Front Loading Washer Smells like Mold - What Can I Do?

I had the same problem, and white vinegar seemed to do the trick...with the "tub wash" function. I put the vinegar in the soap dispencer and the bleach. Also, they have tablets for front loaders that are bleach free sold at home depot and lowes.

I thought I was losing m mind. Mine does that too once in a while, even if I don't let clothes sit in it. I have used vinegar on mine and it seems to help but I have to add it every couple of months or the washer starts to smell again.

I have had the same problem and the solution for me has been to leave it open when not in use. Being able to air out and dry sees to have solved the problem. I live in CO so the air is very dry.

I have one too and notice if I close the door after a load it will smell after. So I prop the door open when I'm done doing laundry to let it dry out and haven't had any problem with it smelling.

We have had the same problem with ours! It was so bad, that entire part of the house was stinky, and our clothes too! yuck. I was so mad at spending that kind of money, and was getting ready to call a repairman, when my hubby (a stay at home daddy) fixed the problem. He found a tub wash setting on our machine. He ran that about 4 times (it takes about 2 hours) with bleach in the dispenser, and it is like new now!
My parents have the same type of washer (front loader) and my stepmom has a repairman come out 1x per year to remove and sanatize the rubber gasket. She said that has always worked well for her, and she has had her front loader for 15 years.

4 months ago I bought a front loading washing machine. When the delivery guy installed it he said to make sure and clean out the filter once a month. He has seen many people who after a year buy a new washer because there is such a bad smell. I have an LG and the filter is located on the bottom front of the washer behind a little door. I'm not sure where other brand's filters are located. If I remember correctly, my sister who has another brand (not sure what kind) had to go to the back of her machine to find the filter and in it she found a sock! In the 4 months I've had my machine I've only cleaned it out twice. You first have to drain the water before removing the filter. The two times I've cleaned it there wasn't much in the filter, but I could see how over a year there could be quite a bit of build up. The manual for the washer should explain where and how to clean the filter for your machine. Good Luck - I hope this is the problem as it is an easy fix! And I ditto all of those who have said leave the door open when not in use!

I have this same problem. Mine collects water in the front. I would love to hear if anyone sends any good advice for this problem. I have yet to figure out how to solve this problem.

SAHM of 4yo girl and 2yo twin girls.

Trying running it with vinegar. Vinegar is really good at getting smells out. Just run a short cycle (with no clothes in it obviously :)) with like a cup of vinegar where you would put the detergent and see if that helps.

Wash empty with Vinegar and hot water, then wash empty with bleach and hot water. It should take care of it. Good Luck.

I use a top loader right now (really prefer a front loader!) and I have the same problem. I've found if I leave the door open for a couple hours after washing the last load of the day, it allows the machine to dry out and I don't get that smell.

I have a front loader, too, and keep the door ajar (I unplug the washer after each use) and I dry off the seal where the water can sit.

Is your washing machine a Maytag Front-Load? There's a known issue with mold.
You might be a member of the class action lawsuit, see more on http://maytagfrontloadsettlement.com/faq.html.

I had the same problem. I found that leaving the door open after the last load allows it to dry out instead of it getting mildewy. This is kinda a pain depending on where you keep your washer. I haven't tried anything else because it seems to work.

I NEVER close the door to my washer when it is not in use. The seal is so tight that it keeps all wetness in and does not dry out. Have you tried to let it dry out really well? Other than that I don't know! Good luck.

J.

I would try the vinegar wash. I know that helps get the mold smell out of clothes! It would be worth a shot. I hope you can figure it out! I would be frustrated about it too! Good luck!

I don't know what brand of washer you have but when ours started smelling we did some investigating on line and discovered that the drain was probably clogged. I found on line how to take my front panel off the washer and then I just unscrewed the drain / filter (very easy to find it was clearly labeled)and then the stink went away for months. When we called the repairman he wanted to charge us a fortune. I need to do it again the smell is starting to come back after a year and I am sure the smell would go away again I just cleaned out the filter. Finding the time to do it is always the trick though. :)

Try vinegar, and I have also had really good luck with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, I use the tea tree with my DD cloth diapers and it has greatly improved the smell of her diapers and our washing machine. You can find this soap as Vitamin Cottage or Whole Foods. It is not very expensive either and you can use it for cleaning, as a shampoo, body wash, dish soap, hand soap it's great for camping because its biodegradable and safe for the environment. I love this stuff and it's gentle enough on baby.

