smelly washing machine

[Doctor Evil]

Every 6 months to a year run on the hottest wash with no cloths in, a wash with citric acid. This gets rid of stuck on detergent in the drum. The smell may be because of too may cool washes.

[Hugh]

Had a similar problem - turned out to be a dead mouse - probably electrocuted as it was dangling from a solenoid valve on the inlet pipe!!

Hugh

[Andrew Gabriel]

My Hotpoint instructions say in bold letters "Do not use bleach in your machine".

It will depend on the plastics used. GRP is susceptable to attack by regular (hypochloric acid based) bleach, as are some other plastics. (I fitted a toilet cistern syphon recently, and I noticed that had a warning label on it saying not to use any bleach products in the cistern.) The whitening agents in washing detergents don't generally include chlorine-based bleaches.

[David Lang]

Ben wrote;

Oh no he isn't! Bleach on it's own doesn't clean anything. As Andrew said, it just makes some dirt invisible.

Dave

[Andy Dingley]

So does mine. But it permits it without a wash, as a machine cleaner.

[Ian Stirling]

And if you go to

'll see that that is not perhaps the most brilliant comeback.

[Derek ^]

One attempt to use "Domestos" caused prolific excessive foaming, which kept on happening through several rinses. :(

DG

[Derek ^]

I'm surprised to hear that. One bleach, Sodium Hypochlorite ( ClONa ) is commonly used to sterilise tubing in path lab instruments, where bugs growing would give erroneous (contaminated) results. Doing that job I've never seen any warnings about deterioration of plastic parts. I'd have thought detergents and organic solvents would be more likely to strip the plasticiser out of plastics.

It kills bacteria, viruses, and moulds, and causes them to break up.

Bugs metabolising large molecular weight compounds and excreting them as low molecular weight (volatile) compounds, are potent causes of smells.

Maybe doing a hot wash cycle with 2/3 dishwasher tablets (and no detergent) in might help?

DG

[Stewart]

We have a Bosch Classixx washing amchine about 3 years old. For the past year there has been an unpleasant smell from the machine even a few hours after doing a high (90 degree) temperature wash. The machine is correctly installed and we never had this problem with any previous machines using the same pipe layout (into the sink waste above the trap). There is no smell from the adjacent sink nor from the dish washer that has its waste connecting just above that from the washing machine. Has anyone else had this problem and do they know how to cure it.? .Thank you

[Alan]

In message , Stewart wrote

Try a 90 degree cycle just using a whole packet of soda crystals (washing soda) @ approx 90p/pack from Tesco. In my experience this will get rid of that 'stale detergent' smell in the machine and drain pipes.

[A.Clews]

Thus spake Stewart ( [e-mail]) unto the assembled multitudes:

Are you sure foul water isn't syphoning back into the machine through the outlet? I had this happen to mine, until I ensured the waste pipe run was well above the level of the trap under the sink into which it was connected. Coincidentally mine is also a Bosch, about 16 years old (but still going strong, though now on its second motor).

[Frank Erskine]

Try a 90 degree dummy wash with no solution/powder - perhaps just add a few bits of material such as old towels to give it a load (and perhaps soak up some pong!).

Have you tried different solutions/powders? Check, too, that the dispenser is thoroughly cleaned out - there are awkward corners in there which tend to trap stuff and go slimy/pongy.

[Appelation Controlee]

[Stephen Howard]

I have the exact same problem with a Zanussi Jetsystem, and I tried washing machine cleaners ( Oust ), soda crystals, bleach and even Dettox. No joy.

Last weekend I even dragged the machine outside, shoved a garden hose down the waste pipe and gave it a good slooshing out ( I'd have taken the machine apart, but it looks like the innards were dropped in to a practically sealed case ). A friend of mine with the same machine ( and the same problem ) has recommended using a dose of Nappysan in with the wash - so I might give that a try.

Regards,

[Arfa Daily]

A few months back, our Hotpoint started to produce a foul smell. It was a sort of 'mustiness', and you got a whiff of it every time you walked past. We tried all of the usual stuff - high temp washes, additives etc but it wouldn't go away. I began to think that there must be a leak somewhere that was making the wooden floor around it, wet somewhere, and that it was then going mouldy. Then, it suddenly occured to us that around the time it had started, we had switched detergent to a liquid 'lavendery' sort of stuff. I seem to recall that it was a Tesco's own-brand. So we switched back to our previous Persil and lo! away went the smell ...

Arfa

[Stephen Howard]

Regards,

[DM]

We are pretty much in exactly the same position. Bosch also a Classixx I believe, with a fairly consistent musty smell.

It has a a couple of runs at 90 degrees - no effect

It has had a run with soda crystals - no effect

I think some Bicarbonate of soda has also been used.

The detergent drawer has been removed and given a thorough clean to remove old detergent or crap build up.

It has been checked for leaks and there is no signs of water around the machine... it sits on some lino that goes right up the back wall.. and the smell is definitely in the region of the drum in any case.

.. but we still have the same problem.

It is at the stage where I will be looking to see if I can dismantle the machine to see if something has escaped from the drum and is stuck inside the machine.. one of the mysterious single socks perhaps.

As a long shot I might go with Arfa's observation and look to switch detergent first. We have probably been using a liquid for the last 8-12 months (Persil or Aerial, not sure), but switching for the next time would seem a harmless and simple option.

cheers

[Arfa Daily]

Be interested to see if it changes the situation. There is no doubt that it was also coming from the drum area on ours, because it was always there when the door had been left open. When the door was closed, you would be hard pushed to smell anything. Based on the fact that the manufacturers are always tinkering with detergents now to make them more energy efficient and green and euro-bollox compliant, you never know what they might have done to your regular stuff, without you knowing ...

As you say, a change of detergent is an easy thing to try, and it might just sort it all out, as it most definitely has ours.

Arfa

[Stewart]

Well, thanks all, I am glad that I am not alone; I suspect tht my wife thinks I have done something wrong in plumbing the machine in but as I said we have had previous machines plumbed in exactly the same way and no problem. I shall let her read all of your comments and she can then decide what to try next. Thanks again.

[Stephen Howard]

Don't bother with Sainsbury's own brand powders then - that's what I'm using.

Regards,