Having Issues with Front Loading Washer

With a front loader, I leave my door open at all times when not in use. I've heard this helps the "smell" and I've had mine for over a year now and have never had a problem.

Hi B. - I don't have any advice about a front loader, but I had a problem with my husbands work clothes not smelling all that fresh - even after a wash! I tried using some clorox 2 (safe for colors!!) - and I'm totally addicted. I use it all the time now. I've yet to have the problem since then! I hope this helps!

I do not know much about front loaders, but perhaps some water has leaked into some area and has just been standing there long enough to become stagnant and smelly.
You might have to have someone come out and look at it.

Hi B.,
My son-in-law has a front loader and is having the same issue -- there is some type of cleaner you can use -- it is a nasty smell. He's sleeping because he works the night shift, but I'll see if I can find out exactly what he uses.

Good luck! D.

I see you're getting advice, so I won't ask my kids.

My friend had this problem and warned us when we got our front-loader. I think the problem is that the water doesn't dry from the door, and it gets mildewy. We leave our door open for a while after using the washer so it dries completely. She also mentioned there is some kind of product that's called "stinky washer" or something to that effect. It helped her get rid of the smell. You might search for it online. Hope that helps!

hi B.,

I have read all of your advice, and they are the most common answers. Someone mentioned ammonia- remember to never mix ammonia with bleach. It creates a deadly very harmful gas that should be avoided at all costs.

Anyway, once someone else asked about this, and one person said that the space where water builds up may not be sealed and properly in tact-broken- there is always that to consider.

I use vinegar in every wash along with my HE detergent, along with leaving ht door opened when not in use, and I don't have any problems.

Good luck.
A.

I had the smell problem with our front loader as well. What works for me is to 1) clean out the soap dispenser. You would be amazed at the stinky gunk that builds up in there, especially if you use fabric softener! 2) Because of #1, I quit using fabric softener and now use vinegar instead in the fabric softener dispenser. 3)Dry around the rubber door seal after the the last wash, and 4) Leave the door open for about 24 hours after the last wash. Haven't had any stink problems since. Good luck!

I get this same problem with my front loader sometimes - usually after forgetting and leaving a load of wet clothes in overnight. I'm not sure how yours is built but mine has a "double" rubber seal around where the door fits that actually sometimes can hide little socks and stuff, I have to check it after each load. That seal starting developing mildew/mold "inside" or in between the layers. I cleaned it all really well with bleach and the smell went away. I can still see black marks on the rubber but it doesn't smell anymore. Occasionally I hit it again with a Clorox wipe. You could check the "drawer" where you put the soap too, mine comes all the way out and sometimes it also gets nasty on the back/bottom. After I noticed this problem, I have also tried to start leaving it open when not in use like someone else suggested and that seems to have improved things as well. Good Luck!

It doesn't sound like all of the water is draining out of the bottom of the tub, and the fluid is becoming musty from sitting there. Perhaps the washer is not level.

Sometimes I hear a clunking sound in my washer because all of the wet clothes are on one side of the washer. It throws the washer off balance, and it can push the washer to lean slightly one way. Perhaps try adjusting the feet on the bottom of the washer... or putting something underneith them to heighten one side.

The drain may be clogged on one side of the washer underneith the tub. It may require taking the top of the washer off to unclog the drain tubes or holes... not sure what it looks like in there. Generally there are only a few screws in the back of the washer holding the metal casing on. The mechanics in a washer and dryer are pretty basic...tub, motor, casing. There's not much wiring involved. Since it's musty water, you are not likely dealing with an electrical problem.

I know it sounds a bit tedious. Even if you can't fix it, the repair man will eventually have to come to the house anyways. At least trying gives you a shot at saving a few hundred dollars. Plus, he may be there less time if it's already apart...lol.

I got the front loader July 4th weekend last year. I have NO problems with a stinky washer. I ALWAYS keep the door and tray open after each use. I also put vinegar in the bleach dispenser to clean out the machine while running a non-bleach load. I read that in a About.com newsletter site. Vinegar is supposed to help flush out the machine. The laundry area is in the basement and I don't have small kids in the house so I can pull this off.

My neighbor told me that the smell comes from the water settling at the bottom of the drum combined with keeping the door shut. When she bought her FL'er she got the model with the dials on the top of the machine, so her daughter could not play with the dials.

