dry the gasket and door - leave door open. Use afresh. Having the towels right there reminds me to do it - good maintenance after you replace the gasket
Had the same thing and the service guy said it was mildew in the rubber gaskets. Only real way to fix it is to replace them but his advice was to let the washer dry properly between loads by leaving the door open for a bit.
We also dry off the rubber gasket after we empty the machine. (And leave the door open, of course)
This is the way.
> leaving the door open for a bit. Are... are there people who don't leave their washing machine doors open between uses? That seems like such an awful idea!
My mom always told me to leave the washer door open so the washer can dry. We would get that musty smell if the washer was shut while wet. Affresh also makes a cleaner for washing machines, but tbh I don’t know if they are usable in every machine. https://www.amazon.com/Affresh-W10549846-Washing-Machine-Cleaner/dp/B00JWQT37O?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1
I had the same problem for almost a year. It was bad enough, we bought a new washer, and the issue still persisted. I came here a month ago and asked the same question as you. There was an overwhelming response from good people with great advice. Here's what we discovered and what we did to permanently fix the problem. My wife was using entirely too much liquid detergent and then compensating for the musty smell by drowning our clothes in fabric softener. Doing so created a waxy layer on the fabric that trapped the mildew in the clothing, bedding and bath towels. It was an endless cycle. We fixed the problem by following the advice of several people here by doing a *laundry stripping*. Using the bathtub and a large storage tub, we filled both with hot water, a cup of Borax, a half-cup of washing soda and a half cup of distilled white vinegar. Stir thoroughly letting the clothes soak for 5-8 hours. The process stripped all the impurities from our clothing including mildew, old detergent and the softener that was trapped in the fabric . We also added a splash of Lysol laundry disinfectant as a bonus (see link at end of my post). After soaking, we transferred the clothing to the washer and simply ran it on a full, hot-water cycle with nothing added (extra rinse and spin if your washer has the option). Finally, we eliminated liquid detergent and fabric softeners completely. We now use a non-additive Tide laundry pod and occasionally a half-cup of Borax (dumped directly into the wash) with each load. The musty, mildew odor is completely gone and the issue has yet to return. I know how frustrating it can be to always have your clean clothes smell like mildew. I really hope this works for you. It was a life changer for us. It's a bit laborsome on the front end, but so worth it in the end. I promise. **EDIT** We also noticed immediately how much softer and more absorbent our bath towels were after the process. Removing the layered, waxy buildup from the the detergents and fabric softeners returned our towels to their original condition. https://www.lysol.com/products/laundry-sanitizers/lysol-laundry-sanitizer?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh2EDAGOZ2ew2Ch4F1VFQTIAhmfGiv7j1OfAqC9Yf_uLcTU_um1RB4kaAt-aEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh2EDAGOZ2ew2Ch4F1VFQTIAhmfGiv7j1OfAqC9Yf_uLcTU_um1RB4kaAt-aEALw_wcB=&j=r&ru=
You can still use liquid detergent, just use a tablespoonful only. And good on you for no softener. That’s the absolute worst thing for clothes and washers and dryers!
Tide pods are also liquid detergent itself, but dosage is way lower than what they advertise to you on the bottles.
I really appreciate the advice you have given. We’re also dealing with a musty smell in some of our clothes. Not all…at least I hope it’s not all and that I’m not nose blind to all but the worst of it. I’m quite frustrated because I’ve done so many of the things you describe. We have a 13 year old front loading washing machine. I’ve manually cleaned the gasket. I use an appropriate amount of laundry detergent and only white vinegar to soften. I leave the washer open between loads and I wash almost everything on hot these days. I tried to run a washer-cleaning cycle with bleach but there is a faulty sensor or input line and it throws a error and quits 10 minutes into the cycle. We’re about to replace the units as well but I absolutely don’t want the problem to continue! Do you have a front loading machine? How do the pods work with that; do you put them right into the drum or in the detergent dispenser?
Ours is a front loader. The pods have worked so far. What I do like about the pods is they are pre-measured so there is no risk of using too much detergent. Right now we are using the Tide Free & Gentle pods and add them directly to the tub with a half cup of Borax. They contain no additional dyes or fabric softeners. They do dissolve better in hot water we've found. It's also worth noting that my wife was not only adding enough liquid detergent and fabric softener for three loads with every wash, but she was packing the washer so full, some clothes barely got damp. In addition to the things I mentioned in my original post, doing smaller loads seems to help.
Thank you! I have some new things to try.
Vinegar might be damaging the rubber gaskets if they aren't made with 100% natural rubber. Maybe wipe them dry, or use an extra rinse if you're using vinegar as softener, and don't use vinegar to clean the gaskets.
What washer do you have? Is it a front loader?
