We remove the smell from the washing machine quickly and easily

With the help of a washing machine, you can easily wash all linen and clothes, including delicate and voluminous textiles. Like any other household appliance, the washing machine requires proper care, otherwise problems appear, including an unpleasant odor. Let’s figure out why this happens and how to remove the smell from the washing machine.

The video told how to clean the machine to remove the smell

All about removing unpleasant odors from the washer

Why does he appear
How to get rid of a disgusting smell
— Mechanical cleaning
— Chemical cleaning
Preventive measures

Why does my car smell bad?

It would be a mistake to think that this problem only occurs with old technology. Even a new washer can smell bad a few weeks after purchase if it is not properly cared for. Actually, whatever smell appears: mold, rot or mustiness — it is caused by the multiplied microflora. And it appears in such quantities only when the elementary rules for caring for equipment are ignored. Let’s list most common causes of odor.

• Closed door. After washing, moisture remains inside the centrifuge, which in a closed space leads to the greenhouse effect. A moist and warm environment becomes an ideal «home» for a wide variety of microorganisms, including mold and mildew.
• Continuous washing at low temperatures. Fast and ECO modes are designed for processing laundry at temperatures below 40 ° C. Under such conditions, powders, especially inexpensive ones, dissolve poorly. On the internal surfaces of the equipment, powder «spots» are formed, on which microorganisms settle. For most of them, warm water does not cause inconvenience, they actively develop and multiply.
• Use of cheap detergents. Inexpensive powders and rinses dissolve worse, in addition, they do not have special anti-scale additives. Undissolved residues accumulate on internal surfaces and become a breeding ground for microflora.
• Dirty laundry inside the washer. Microorganisms develop very quickly on soiled items put into the machine, especially if the tank of the machine is poorly dried after the previous wash.
• Dirty drain and intake filters. Inside them, a large amount of all kinds of pollution is retained and accumulated. If they are not removed in time, microflora actively reproduces here.
• Lack of regular maintenance of the automatic machine. The powder receiving tray and its seat should be washed, wiped and dried. It is advisable to wipe the rubber gasket of the loading hatch dry after each wash. If this is not done, rapidly multiplying colonies of microbes settle on these surfaces.
• Loading stuff with various items in pockets. Paper, non-woven napkins, cigarettes and the like disintegrate during processing, their residues settle on the internal surfaces of the machine.

These reasons most often lead to the appearance of a putrid or musty smell emanating from the equipment. All of them are somehow connected with a violation of the rules for operating the equipment, so the situation is quite easy to fix on your own.

How to clean a washing machine from smell

Before you get rid of the smell from the washing machine, you need to inspect and clean the places where bacteria can settle. These are the most inaccessible areas of technology, all kinds of cracks or folds.

• Tray for detergents.
• The receiving hole into which the tray is inserted.
• Inlet and outlet water filters.
• Rubber gasket on the loading door.
• Drain hose.

The problem is solved by high-quality cleaning of all polluted places. You can do it yourself, without inviting a specialist.

mechanical cleaning

This is perhaps the most efficient method. Here is a simple algorithm for this procedure.

1. Tray cleaning. First, it is removed from the receiver hole. To do this, press the valve, slightly lower the body of the powder box and remove it from the grooves. The tray is soaked in a basin with warm soapy water, then the walls are thoroughly cleaned of dirt with a brush. After that, they are washed in a solution of vinegar or bleach to destroy pathogenic microflora. Rinse with clean water, dry.
2. Cleaning the hole-receiver. The place where the powder tray is installed is washed with detergent or an aqueous solution of vinegar. Dirt often accumulates in the water supply holes. It is cleaned with a brush, then washed again. The washed surface is wiped with a soft cloth, dried.
3. Washing the rubber cuff of the loading hatch. Prepare a weak solution of vinegar. With it, all the folds of the rubber cuff are washed with a sponge. Rinse with clean water, wipe dry.
4. Cleaning the drain filter. Usually it is located in the lower part of the case, covered with a decorative panel. A rag is placed on the floor under the machine or a flat tray is placed. Carefully unscrew the filter cover. Water will surely flow from it, it must be collected. The filter is washed under the tap, all impurities are removed. Then put in place.
5. Drain hose cleaning. It is removed from the machine by unscrewing the threaded connections. The accumulated liquid is poured out of the hose and carefully inspected. Inside there may be a blockage or dirt adhering to the walls, they must be removed. One end of the hose is put on a tap, the other is lowered into a bath or bucket, hot water is opened under high pressure. After flushing, the hose is returned to its place.

Chemical cleaning

Almost every modern model is equipped with a self-cleaning mode. It is assumed that when it is activated, the machine washes all internal surfaces with hot water. If this mode is not provided, it can be replaced by running the machine without laundry on the wash cycle at the highest temperature. This is a fairly effective method of how to eliminate the smell in the washing machine, but in advanced cases it may not work. To enhance the effect, various additives are used. We offer several proven recipes.

• Two or three tablespoons of vinegar are poured into the powder compartment. Start the self-cleaning mode or long cycle for cotton at 90˚C. When the water that has accumulated in the drum heats up, you can pause the machine to give the acid time to remove scale and plaque, and disinfect the parts. The machine is then allowed to complete the cycle. This method should be used no more than once every 4-6 months..
• Mix 4 tablespoons of citric acid and washing powder. The resulting mixture is poured into the tray, a long wash cycle is started at 90 ° C or self-cleaning. As in the previous version, you can stop the machine to increase the impact.
• Baking soda is also used as an effective odor remover in the washing machine. Half of a standard pack is poured into the detergent drawer or directly into the drum. Run a long cycle at 30˚C. When it ends, a glass of table vinegar is poured into the compartment and the mode is activated at 60 ° C. This procedure helps to get rid of scale, plaque, mold and fungus.
• This mixture will help remove a very strong smell: half a glass of soda and a few drops of aromatic oil. It is poured into the detergent compartment, the self-cleaning mode is started, or a long wash at 90 ° C is selected.
• Copper sulphate will help get rid of the fungus. One and a half tablespoons of crystals are dissolved in water. All accessible surfaces of the machine are treated with the resulting solution. The rest of the liquid is poured into the powder compartment and the self-cleaning mode is started.

An important point. Before starting the automatic machine, it is advisable to turn off the spin, if possible. This way, the remaining active substance is washed out better.

You can use special preparations. These are chemicals that remove soap and lime deposits and other contaminants. In addition, they have an antibacterial effect, that is, they destroy fungus, mold, and pathogenic bacteria. These are cleaners like Dr. Beckmann, Tiret, Topperr and others. They are available in powder or liquid form. Use strictly according to the instructions on the package.

Preventive measures

In order to never encounter an unpleasant smell from the washing machine, you must follow simple rules.

• The drum and detergent drawer must always be dry. To do this, after washing, it is enough to leave the door of the loading hatch and the powder compartment ajar. The latter is best taken out, rinsed and left to dry.
• The rubber gasket-cuff on the loading hatch should be cleaned once a month with a solution of vinegar, then rinsed and dried.
• Detergents must be of high quality, their recommended dosage must be strictly observed.
• Once a month and a half, it is necessary to carry out preventive cleaning of household appliances. It will be enough to put it into operation in self-cleaning mode.

We figured out how to eliminate the smell in the washing machine. These simple activities are easy to do on your own. If they did not help, and this sometimes happens, then the problem is not in the automatic machine. The smell is most likely coming from the sewers. In this case, a plumber can help.