Sears carries a product for stinky washers. I haven't wiped the seal in a while and I should. Here's the link from ehow.com. I found this in Google.

How to get the smell out of your front load washer | eHow.com

http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_smell-out-front-load...

Is the front load worth it? My answer is YES. Our electric bill has dropped immensely and we are using less water. The problem with the front loaders you can NOT handle them like the top loaders. I love my front loader. Check out your topic in Google. Good Luck.

Stop using liquid fabric softener. Use dryer sheets instead. I had the same issue, ran bleach, baking soda etc. but found it was the fabric softener. Also, leave the door to the washer open when done to let it air out and left over water to dry. If you don't like softener sheets, try vinagar instead. To make your towels more absorbent, don't use any softener at all, liquid or sheets. Hope this helps!

It's mold. I had to get rid of my front-loader and get a top loader because I couldn't get rid of the mold. I tried everything - even some special cleaner I found on-line. The mold in mine was all over the outside of the drum so there was not even any way to clean it unless the whole machine was taken apart and even then it would probably come back. There have been class action lawsuits against the manufacturers of front-loaders because of this issue. When the delivery guys bought my new one and took my old one away they said they are picking up a couple of moldy machines a week! Good luck.

I'm having this problem as well. I hear your supossed to put something in the washer or clean it with something after you run it. What your smelling is mold..... water sits in there somewhere (ive noticed the door for one) and heat causes mold. I'll be interested in hearing your responses

We had the same problem. I now buy OxiClean (powder) and take one full scoop of it and place it in the washer (without clothes loaded yet) making sure that the powder goes through the holes in the washer drum. Then I load in the clothes and close the washer door. I turn on my machine and my LG Washer has a top load soap dispenser and I add laundry soap. I use powder Tide (which cleans better than any liquid) and allow the powder to break up as I slowly add it in. When the wash is done, I leave the door open all day in order to prevent the mold and mildew build up. Good Luck. www.opendoorlearningcenter.com

I have one too and have experienced that smell. I figured that with it having a front load door it of course has a seal to keep the water in where as a top load doesn't. So when you are done with your load and close the door the machine doesn't have a chance to dry so then the water gets stale and you get the odor. What I do now is after the last load goes in the dryer I leave the washer door open to dry out while the dryer is on then when I come back to fold the last load I then close up the washer door. As for the odor in your clothes you could wash them in a load with Lestoil. We have a pool and our beach towels mold because the kids leave them laying around instead of hanging them to dry. Lestoil is an old cleaning product and is difficult to find but I have found it carried in ACE Hardware stores. I found this out by researching on the internet. You just can't find it at Walmart, etc. After you have washed clothes in it though you will want to do a short rewash with detergent just to get the "chemical" smell out of them. Hope this helps!

Leave the door open inbetween washes to dry out..made a difference for me :)

I had the same problem - go online and search for this topic and there are thousands of articles about it. You need to keep your washer door open after every load so that it will air out. Another thing is to make sure you only use a little bit of soap - and it must say "HE" on the packaging. There are some other solutions that you can run through the machine that should do the trick - look for them online.

Try leaving the door open and the detergent drawer open when you're not using the washer. I do this, and I don't have any smell at all.

front loading washers tend to retain water, which leads to mold.  i suggest leaving the washer door open when not using it (thats what i do).  they also make a product called affresh made especially for front load washers to help with cleaning.

I had the same problem and tried many things that did not work! Adding Borax to your wash (at least to the last load of the day)solved my smell problem immediately. Also, I always leave my door open at least a little. A few months ago I started making my own detergent (not at all hard and soooo cheap!) -it has borax in it so I haven't had the smell.

i have the same problem! i use white vinegar in the rinse cycle (it's a great fabric softener and kills germs... the only thing it doesn't do is remove static cling) and that seems to help my clothes smell fresh. i also run a load by itself every so often with hot water and bleach, although i hate using bleach so i'd love some other suggestions!!!

hey- I have a front loader too, and I notice the mildew smell in my laundry room too! My washer has a little drain on the bottom left, and the directions say that I should clean it out and let the water out of it every 2 weeks. When I keep up with that, the smell goes away. I also wipe the door with a towel after every load and I wipe down the rubber liner to the door too (near the inside of the washer, not on the door). After I wipe it out then I always leave the door open so it doesn't trap the moisture inside. Good luck!