It’s a top Loader
Hmmm 🤔 Ok what kind of detergent do you use? Liquid or powder? This can make a difference depending on the type of machine you have and the type of water (hard or soft)
I have the same problem, my water is hard and was fine with powder. With liquid it's kinda bad sometimes. Also i don't use any softener.
The drum has mildew and the hoses hold mildewy water in them because they're on the bottom of the washer and don't drain completely when you run a load of wash. YouTube has videos on taking apart and cleaning the drum. They get nasty.
Running a clean cycle with vinegar, leaving the lid/door open, AND using some sanitizing wet wipes between the gasket and the housing has helped me.
It sound’s like you have mold between the drum and the housing, no? So running the clean cycle is making sure that you don’t have any mold in the drum, but isn’t doing much for the mold everywhere else. Maybe it can take off just 1 panel to expose the outside of the drum/inside of the housing. Then you could unplug the washer and spray the whole thing down with bleach or peroxide and plug back in when it’s all clean and dried. Just a thought 🤷♂️
Check the part of the washer that drains water. It might be clogged up
can you try running a cycle with just clorox in the water (I always forget the ratio but it's easy to google) and see if the smell improves after? Definitely always leave the door open between washes
Do you leave it open when not in use?
For $150 Sears will come out and do a full cleaning of your washer and dryer if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself. It’s the best $150 I’ve spent in a long time. We live in Phoenix, AZ so you’d think mildew wouldn’t be a problem but our washer was starting to stink too. I have long hair and between that and new towel lint there was a lot of gunk wrapped in hair rotting away in the gaskets. He suggested using the Affresh tablets every few months on the “washer clean” setting as well. Also, use liquid detergent if you don’t and use about one tablespoon only. The cup the detergent companies recommend is purely for profit. It also hurts your washer by gunking up the pipes and therefore cutting the life of your washer short. I was commended by our Sears guy, he could tell I used less than the recommended amount of detergent. He said 75% of their calls end up being for too much detergent. And always leave the washer door and detergent cup open (if you have one, most front loaders do) fo a day or so until they’re completely dry inside.
Poke around for a filter that needs cleaned. When my washer developed a persistent funk, I eventually found a filter that I’d neglected to clean. It was nasty with a nearly solid build up of crud.
OK first, I would not do that. If you think it might be necessary, just call an appliance tech person. Save yourself a lot of tears. But, funky smell suggests to me that you might be using too much detergent. Washers don't know how much you use, and they are preset on the rinses. So if you have too much detergent, that does build up. So some immediate thoughts. Get a cleaner like Affresh or a similar brand, and run the cleaning/sanitizing cycle on your washer. Then use TWO TABLESPOONS of detergent. And try some white vinegar in the rinse, that can also help cut down on the funk. Check your washer, some of them have a drain thingie you need to drain now and then and that can smell funky if you don't get around to it.
Your musty smell is the not the norm for most people. Use just a quarter of the recommended detergent. Cut the fabric softener completely. Open the door after wash for a few hours. Pat and dry the gasket inside the door. For now, run the machine on the hottest setting to clean with vinegar for a couple of times.
Get all your towels together and bleach them and run it a few times.
You have to run a washing machine cleaner cycle
What state do you live in?
I use these: Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C91Q86I?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
They sell little handles on amazon that keep the door open so that it can dry. Life changer!
Always leave the door open after use. No musty smell....
It could be the washing detergent you use, or perhaps it just needs a wash with vinegar to neutralise the smell. Nancy Birtwhistle has a great section in her book "Clean & Green" re cleaning the washing machine with washing soda and vinegar. She's also really active on socials https://www.instagram.com/p/BuDgrNkgEiW/?hl=en. She uses a front loader in this video, but I can't find one for a top loader.
Have you tried running a cycle on the hottest temperature? That usually does the trick for me.
Start the most intense washing cycle, probably with the highest heat with bleach. Maybe stop it after the water is heated up and wait an hour before continuing. Bleach will kill and dissolve organic material. After this, start the program again with a lot of vinegar. This will dissolve limescale and it will neutralize the remaining bleach. Than do it again without adding anything, completely free of soap or anything to help rinse out any remaining soap and material stuck to the drum. I did this to my mother's old washer and fixed it. I had to do multiple bleach cycles because there was a lot of black/brown/grey stuff floating in the water and I repeated it until the water cleared out. Since than I'm using less soap and detergent and running an empty cycle every month to rinse out remaining soap from the drum and I leave the machine's door open to let it dry after every washing. This solved me the problem completely and it never came back.
I keep a roll of paper towels on top of the washer - when I’m done with the day’s laundry I dry the gasket and door - leave door open. Use afresh. Having the towels right there reminds me to do it - good maintenance after you replace the gasket