Washing machine smells when there is no washing in it.how do i get rid of smell?

Question

i don,t want to use bleach in case my clothes in the next wash i do marks them.

Answer 1

run the empty washer on the hottest cycle.

Answer 2

You can try using a bottle of pure lemon juice, a bottle of vinegar or 2 cups of natural bleach which will not stain your clothes and pour it in first before running the cycle and let sit for about an hour.

Answer 3

this can happen if you don't use the high temp setting regularly

also when not in use, leave the door ad jar

Answer 4

Create a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to 2 cups of white distilled vinegar.

Begin a wash cycle using the machine’s hottest setting. As the water rises, add the baking soda and vinegar mixture.

Let the washing machine complete a full cycle. If you notice any residue that has been loosened, use a cloth to wipe the surface clean.

Run a cold water cycle to complete the process. You should immediately notice that the smell has been neutralized.  

Answer 5

put a whole little bag of soda crystals in the washing drum with no clothes and put it on a 90 wash, this will do the trick!

Leave the door opened a bit after you finished with it so it allows air to get to it.

Answer 6

I would put a number of the responses together.  Run your washing machine with no clothes in it.  Use a commercial product, soda crystals or borax.  After, leave it open to air out.  Like the first responder said, its probably just old water, but check to make sure you don't have an old sock under the agitator.

Answer 7

THIS IS USUALLY CAUSED BY SOAP POWDER SINKING TO THE BOTTOM,UNDER THE DRUM.I WAS TOLD BY AN ENGINEER THAT ONCE A MONTH I SHOULD RUN THE HOTTEST CYCLE,WITH NO CLOTHES OR POWDER TO MOVE THE GUNGE.IT WORKED FOR ME.I WAS ALSO TOLD THIS COMES FROM USING THE LOW WASH 40 OR UNDER, AND POWDER RATHER THAN LIQUID LAUNDRY PRODUCTS.    AMY

Answer 8

hiya its the old stale water that's causing the smell. all i do is after i have finished my washing for the day, i put some conditioner in the  EMPTY machine,and give it a small wash.it will still leave water in it when finished,but there is some think in the conditioner, that's stops it smelling. try it and see for yourself.i phoned the manufactures up years ago and they told me to do that.hope this helps you.xx

Answer 9

Do you have a front loader or an HE machine that doesn't have an agitator? And how old is it?

Answer 10

Wash the door seal on your washing machine, and the powder draw.

They do get messy and smell foul. Give your machine a clean through

(short wash cycle with no powder). See how that goes

Answer 11

Its the old water resting in the bottom of the machine you won't get rid of the smell. You could try running the machine empty on a spin cycle when you have done all your washing.

Answer 12

If you visit a local home improvement store they have things you can wash in a regular cycle that is supposed to clean the tub out. At home depot we carry Affresh made by Whirlpool.

Some washers also have a cleaning cycle where they recommend you use bleach.

If it's a fairly new washer your bleach will go away. Most cycles have two rinse cycles and everything washes away. I have never had bleach turn up on my clothes in a new load. :]

Good luck.

Answer 13

Chezer 2 has the best answere and the soda is under a pound u can get it in most supper markets it is safe for laundry

Answer 14

I used to repair washing machines for a living and it is the old water in the pump. If it is water lying in the bottom of the machine, then you have another problem.

To remove the immediate problem, put one eggcup full of bleach in the machine and run it empty on the hottest wash (usually 80-90 degrees C). It won’t hurt your next wash as the bleach will be dilute and washed away with the rinse cycles. This will flush out the stale water and kill the bacteria causing the smell. Soda crystals will also work.  

To keep the smell away, run the empty machine on the hottest wash at least once a month. This clears stagnant water and the grease that bacteria love! (Soda crystals or eggcup of bleach can also be used in the monthly empty cycle).

Answer 15

The same thing happened to my sister and there was old water at the bottom underneath the washer under the ummm...tank thing that holds the clothes.

Answer 16

Try running the machine with some Soda Crystals in the drawer. They are good for putting down sinks and toilet pans to take away any smell from the drains so hopefully will work on the machine.

I use them all the time when washing clothes as they can remove stains like grease, blood, ink etc. Just put a tablespoon in the drawer along with the washing powder.

You can also use them for soaking clothes that are badly stained.