Stinking washing machine

A 5 year old Samsung washing machine - one of those:

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It has been used every day or every other day since it was purchased.

All was fine until a few weeks ago when we noticed a bad smell coming from what seemed to be the main compartment (drum). The machine still works fine as far as I can tell.

The door is always kept slightly ajar between washes, and the drain is connected to the waste of the sink in the utility room that is only used a few times per year. I took apart the connection between the drain and the sink waste, and it is clear (and clean).

What I have tried so far:

- Run on empty at max temp for a cycle.

- Cleaned the dispenser drawer and took it out and cleaned the recess behind it.

- Cleaned the debris filter.

- checked the feed and drain pipes at the back, and they have not moved and are still clipped in place.

Upon cleaning the filter above, I noticed that there was what I thought was quite a lot of water still left in the machine (I would estimate

200-300ml), and the water that came out stank! Exactly the smell that we had noticed.

I also checked to see that the machine was level, and it was.

Another thing that I noticed was that the machine seems to shake quite a lot when spinning at a high speed - I cannot be sure, but I am pretty certain that it is much more than it used to be. Not sure if this is related?

I assume the machine does not drain fully? Any idea what to try next please?

Reply to
JoeJoe
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Sounds like water is running back. Perhaps the drain hose is gummed up with sludge somewhere althouigh maybe not at the connection you checked.

Some liquid detergents will build up a residue and also powers used at low temperatures. Perhaps try a washer cleaner or alternatively an empty wash using powder at max temperature.

Reply to
pamela

A whole 1Kg bag of washing soda on a full maximum temperature wash

Washing soda available from most(all) major supermarkets, many pound shops etc at around £1 for a 1Kg bag.

Example

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Put most of it in the drum and a small amount in the soap dispensers.

This will get rid of the congealed detergent and body fat deposits mix which is the root cause of the bacteria and smell.

Reply to
alan_m

pamela explained on 17/07/2018 :

I agree with all that, plus I would check the pump is working as it should - running properly/ not choked up with material.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

The 'gunge' is a mix of old detergent, body oil, and calcium carbonate. It can be quite 'extensive', all but totally blocking pipes etc. Sometimes the only way to remove it is disassembly and poke and flush.

As for the smell, check the rubber seal around the door, there is usually a grease which can attract gunge and mold.

Ditto the detergent / powder dispenser- it can get gummed up.

Reply to
Brian Reay

Thanks for that.

I've tried it already though without success.

Reply to
JoeJoe

Oops! Didn't realise that washer cleaner is actually a product. I'll give it a try. Thanks again.

Reply to
JoeJoe

I'll be happy to remove the pipe and clean it, but couldn't find how to detach it from the washing machine... Access is very limited as well. Am I missing a trick?

Gave that a good clean, but smell still there.

Reply to
JoeJoe

How can I check that? I was standing next to it today when it started (something that I have never done before...) and thought that the pump sounded very loud.

Reply to
JoeJoe

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Reply to
alan_m

Machines vary. Sometimes you need to get at the underneath- even lay them on their side (carefully!).

There is usually a large rubber 'boot' / hose which acts like a 'sump'. That can get gummed up. You can generally clean it by removing one of the larger pipes and gaining access that way.

We had an old machine which got a lot of use when the children were young, plus my wife tended to use liquid (bad for gunge), too much of it, and we live in a hard water area. I must admit, later machines have 'died' of sometime before getting totally gummed up but I do give the drain hose a flush now and then. Plus, machine gets less use, wife uses powder (not too much) etc.

Reply to
Brian Reay

Thanks a lot for that - very interesting...

A couple of months ago we started to use liquid instead of powder for the first time ever - I think the supermarket had a deal or something so we decided to give it a try.

May well be the culprit...

We are in a very very soft water area btw.

Reply to
JoeJoe

You may have to use around a third of the amount of liquid detergent they suggest on the side of the bottle.

The machines in this house have used only liquid detergent for the past few decades and usually on cold wash. Four cycles a year with washing soda crystals and maximum temperature keeps the machine smell free.

Reply to
alan_m

Domestic machines don't drain fully.

You've gone way too long without cleaning the machine out. What's in there will be limescale if you water isn't soft, human fat, detergent residue, dirt & toxic mould.

Give it a boiling (or hottest) wash with washing soda - not 1kg, that's just asking for trouble & a waste of money. Then another hot wash with citric acid. And if the manual permits it, a wash with bleach.

In future use powder not liquid, and give it a hot wash every month with one of soda or citric, alternate one then the other. Don't mix the 2 of course, nor citric with bleach.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Non - biological powder made our machine stink. My clothes would smell better when I put them in.

Reply to
misterroy

I wonder whether periodic "maintenance washes" nullify the savings of low temperature washing. I haven't had to do one since I started using

60° for towels and handkerchiefs.
Reply to
Max Demian

In article , pamela writes

Non-bio are particularly prone to that.

Reply to
bert

Ours starts to smell too, if I don't empty the sump once a month, and then do a hot 'empty' wash. I usually use a cup full of soda crystals (any more, and it fills with foam, which overflows through the drawer), although I will sometimes use half a cup full of bleach (which hasn't broken anything in our machine yet, but I have chosen to ignore the possibility of it attacking some rubber components). Ours is a cheapo Beko, which has worked well for some eight years (I have had to change the motor brushes once), but because it has a larger than normal door, some water always collects in the profile of the door seal. If it is not regularly dried out, that will go black and smelly.

If I feel like washing a load of my own clothes, I always use soda crystals. And we use white vinegar (I buy a gallon of glacial acetic acid and dilute it) as conditioner. The glacial acetic acid is weird - it freezes when the house gets only a bit cold in Winter. We don't mind not having nice fluffy clothes and towels :-)

Reply to
Dan S. MacAbre

What does the acetic acid do for the clothes?

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Interesting. I'm allergic to bio, and get a rash if it's used on anything that touches the skin. So use non bio. And my machine does rather stink - despite using proprietary cleaners the supermarkets sell. Which were a total waste of money.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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