I started to have the same problem! and I actually started to just leave the door open after a load has been taken out and let it air dry. I don't know what to tell you about the current smell... try running a load with baking soda and nothing else in there... or I love my oxy clean for smells in my daughter's cloths so that might work too... I wish you the best!

Leaving the door open doesn't fix the smell - there is mold in your machine. It will help prevent it from growing, so do it in the future after your loads.

To get rid of the smell, do the following:
1. Create a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to 2 cups of white distilled vinegar.
2. Begin a wash cycle using the machine’s hottest setting. As the water rises, add the baking soda and vinegar mixture.
3. 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.
4. Run a cold water cycle to complete the process. You should immediately notice that the smell has been neutralized.

Works like a charm!

If the vinegar wash on the hottest setting doesn't work, and you've wiped out the rubber parts around the door and made sure it's draining (can you tell we've been there?), you can buy a product called Whirl Out. It is made to clean out pipes in jacuzzi tubs so that they don't get mold growth. Ours is and LG washer and this is what they recommended and thankfully, it works!! You can buy Whirl Out at Home Depot (we had to specifically ask for it b/c it wasn't out on the shelf), or you can just google it and buy it online. We end up doing a cycle with the hottest water and this product once every few months and it works wonders! No more stink!

I have had the same problem.
Try this - run a cycle with one of the following:
1 cup of baking soda in the machine
Or
1 cup of liquid dishmachine detergent (ie Cascade, etc)

And, always leave the door ajar when not in use.
This is what the Sears Repair Man suggested and has worked for me.

Good luck!

Hi N. - we have this too - I love my front loader but had I known I would struggle with this, I might have reconsidered.

When I had my dryer serviced, I asked the tech about how to deal with this. He recommended wiping out the seal between washes and letting it airdry to keep it from coming back. He also recommended doing maintenance washes with bleach and hot water. The other thing he recommended was to do a hot wash with a dishwasher tab.

You need to keep the door open all the time except when you are washing. It will take a while for the smell to go away. I hope your laundry room is far from the rest of your house!

Know problem well..four year old washer here.
1. run a load with real beach and vingar (no soap and a towel or something you don;t care about.) I now toss in real bleach ever so often just to clean it with a white load on hot...about every two weeks.
2. wipe the rubber parts with bleach water or vingegar. Pull it back and rub out the inside...you will go through a ton of towels.
3. when finished. leave the door open all the time. Also put a air filter (I have one from Bed Bath and Beyond that is like this mesh bag with stones in it.) My mom hung hers in her California (even more humidity) in side the machine and changed it like every other month.
I also have a can air smeller thing from BBB in citrus that works quite well. I sit it right at the base of the machine. From time to time, leave your laundry room door open too to air the room out.5. Last, put kid's socks in a mesh laundry bag. This prevents them from getting caught under the ruber seal.

My mom's age old advice for anything that smells is to use newspaper. When our washer did this we stuffed it full of crumpled up newspaper and let it sit over night. When we got up the next morning we took out the newspaper and the smell was gone. I hope this helps!

Maybe clean out the detergent dispenser tray?? And always be sure to leave the door open after a load until it is dry inside.

We've had a front loader for 6 years and LOVE it! But I always catch my kids closing the door after switching the laundry. So I make sure to check that it's open when I walk by.

I had the same issue just a few months ago and learned of a good trick from my aunt. When you are done with the washing machine leave the soap tray AND the machine door open until you need to use it again. This helps to air out the machine and the soap tray. It does help with the smell...but it takes several days...sometimes weeks. The problem now is remembering to do this...Good luck!~

Try leaving the door open in between washes. My friends and I have the same issue but it seems to really help if you don't latch the door so the water can evaporate. If it still smells bad maybe there is a bigger problem and you should call the manufacturer... but I'd start with leaving the door open... good luck!