Ours was stinky so we leave it opened all the time. That seemed to help. We haven't had any problems since. I hope that helps your problem. I know they have a cleaner that you can buy and run through the washer. You could try that if opening the door doesn't work. best of luck~ happy washing.

Make sure you're leaving the door ajar between washes to air dry the washer.

Although I just bought a front loader, I know they are prone to developing mildew. What I've heard is that you should keep the door open between loads to allow it to dry out well, and then to regularly clean it out with either bleach (which you've tried) or products made to specifically clean the washer out. Good luck - I hope you're able to figure it out! You may want to check out Consumer Reports' website because I think they have some advice on it too.

I have similar issues and also get mold stains on clothes when I remove them and pull them through. I use a mold cleaner and clean the drum. Also white vinegar helps to deodorize and is a natural fabric softener.

Try leaving the door open following a load to allow fresh air to circulate.

Okay. We bought a front loader a few years ago and started having the same problem.

Things to do.
1. Make sure you check and clean behind the rubber ring just inside the washer (where the door seals). Small pieces of clothing like socks can get stuck in there. We didn't know this at first and found several moldy socks in there. Clean that area periodically. I usually clean it with a mix of bleach, water and soap.
2. Every 3 months or so run a cycle on hot and put in about 1/3 of a bottle of something they call Washer Magic. You put it where you would normally put your detergent. The months you don't do the washer magic, run it through a hot cycle with just some bleach.
3. We had been using different brands of detergent and fabric softener. We figured out that for some reason those brands where reacting with each other, so we switched around and found a combo that seems to work well together.
4. Make sure you are using a detergent for HE (High Efficiency) machines.
5. Leave the washing machine door open to "air out" and dry after you are done using it.

Good luck. I should warn you. We found that certain pieces of clothing that were really smelly never really recovered. They got better after we did everything above, but some we just had to get rid of and start fresh. Since doing the things above we have not had the problem again.

Hope this helps.
R.

I had this issue when we kept the lid to our topload washer closed. It got really mildewy smelling. I bought a product online called smelly washer and it works very well. We now keep our washer lid open and we haven't had any issues since. Hope this helps :-)

there are some rods in your water heater that is corroded that is causing the problem all you need to do is to remove those rods they are not really necessary

Our front-loader is now 3.5 years old and we have not had this problem, but we leave the door of the washer open, and we wipe down the rubber gasket (seal for the door) whenever we're done doing laundry . I have heard that it is a problem with a mildew smell because it never really gets dry. It's in our basement, so not like it looks funny to have the door open. We also have a water conditioner and I never thought their laundry detergent was worth even the zero cents we paid for it. I wouldn't even take more of it--I hated it. We have been using Era we get at Sam's and downey with Fabreeze fabric softener.

I believe there are filters assoicated with the washer, one might be clogged and therefore all of the water isn't draining from underneath the barrel. Check the manual. Also, we leave the door open when it's not in use.

If you are getting that mildew or sour smell in your clothes, use ammonia in your wash load, just like you would use bleach. That should take the smell out.

I have that same horrible problem! Leave the door open whenever possible so it can dry out all the way. The bleach seems to help with mine. I also use Clorox wipes down in the seal to wipe out any extra water. It seems to get mildew down in there and it usually takes care of the problem! Good luck! N. G.

They actually make cleaners for front load washers. The seals get moldy, it has happened to everyone I know with one including mine. leaving the door open when not in use will help, but only so much. Using extra detergent in a front loader is actually bad for the machine and can cause all the soap not to come out. You can also call the manufacturer and ask them, they should be able to give you all sorts of advice.

Although this post is late I figured it would benefit us to share. I had this problem and even tried adding IRON OUT as recommended by my RainSoft tech. That made it worse. The monthly Tub Clean didn't last more than a couple washes. I figured it out tho...use HE powder detergent instead! The petroleums in liquid detergent start to coat the front loading machines for some reason. I never had this issue when I had a top loader. Anyway, I don't have the "smell" anymore and do my monthly Tub Clean cycle. BTW - I had to throw out my towels...they just were never the same.

I had major problems with my 1st front loader. I had to buy a new one due to the front loader no longer spinning. The repairman said to leave the door open and when you are done for the day wipe down the door and the rubber just inside the washer. Good luck!