How To Get Rid Of Washing Machine Odors?

Washing machine odor might not be the most unpleasant smell you encounter in your home, but if there is significant mold or mildew building up in the appliance you have an odor problem on your hands. The first thing you need to do is find out why water is staying in the appliance and why moisture remains after the cycle is complete.

Water may remain in the main compartment and in the drain hose. This moisture allows mold and mildew to build up over time. If your washing machine isn’t eliminating all the water during the spin cycle you may want to have a repairman take a look at the problem.

Start Now
Before you make a phone call or start taking the appliance apart do what you can to get the water out of the machine and the hoses. Use towels and a hair dryer if necessary to remove all the moisture. If you can actually see mold or dark spots of mildew clean these with a good household cleanser. This will take care of most of the smell for the time being.

You may be able to prevent further problems by not overloading the machine on laundry days. Wash a few less items of clothing each time and see if the machine gets rid of the excess water. Smaller loads allow the machine to spin more efficiently. Take care when distributing the clothing in the machine. Uneven distribution can lead to poor operation during the spin cycle. You may have to let the door stand open to allow moisture to evaporate. This is especially true of front-loading machines because the doors must have a very tight seal.

Prevention
You can get rid of some washing machine odors by running the appliance empty. Use the hot cycle, pour in a cup of vinegar and start the machine. This should remove the odor. In addition to this helpful step, make sure the surfaces of the machine are clean and dry, inside and out. Get all water deposits off of the surfaces using vinegar and a hand towel. You can even use a small amount of bleach to clean the inside surfaces and prevent mildew.

One of the simplest ways to reduce the amount of mold and mildew in your washing machine is to rinse all your clothes on a cold-water cycle. Mold and bacteria grow best in dark, warm locations. Hot-water rinses may only add to the problem of washing machine odors. When it comes to mold and mildew in washing machines or any other household location prevention is the best medicine. Once the mildew builds up and odors begin it is more difficult to correct the problem.

 Print This Page