I too have a front loading washer that is only about a year old. I love it but it too smells like mold. I have started to leave the door open to air it out inbetween wash days and that has done the trick. I would suggest this and then if it doesn't help-call the company! Good luck!

My washer instructions say" Always do the following to maintain washer freshness. 1. Use only HE High Efficiency detergent. 2. Leave the door slightly open after each cycle to allow for better ventilation & drying of washer interior. 3. Repeat the cleaning procedure monthly, using 2/3 cup of liquid chlorine bleach. 4. If the procedure does not sufficiently impove the machine freshness, please evaluate your installation and usage conditions for other causes."

I've had mine for several months now & never had to clean it or had a problem because I was warned to leave the door open a little bit. I also take the dispenser out & let it dry after use each week, or how often you do wash. It keeps minerals,etc. from building up. If these don't help I'd call the manufacturer for more recommendations.

Not sure if this will help but have you tried putting in a cup or two of vinegar and running a cycle? I use vinegar to take the smell out of everything. Good luck.

Not sure how to get rid of the smell, but hopefully you get good advice and for the future, don't shut the door if its still wet in there. Leave it open a crack and let it air out.

Okay,
mine flooded the laundry room last night so, I am LESS than thrilled with it or it's moldy smell. I have the smae problem but found that leaving it WIDE open when I am not using it (not often as we have 7 kids) helps the most. Also, I wipe out that area where the rubber gasket is (where socks hide) everyday with a antibacterial wipe....
Good luck!

We have this problem as well, and did call a service tech out once because it also was not draining well. Is yours leaving lots of water too? There is a face plate on the bottom of the washer, if you remove it, you can access the draining system. As one other member said, small stuff gets stuck in there, along with hair and yuck. It starts to smell.
We clean this area out about once every two months and it helps alot. Maybe you can look on line or in your owners manuel and see how to do it...and avoid the expensive tech.

No luck I'm afraid but I'm glad to hear you are having the same problem. I think it's more the rubbery smell of the seal than anything else and it's probably normal as long as when you are done with a wash you leave the door open for a while to make sure it dries out each time. Luckily I have a room I can keep closed and it doesn't impact me unless I get real close to load or unload.

N.,
Try putting two cups of vinegar in . Start it up and let it go through a complete cycle. This sure helped mine!

I have had this too.

Two things....

The first time I noticed it I also had a filling defect that kept coming up on the computer. Turns out that one or more of my kids little, little socks as well as some of those Shout Color Catchers got clogged in the draining system. When the repairman came out and showed me my problem, it was VERY apparent where the smell I had experienced came from and then disappeared.

The other thing I have used lately that I found at Lowes are some tablets that you use to get rid of the smell. They are somewhere near the washers/dryers or the cleaning supplies. You put a tablet in by itself during a cycle as a maintenance cleansing. It definitely has helped although I am curious as to if my draining system needs to be checked again even though I now use a lingerie bag to put small socks in the washer.

I agree with the others about leaving the door open and I try to at any time possible between loads but it is hard as I average about 2 loads a day and I am not always right there when the loads finish. But if your washer is like mine, I don't think leaving the door open alone will solve your problem.

Best wishes.

Hi N., I too have a front loading washer and had noticed that lovely moldy smell after the first few washes and discovered that if I leave the door to the washer open, whenever it is not in use, the smell goes away. Otherwise, water collects in the rubber washer around the door and that's what you're smelling. Just let it air out after each wash.

Check under the rubber that lines the inside of the washer.
Everytime mine smells bad I check and there is always one
or two of my kids socks hiding in there.
Good Luck.

N., even when not in use your front loader washer still has about 1 gallon of water in it. From what I understand it is the water and the soap residue that starts to stink. You can get tablets to run in the washer once a month (empty) from Best Buy that will get rid of the soap residue but they are expensive. I've heard soap nuts work well too but have no idea where to get them.

