Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Stinky Washer: A More Common Affliction Than You Might Think

Something has been stinky up my laundry room this summer. I thought it was the dirty clothes but today my daughter opened the machine to take out her freshly washed load and was greated my the most ghastly smell. It smelled like a wet towel that had been tossed in the hamper and forgotten for a month or two. The laundry actually smelled worse after being washed. This, combined with the fact that my laundry room is in fact just a small cubby in the back of my bedroom closet (no joke, I have to push my clothes aside to get to my washer and dryer), meant that it was time for action.

A google search on "stinky washing machine" revealed some valuable information and ultimately solved my problem. After checking out several websites, I opted to follow the directions on ApplianceAid.com. I am not a fan of bleach or Cascade, I prefer more environmetally friendly options like vinegar and Ecover or Seventh Generation, but I needed the stink to stop. At least the label on Cascade said its ok to use in my septic system.

The good news is it worked. I followed the directions on the website, although I actually let it soak for 45 minutes rather than 10-15 because I forgot about it, and the machine stinks no more!

From a frugal standpoint, I saved a service call, I already had bleach (last used two years ago when a crayon went in the dryer with some jeans and my husband didn't want to wear jeans with red stripes) and Cascade was on sale at the little store in the village. Not bad for a day's work!

9 comments:

Harmonia said...

Ours is in the basement and our is smelly...not sure why...need to find out.

Trisha said...

This is a good idea. My washer stinks sometimes, too.

KleoPatra said...

Hey, good for you! And thanks for passing along the info. I don't like smelly laundry or smelly washing machines!

Katie said...

Apparently, mildewy yuck can grow on the outside of the outer wash tub (check out the picture on the link I listed to get a visual on this.) This mildew is what makes the stink.

From everything I read, its more of a problem in washers that are used infrequently and are left with the lid down. Mine fit this description (although all summer I do at least a load a day, for 10 months out of the year its used only once a month and I always keep the lid closed.)

Anonymous said...

try going to www.affresh.com this is a great new solution for odor in washers

Anonymous said...

affresh .com has a solution

Anonymous said...

I leave my door open to dry out the washer after I use it. Really cut the odor down.

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biguggy said...

Bleach, and most other laundry aids, including detergent, can be cause corrosion of aluminium and its alloys should the required concentrations be reached.
The spiders in the front load washing machines are manufactured from aluminium alloys.