Getting Rid of the Smell in Your Washing Machine

By Maid Brigade of Northern Connecticut

You just opened your washing machine and caught a whiff of something other than freshly washed clothes.

Sounds like it’s time to clean your washing machine!

Many people will say to use bleach, but that isn’t a good idea. Not only is bleach a toxic cleaner, but it is also bad for septic systems, which need a certain amount of bacteria present to break down matter.

The following instructions will allow you to kill mold, mildew, and keep odors at bay in your front load washer – using only natural ingredients.

All you’ll need are white vinegar and baking soda.

The vinegar will disinfect, helping to kill mold and mildew. The acidity of the vinegar will help dissolve soap residue in the wash tub and can also be helpful in dissolving lime deposits in pipes (if you have hard water). The baking soda cleans soap scum and deodorizes if you have a smelly washer.

Your HE washer probably has a cleaning setting, but before you even begin that, you’ll need to do some detail work.

The gaskets at the front of the machine (they are usually gray and rubbery) are notorious for growing mildew. They also tend to be a magnet for hair, especially pet hair.

You can clean the gasket by spraying vinegar into the folds and then rubbing them down with a cleaning rag that has baking soda on it. The baking soda makes it a bit more abrasive and reacts with the vinegar once contacting the surface that you’re cleaning.

If you have a lot of mold and mildew, apply peroxide following the baking soda and vinegar. Peroxide kills mold. Alternatively, you could scrub the inside of the gasket with an old toothbrush.

Once you’ve cleaned the gasket, make sure to give the door a good wipe-down, too.

When you’re ready to run the cleaning cycle, sprinkle 1/3 cup of baking soda into the drum of the machine. This is just an extra odor-fighting boost. Pour two cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser, and turn the dial of your machine to the cleaning cycle. The cycle should take from an hour to an hour and a half.

To try to keep your washing machine cleaner all the time, make sure you leave the door open all the time. This is even more important for front-load machines than for top-loading ones, because they become smelly quickly.

In addition, don’t let your clothes sit. In order to ensure that your clothes – and the machine don’t get a funny smell, it’s best to remove the clothes immediately after they’re finished washing.

You should also wipe your machine out regularly. You won’t want to spend the time or resources to do a full cleaning on your machine very often, but if you give it a quick wipe with a dry towel after you are finished with your laundry for the day, it will stay fresh much longer.

Don’t just think about the inside! You’ll want to keep the outside of the machine clean as well. Between the dryer dust and laundry detergent residue, the outside of the washing machine can get gross pretty fast.

Need some help around the house? Give us a call at 860-288-2313 and we can help you out!