Since I've been using the tablets I don't have THAT smell.

You can google front loader washer smell and find more info.

Have you checked it for clogs? My front loader was less than a year old and was having problems, it turned out to be a clog made up of baby socks and lint, and one finger puppet too! My model has a part on the front under the cover that you can unscrew and let out all the junk that has built up in there, I now use garment bags for small socks and undies and I will periodically check for any clogs. Look in your owners manuel to see if your washer has a similar feature to remove clogs. Just a warning though, have towels on hand and make sure to tunr off the water to the washer before you do anything! Even with the water off there will be some water backed up in the washer that will leak all over the floor so you will need the towels.

Try running a cup of vinegar through it and leaving it open at night to air out. It worked for me.

I finally asked the repair guy about mine (Maytag Neptune$$$) and he suggested running an empty load with some bleach in it (more environmental guilt--sorry!) and then keeping the door open slightly whenever I wasn't using it. That was almost two years ago, and I no longer have mold, but the light has long since burnt out.
BTW, Maytag had a big lawsuit a year or so ago to answer for the moldy rubber problem. . . . so it's not just you. Good luck!

We just bought a new laundry set and it came with a washing machine cleaning product called "Affresh". It's made by Whirlpool, but I'm sure it's able to be used in all makes of washers. I haven't seen it in the store - of course I didn't know it existed until we got it with our set - but it is online. Good luck!

Hello, like everyone else has said, you have to leave the door slightly open and it will air out so you shouldn't smell it after that. hope that helps! L.

N. I do not have any advise sorry, but I have the same problem and need help to!!! I have a top of the line front loader that kicks out the same smell. It is a wonderful machine I love it but the smell is horrible. I went to Lowes and while I was asking the guy what to do, another man that was shopping with his son said that he had the same problem, however once he cleaned out the rubber part in the front the smell stopped. I bought the tablets and also did what the guy said and it helped a little but but not for long. Now when you walk in my laundry room you may get knocked off your feet. I could use some help in the area also. Thank you N. for asking the question and Thank you in advance to whoever has the answer.

Put a gallon of white vinegar in and let it run a normal cycle, (no clothes). I did this and no more smell or mold anywhere! Also we leave the door open when it's not running to let it dry out. Good luck!! I saw this tip on TV and it really works.

Try putting a load in (maybe of kitchen towels) and washing them with white vinegar - put the vinegar in instead of detergent about 1 cup. You will have to wash the towels again but it should help. This also works if you leave your clothes in the wash too long and they get that moldy smell.

Good luck!

K.

I have a high end, Front load washer too! and the same here it smells of mold, i need help too!

You may want to call out a technician and have it looked at. We have a front loader and on one of our service calls the tech found a sock that had gotten into the boot of the washer and was preventing it from draining properly. We never had tons of water left in the washer but the clothes were damper than was normal, like if we washed them in a regular washer. There are parts that have to be accessed with a screwdriver. He said sometimes small items can get into this area and cause problems. On our yearly maintenance this is one area that is always looked at. They also have a washing machine cleaner that you can buy in your laundry section. It says you need to use the whole bottle but our washer would not hold that much liquid in the dispenser. I have just as good luck with pure vinegar. It helps remove hard water deposits and helps with any smells. Good luck. I hope everything works out.

Wow! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with a stinky washer. What I do is end my laundry with my whites load that I wash on hot with bleach and that has solved the problem. If my last load was darks with my husband's stinky socks the problem was terrible!

Hi N., You need to leave the door open when you arn't running the washer. You can also buy some pelets at Home Depot that kills the smell and bacteria. Good Luck!

Call the manufacturer, see what they recommend. If mine starts smelling I either run a empty wash load with bleach in it or do vinager. Yes, you feel guilty about the bleach however it does help mine. Vinager works too, run a small cold wash load WITHOUT clothes and see if it helps. Vinager takes the mildewy smell out of my towels too if the kids have left them crumbled up before I wash them.