Front Load washer....the Rubber Stinks

I was told when I bought my new front loader that it's best to run the clean tub cycle and use cleaner tablets at the same time, I have been using "Affresh" tablets, use them once a month. I also wipe the rubber seal, door, and glass, and leave the door open after my laundry is done. I was told it helps to prevent mold and mildew. There is not enough water to cycle through to clean it out each time, so I guess somewhere inside there water and soap residue exists to some point and that is what gets the smell going. I had a problem before that my brand new towels smelled mildewy like I had left them in the washer for a week before drying them. It was awful and I had always put them right in dryer after they washed. Anyway so I was told that is what happens if you don't clean it out regularly and leave the door open.

There is hopefully a self clean cycle that you use bleach with. After doing that, when not in use, keep the door unlatched. It can be against the washer, but not latched. It is just that the seal is so good, but the washer is still damp from the wash = stink. Leaving it unlatched has worked for our two front loaders. We haven't had the problem yet.

Hi C.,

The rubbers they use these days are usually synthetic and give off a putred odor. All sythetics will outgas and keeping it closed up will just make it worse. I would put it outside for a day in the sunshine and let it air out. (I actually did that yesterday because I'm painting my laundry room.) I also use a natural laundry detergent that has a high grade tea tree oil in it and it forces those things to go through that process quicker, so that the residues from the chemicals at the factory go away.

It's not just your LG....

M.

Which one do you have? My LG has a "TUB CLEAN" cycle. If you look on your buttons (mine are on the right side of the machine), mine has extra options if you press and hold for 3 seconds.

First I take a rag and wipe the creases of the rubber making sure nothing has accumulated there. Then I put some bleach in the dispenser, hit the tub clean and let it blast.

To avoid this - leave the door to your washer open whenever it's not washing and wipe the creases of the rubber out when you're done washing for the day to avoid sitting water.

Mine does the same! My husband scrubs it every 2 weeks or so with bleach water (for the smell & because the rubber turned all black and I was afraid it was mold!) and that seems to help a little. We also use dye/fragrance free detergent for all our stuff. That may help too.

I leave mine open when not in use. When the washer is still wet and you close it in tight it gets that sour smell and even makes the clothes smell that way. I know what you mean, I also got a front loader and haven't been overly pleased with it because seriously it doesn't get the clothes as clean as my old washer did and have to leave it open when not in use, bought the biggest size they had and holds less clothes than my old washer plus the water bill didn't get any cheaper which was the main reason we got it.

Do like the dryer though as it dries clothes faster.

The rubber seal should be flexible so you can bend it back and clean with a Clorox wipe, etc.

We had to do that before we realized that we have to keep the door open between washes to prevent the build-up of mold/mildew in side that ring where it's damp, dark, and warm (all ideal conditions to promote such growth).

Running some vinegar through a wash should also help neutralize the smell.

Try running it without a load and put some white vinegar in it to let it rinse through. That should help clear out whatever residue and mold that may be accumulating.

The vinegar smell will dissipate after an hour or two. You won't make it worse by using vinegar. Trust me on that. When you first pour it, you will smell it. But it doesn't linger a long time.

Also, ALWAYS leave the door open when not in use. Not just "a couple of times", lol. Those babies are air tight!! That's why the water doesn't leak when in use... so you have to leave the door open to let it dry inside. Otherwise, mildew sets in pretty quickly.

My mom and sister have front load washers (not sure of brand) and they both keep the door open and put in a bounce sheet when not in use...they too complained of the smell.

My front load washer is a whirlpool and it has a cycle to clean it with clorox and it's to be done every so often. I haven't had that problem at all but I do use it everyday usually so it's not sitting much. See if you have a cleaning cycle and use that regularly and then leave the door open some.

We bought the LG front load washer/dryer several years ago, and I know exactly what you are talking about. We actually had to have ours service a couple of times for issues with the bleach dispenser and various issues. I learned that even the amount of soap recommended by the detergents are too much. You don't need more than 2 TBS of soap per load, even the largest load. So reduce the amount of soap, and yes it still cleans everything. Then, any time you have a towel or wash cloth that is being put in, pull back the rubber around the inside of the door and wipe it down. Alot of the smell comes from water/soap remaining in the folds of the rubber. Do that consistently, run your clean tub cycle at least every other week using a cleaning tablet (ReFresh, I think was the product we used), and leave your door open when not in use.
Good luck! And pm me if you have any further questions.

I have one too & the manual says to use wipe out the creases in the rubber (on the bottom of the ring) where water & debris collect (& can grow). I also always leave my washer open at least a little so it doesn't stink. You shouldn't need to use a cleaner. I use vinegar for cleaning everything including in my washer (in the softner part). Once the vinegar dries it doesn't smell anymore & it may even help your slinky washer.

God bless!

I have had my front loader washer for 10 years now as we have one of the first models. The water collects in the rubber gasket and that is what smells in mine. I leave the door open and also wipe up the standing water that collects in the rubber gasket with either a paper towel or a wipe. You can also run a no clothes load, and use powder dish washer detergent to help get our the mildew smell. I like how "green" (environmently) the washer is, but dislike how "green"(moldy) that it can smell at times!!

You definitely need to leave the door fully opened when you are not using it. I also saw a product in Lowe's the other day actually called "Stinky Washer Cleaner" - you might want to try that to get a fresh start, and then always leave it opened from there.