I try to leave the lid open which I know is supposed to help to air out the wash machine but yet it still smells really bad. I have run a bleach only hot water cycle, I have ran a detergent and softner only cycle, I have used a vinegar and hot water cycle...nothing works---any tips?
Have you cleaned out the lint filter? We have a filter near the top that slides out that collects lint and fabric - it gets wet and musty smelling if not rinsed and cleaned out.
Two things: Your house likely has hard water. If you get a water softener, it will help immensely.
Also, they make washer cleaner. You can find it in the detergent aisle.
Best!
C.
The rubber rim that seals your door tightly also can get mildew and mold on it, even if you leave the door shut only a few times and open it the rest of the time. The very tight seal is great for efficient washing but terrible for trapping moisture between wash cycles. You may need to use bleach to wipe the rubber seal down very well, then run a bleach cycle. Or try the washer cleaner products others have recommended. But it's key to leave the door open every single time. Also, be sure to open up the cup or drawer where you put in detergent and leave that open between washes as well; water gets into it and that cup can get mildewed too.
Have you ever tried a washing machine cleaner?
Like this:
http://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-washing-machine-cle...
We had this same problem and I ordered "Smelly Washer" washing machine cleaner from Amazon. It is about $10 and it works great. Here is a link to it:
http://www.amazon.com/Smelly-Washer-Washing-Machine-Treat...
get some cleaner...they make cleaner specifically for washing machines
If it's a front load washer, check the drain filter. When ours wouldn't stop being stinky, that's where the problem was. Some models have an easy to get to filter right up front. Ours required my hubby to disassemble the entire cover off the front to get to it. It was clogged up and the source of the stink.
Get a gallon jug of white vinegar and run a wash with the whole bottle of vinegar. In the future always add vinegar to your wash (at least a cup) except in your bleach washes.
the vinegar not only sweetens the laundry but keeps the machine smelling better.
Also consider your house's waste line - if it's old and clogged the water may not be draining as well as it should be and while the machine is draining not all of the water completely drains. If your house is 50 yrs old with an original waste-line that could be contributing to the dank smell.
I have the same problem. Go to sears and buy Afresh. I usually get a couple of bags of it. They are small tablets that you throw in the washing machine and run it with hot water. you might have to run it through twice. This takes care of the smell every time.
I had a repair man out to fix a different problem with my washer. He told me to go buy a box of the cheapest dishwasher powder detergent. Run the washer on a hot cycle, not the cleaning one with a cup of the dishwasher detergent. It works great! I do it every couple months to keep everything clean in there.
I asked this same question a few months ago. I have an HE front loader. I had to clean the rubber rim, clean the trap, switch the drainage hose lint catcher, I got better salt for the softner, and got the TIDE HE washing machine cleaning agent. Works from both top load normal washers, and HE front loader. Its about 7 bucks you get 3 packages and for the first time you use one package a week. After that its one package a month for maintenance. It helps A LOT... it did get rid of the bad stink that was getting into my clothes if I didnt get them out of the washer right after washing. Though my washer just kinda has a funky smell every few weeks or so. SO I do the whole process again.
My repair person told me to switch to powder
Does your washing machine have a cleaning cycle? It is a front-loader or top-loader?
