Bad smell from washing machine

[JoeJoe]

We have a 4 year old Samsung washing machine (Eco Bubble Quiet Drive WF0804W8E I think it is called). It has been used every couple of days or so since new without any problem. When we came back from a 2 week holiday away in October I noticed quite a bad mouldy smell coming from its direction. I removed the dispenser tray and found that behind its housing was mouldy and black. I cleaned the area as best as I could and then ran the machine on max temperature on empty. I also cleaner the filter. Unfortunately the smell is still there and it seems to come from inside the hole into which the detergent and conditioner are fed into the machine. I hope that makes sense, but I put a couple of photos here just in case:

(note that the black marks in the photos have been thoroughly scraped and would simply not go away).

Any idea what do do to resolve this?

I think that it came with 5 year warranty, so I can try that, but am hoping that it is something simple?

[tabbypurr]

Wipe around the soap dispensing area with bleach. Put it in the drawer if t he machine is bleach compatible, not all are. A monthly boiling hot wash re ally helps, alternately with a tb of citric acid or washing soda. If not bl eachable, doses of some other bleach killer down the chute would help. Also clean the folds of the door rubber, that tends to build up lots of mould.

I plan to experiment with fitting copper wire in the soap drawer, see if th at prevents its growth.

NT

[bert]

And continue thereafter to clean it a regular intervals as per manufacturers recommendations. I don't think the OP would have much joy with a warranty claim!! Also take out and clean the filter by the pump.

[Harry Bloomfield]

[e-mail] used his keyboard to write :

Good idea, I would be interested to know if it works.

[newshound]

You could go over to the capsules!

[Brian Gaff]

I have to say that for many years after suffering this in an old Service machine, I now use liquid blob things in with the washing as although one can clean the trays by removing them its the bit of pipe from there to the top of the durum where you cannot get at that pongs. People say Calgon or some other similar products if used from new regularly can help while other suggest the rot away the innards! Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Most drawers do detach and you should see the mess underneath if you use powder, the conditioner is best thinned before use to stop it acting like fly paper when its left for a while. Brian

[harry]

the machine is bleach compatible, not all are. A monthly boiling hot wash really helps, alternately with a tb of citric acid or washing soda. If not bleachable, doses of some other bleach killer down the chute would help. Al so clean the folds of the door rubber, that tends to build up lots of mould .

that prevents its growth.

Plus leave the door open when not in use. Some machines have drain on the rubber door seal to stop water accumulation s. Check this is clear. (Can get blocked with soap/lime)

[Adam Funk]

...

The problem I've had is with black mould in the *top* of the slot that the drawer goes into. I've managed to get it fairly clean (although it's awkward) & I'm maintaining it by spraying distilled vinegar into the slot & the drawer most mornings [1] after I take the laundry out.

How much copper wire "coverage" would you need to have the desired effect? (I thought copper was more antibacterial than antifungal, TBH.)

[1] Of course, I forgot today, now that I've said that.

[Adam Funk]

Just remembered the bit about the "boiling hot wash". I don't think that will have much effect on the detergent drawer & it's slot, since the water is heated up after it goes through there.

[tabbypurr]

On my machine steam comes out of the drawer. YMMV.

NT

[tabbypurr]

Black mould tends to get all over. Will see if the copper works first, I'm less optomistic about it clearing splash areas but you never know.

[Chris Hogg]

Dunno about antibacterial, but copper salts are widely used in horticulture as a fungicide. A copper strip along the ridge of your roof is also said to stop moss growing. The OP can but try it.

To the OP: If it were my problem, I'd remove the detergent drawer and spray it and the slot it fits in liberally with HG Mould Spray. It's obviously bleach-based from the smell, but there must be a persistent fungicide in there as well, as it's effective for much longer than simple bleach when applied to patches of black mould on cold walls and in the bathroom.

[damduck-egg]

My missus did that, god knows exactly how she sprayed it in but some spray vapour must have ricocheted or something and got onto a circuit board as the display went haywire when next turned on. The deposited spray must have been conductive enough to affect something. All options displayed at once and no response to any input. Thought it was going to need intensive repair but fortunatley blowing warm air into the soap slot for about 3 hours rectified the situation. That was four years ago now so we seem to have got away with it. That the drawer could be released and cleaned elsewhere had escaped her attention.

G.Harman

[tabbypurr]

IIRC HG mould remover spray contains bleach.

NT

[Chris Hogg]

Which is what I said in my post. But its effects last much longer than ordinary bleach IME, so I think there's also a persistent fungicide in there as well. But how it would perform in the detergent tray of a washing machine, that gets frequently flushed, I've no idea.

[Adam Funk]

Now that you mention it, I think one of our previous washer-dryers did that. I mainly do laundry overnight, but I'm pretty sure the current one doesn't.

[Adam Funk]

Interesting, thanks.

Having ruined a couple of good items of clothing, I'm reluctant to throw chlorine bleach around now. I did use it to clean the black mould out, but I wouldn't leave it in there.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

No need to do that with the detergent drawer. Take it out, stick it in a bucket of water with a blast of bleach and washing up liquid and leave overnight. It comes up gleaming.

[Steve Walker]

We bought a Hoover washing machine some years ago. We ran it with no clothes in for the first wash, to ensure that any residues from manufacture and inspection were washed away. It got so hot that the soap drawer melted from the steam coming up. I told the shop that I wanted our money back, as we were not willing to have it replaced and would not trust a machine that obviously had no functional, independent, safety cut-out.

SteveW